It seems like only yesterday that the members of the academic community of the Higher Technical School of Architecture of the Polytechnic University of Valencia joined forces to create an international event that would periodically bring together researchers from all over the world, and in which all areas of knowledge and professional practice within the discipline of architecture would have a place. On October 18, 2018, the opening ceremony of the first edition of the Valencia International Biennial of Research in Architecture was held, the topic of which was “Reactive-proactive architecture”. Two years later, the second edition of the event was merged with the EAAE-ARCC International Conference 2020, whose theme was “The architect and the city”, significantly expanding the audience of the biennial even though it was finally held online due to the restrictions caused by the global pandemic. This expansion was manifested in the third edition, held in 2022 again as a stand-alone event, with the theme “Changing priorities”, and attended by researchers and academics from all over the world.
In each and every one of its editions, VIBRArch had the backing of the European Association for Architectural Education, whose President, Oya Atalay Franck, supported the event with her presence and speech at the various opening and closing ceremonies. Having analyzed the progress of the event and the quality of the various books of proceedings published after each edition, the EAAE Council decided, at its August 2023 meeting held in Turin, to include VIBRArch in its official agenda of events considering it as its regular research conference. The news was received in Valencia with great satisfaction and gratitude. The academic community of the ETSA-UPV is working with enthusiasm and intensity to live up to the standards of EAAE activities and pledges that the fourth edition of VIBRArch, to be held from November 13 to 15, 2024, will be of great quality and interest.
The topic chosen for this new edition is “Wellbeing for all”. It highlights the importance of all the knowledge and progress resulting from this new and rapturous wave of research emerging in universities around the world reaching as many people as possible, leaving no one behind. At the same time, it also aims to be the best evidence of the spirit and social concern of the discipline of architecture.
It is my pleasure to invite you to join us at the 4th VIBRArch. I do wish to meet you all in Valencia, Spain, in November 2024.