Fairbanks Arquitectos was founded in 2011 giving continuity to Bruce Fairbanks’ former practice GOP Oficina de Proyectos. Fairbanks Arquitectos pursues design excellence by combining sensible solutions and technical innovation in architecture and urban design projects. Fairbanks Arquitectos is a team of experienced architects and professionals from other disciplines with more than 15 years of experience working together in the development of projects of different sizes and complexities. Each project is addressed with a team of specialists adapted to the specific demands of the project making it possible to deliver quick and accurate responses to the clients’ requirements with innovative solutions.

Fairbanks Arquitectos reclaims great expertise in the design of airports beginning in 1996 when Bruce Fairbanks’ design for the Madrid-Barajas control tower was selected in an international competition. Since then they have designed and executed several control towers, terminal buildings and other airport infrastructures. The tower for Madrid-Barajas Airport was selected because it was “a representative design which meets the requirements of a highly functional building typology.” This example characterizes the design work of the firm; creating architectural expression with a rigorous work for integrating functional elements, construction methods and other systems into a representative design.

The airport terminal buildings designed by Fairbanks, demonstrate their capability of managing large scale projects using complex systems in design and construction methodology. The most recent example is the new Alicante Airport Terminal Building inaugurated in March 2011, where a 36×36 meter repetitive dome element is used to characterize the terminal. The design of the dome enabled an industrialized on-site prefabrication of the element, assembled at grade level before lifting and sliding them into place. The same dome element organizes flexible interior spaces y integrates systems for natural lighting and curtain walls.

Besides airport projects, Fairbanks has a wide experience in office developments, residential projects and urban design. They have designed and executed various luxury office developments for Levitt Bosch Almerich in Madrid, projects developed with concepts of commercial flexibility, floor plans free of columns and elegant sustaining facades designed to filter natural light and radiation. They have also designed corporate headquarters for clients such as Grupo Ortiz, the National Civil Guard, and the Extremadura Regional Government. This last project was won by international competition, selected for its sustainable design and the integration of energy efficient systems into the project concept.

Residential projects range from high-rise and low-rise luxury residential developments, to social housing projects to single family residences. Projects have been developed for locations in Madrid, Miami, Bucharest and a luxurious villa in Abu Dhabi.

Urban design projects include mixed use urban developments for “Moscatelares” in San Sebastian de los Reyes in Madrid and “Petricani” in Bucharest, Romania. “Greening Abu Dhabi” is an urban research project which investigates strategies for making Abu Dhabi more habitable city during the extreme summer climate. More recently Fairbanks has developed a Master Plan for the Redevelopment of Belize City Fort Point Pedestrian Walk for the Belize Ministry of Tourism.

Fairbanks’ projects have been published in various national and international professional journals. They have received many prizes and recognitions including; the Prize for Excellency from Aena (Spanish National Airport Authority) in 2001, the National Architecture Prize in 2006 in the category of Quality Residential Development for the residential tower and town houses “Isla Chamartin” in Madrid, EUROSOLAR Solar Prize 2009 for Sustainable Design of the Laboratories for Investigation Building UPV, Vitoria, the FOPA prize 2010 for the Best Public Work in the Province of Alicante for the new terminal building for the Alicante Airport and the ASPRIMA-SIMA Prize 2011 for the Best Technological Initiative for Sustainable Office Building for the Grupo ORTIZ Corporate Headquarters.

Bruce Fairbanks

Bruce Fairbanks is an American Architect practicing in Spain since 1989. He received a Bachelor of Architecture at Syracuse University in 1985 and a Master of Science in Architecture and Building Design at Columbia University en 1988.

He worked in various architectural firms in Madrid, New York and Boston until in 1994, with other partners, he founded GOP Oficina de Proyectos. At GOP he was the Principal Architect for a wide range of architectural and urban projects including several airports projects, making him a renowned specialist in this discipline. In November 2011 he founded Fairbanks Arquitectos giving continuity to the work established in GOP.

His projects are published in various professional journals and he has collaborated with articles in diverse publications. He is co-author of the book “Descubrir las Terminales Aeropuertuarios” (Discover Airport Terminals) edited by Centro de Documentaciones y Publicaciones de Aena in 2010.

He has taught at the Boston Architectural Centre in Boston Massachusetts and is an invited Professor for the Master Airport Systems Madrid University School of Aeronautic Engineering 2005-2011. He has lectured in various International Congresses including; SEWC Structural Engineers World Congress 2011 Como, Italy, SEWC 2010 Bangalore, India, Cibarq 08 International Congress Architecture, City and Energy 2008 Pamplona, Spain, National Congress pre-cast Concrete 2004 Sao Paolo, Brazil, and Glass Days 2003 Venice, Italy.