Wesam Al Asali (SY) + Salvador Gomis (ES)
Tile Vaulting: The Art of Structural Ceramic
19 juillet – 26 juillet 2026
Wesam Al Asali Syrian Arab Republic
Wesam Al Asali is an architect, researcher, and professor whose work focuses on the integration of manual and digital fabrication technologies with natural materials and traditional building techniques. His research examines craft practices, construction technology, and building history to explore how cultural and social factors can inform new architectural approaches in response to climate challenges.
He completed his PhD in Architecture at the University of Cambridge in 2021, where he developed low-carbon roofing design strategies based on the Catalan vault technique. Following his doctorate, he was awarded a Fung Global Fellowship and served as a postdoctoral researcher at Princeton University (2021–2022). His work has received the RIBA President’s Award for Research (2021) and the Salje Medal for Best Doctoral Research in Arts and Humanities at Clare Hall, Cambridge (2022). He has secured research grants and commissions from institutions including the Arab Council for the Social Sciences, the Institute of Ceramic Technology, and Princeton University.
Al Asali is Professor at IE University (since 2022), co-founder and Director of Design and Innovation at IWlab, and founder of CERCAA (Educational Center for the Regeneration of Craft Construction) in Valencia. His current research addresses the use of natural materials in Spanish craft traditions, scarcity-driven vernacular architecture in the Middle East, and the relationship between domestic space and food production in Syria during the crisis.
www.cercaa.org
Salvador Gomis Spain
Salvador Gomis is a master builder specialized in traditional tile vault construction (bóveda tabicada). He began his career building vaulted staircases and gradually expanded his practice to complex vaults and domes of diverse geometries. His work has contributed to the contemporary revival of this nearly forgotten craft, demonstrating its structural, spatial, and artistic potential beyond cement-based construction.
He has collaborated with leading architects and academic institutions on award-winning projects. Notable works include the hyperbolic paraboloid brick vault for the José Soriano Pantheon in Villarreal (Fernando Vegas and Camilla Mileto), recipient of the 2017 American Architecture Prize and an Architizer A+ Awards Special Mention; participation in the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale under the supervision of John Ochsendorf (MIT) and Philippe Block (ETH Zurich); and the construction of a 182 m² traditional three-layer tile vault in the restoration of Hotel Rosaleda in Andorra. His work has been featured in international exhibitions, research projects, and documentaries, including El Arquitecto de Nueva York on Rafael Guastavino.
Gomis has taught workshops and courses in Spain and abroad, including at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, AA School, Roma Tre University, and the University of Cambridge, and has participated in humanitarian training initiatives in Jordan. He is co-founder of CERCAA, an educational center dedicated to the teaching and innovation of traditional construction techniques and sustainable building practices.
www.cercaa.org
Tile Vaulting: The Art of Structural Ceramic
19 juillet – 26 juillet
Catégories d'atelier
L’atelier
Vaults are among the purest architectural expressions of gravity. Their strength comes not from mass, but from geometry — making them a relevant and low-carbon construction model in the context of today’s environmental crisis.
This workshop explores the art and technique of tile vaults—also known as Guastavino vaults or timbrel vaults—a Mediterranean method that uses thin ceramic tiles and plaster of Paris to create laminated vaults with minimal formwork and maximal craftsmanship.Though historically associated with monumental buildings, tile vaults have deep roots in local craft traditions across the world, where generations of master builders have sustained this knowledge through practice. As such, tile vaulting was central to the exceptional work of architects such as Antoni Gaudí and Rafael Guastavino, both of whom relied on master builders to translate geometric vision into built form.
During the workshop, participants will design and construct a full-scale tile-vaulted pavilion on-site at Boisbuchet. Led by CERCAA’s co-founders—a master builder and an architectural designer—the workshop will introduce participants to the geometry, structure, and hands-on techniques of tile construction. The workshop also showcases and invites reflections on how traditional methods can engage with contemporary digital tools—including augmented reality and mechanized construction—to expand, rather than replace, craft knowledge.
This is a unique opportunity to experience the intersection of design, engineering, and craft, and to rethink architectural culture through material intelligence, collective making, and embodied learning.