Elastiko [e’las.ti.ko].Elastic in Basque.
(adj.) adjustable to different circumstances.
We are an architecture studio. But at the same time we are something else.
We are elastiko. We believe in the power of adaptation, analysis and empathy.
We believe in design and its capacity to generate a positive impact on society.
We support architecture that thinks before it answers. We generate concepts, but we always develop real solutions, exploring both the poetic idea and the pragmatic response.
We believe that architecture must align with an ever-evolving society, with new technologies, and with a responsible environmental attitude. Here at elastiko, we know that we are capable of being many things, but we always maintain our essence: the continuous search for that which goes beyond the established.
Management team
Iker Alzola
Iker Alzola qualified as an architect from the San Sebastian ETSA and has worked in the profession for 15 years. After having worked in offices such as Enric Miralles-Benedetta Tagliabue (EMBT) in Barcelona and Fuksas in Rome, in 2013 he moved to London where he formed part of Foster and Partners architectural practice. In London he was involved with the design of the new Apple HQ, Apple Park California, which he also directed.
In 2017 he returned to Barcelona to found Elastico, the architectural and design studio which he still leads today. Since then Elastiko has carried out projects in the architectural, interior design and landscape sectors. Amongst its most high profile projects are the Magic Box headquarters in Sant Cugat (Barcelona), the 22@ Satart.up Hub space in Barcelona, an office building on Pere IV in Barcelona as well as several co-working spaces designed for the company Cloudworks between Barcelona and Madrid. Currently Elastiko is working on the new Department of Health Headquarters for the Generalitat.
Iker Alzola has a Masters in Restoration and Built Heritage Management from the UPV/EHU and has a Masters in Architectural Design from Barcelona’s ETSAB, the school where he currently teaches as an associate tutor.
Gianluca Giaccone
Marc Torrellas
Maite Fernandez Manils
Methodology
Process
In addition to working in the field of architecture, we create landscaping, interior design and product design.
At elastiko, we put our collective experience, gained from years dedicated to architecture and construction, at the heart of the design process, resulting in coherent projects and in great attention to detail. We believe that the best solutions lie in addressing each and every phase of the project with the same intensity, from the initial sketches to completion, while paying special attention to the construction process. The design process stems from our first contact with the client and is maintained as a constant dialogue during all phases of it, adapting the possibilities of the project to the needs of the brief. We strive to offer responsible and efficient projects with realistic execution times. From the beginning, we have combined professional and academic activity, giving great importance to research in the field of architecture and construction.Collaborators
Different disciplines converge in the studio, and not just those from the architectural realm. We understand architecture as a collective act. To build on this, we regularly work with a network of specialised collaborators, who provide the best professional solutions to the creative process.
Facilities engineering AIA Instal.lacions arquitectòniques PGI Engineering OTP Enginyería SJ12 Enginyers ESITEC Structural engineering BIS structures Eskubi-Turró. Consultor d’estructures DIMARK Estructuras Acoustics Higini Arau Acústica Technical architecture Joan Ramón Soldevila MDO Management Lighting Fantástico. Lighting Consultants Ca2lNew technologies
Here at elastiko, we are intrigued by the application of new technologies not just in the projects we carry out but also throughout the entire creative process. The use of Virtual Reality (VR) allows the studio to communicate project ideas to the client in a more direct and realistic way. Clients, future users and members of the design team can “enter” the spaces within the design process, understand them better and collaborate in decision making.
The use of BIM (Building Information Modeling) technology facilitates greater control of the construction process by optimising resources and significantly reducing unforeseen events during the construction phase.
Modern office design and workplace of the future
Thanks to our collaboration with the Cloudworks coworking brand, in 2017, elastiko embarked on a research process around the workspace and the strong transformation that it has experienced in parallel to the changes experienced in society. As a result of this process, elastiko has already completed four spaces for Cloudworks. This has led elastiko to become a pacesetter in this area and a studio that continuously reviews the concept of the future workspace.
Since 2020 we regularly collaborate with HWL, the Europe’s first coworking and coliving consultancy agency that operates globally and is based in Barcelona (www.happyworkinglab.com).
Elastiko seeks to create contemporary yet functional workplaces, always based on the needs of future users. Our spaces foster social interaction and allow design to promote individual and collective empowerment of the communities that use them.
Sustainability
The studio works directly with external teams specialised in energy efficiency and sustainability applied to architecture, in order to obtain the information and guidance required to consider the best solutions and develop a sustainable vision of each project. We work in the field of high energy efficiency with the development of projects under the Passivhause standards, as well as with LEED, BREEM and WELL certifications.
Some of our clients
