Elena Orte

Elena is an architect with a degree and a Master’s in Advanced Architectural Projects from the Polytechnic University of Madrid (ETSAM). In 2005, she co-founded SUMA Arquitectura with Guillermo Sevillano, a Madrid-based studio specializing in singular residential and public architecture. SUMA’s work is defined by research-driven, pioneering approaches that promote social connection within the built environment, integrate biomaterials like wood, and uphold strong ecological responsibility.

Elena’s work has been widely recognized with awards, including the 2024 Emerging Mies van der Rohe Award, the COAM and FAD First Prizes 2024, the Ciutat de Barcelona Award 2022, and IFLA’s 2023 Best Public Library of the Year for the Gabriel García Márquez Library in Barcelona.

She combines her professional practice with academic work. She is currently a faculty member at the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), within the Master in Advanced Ecological Buildings & Biocities (MAEBB), and at the IE School of Architecture & Design in Madrid, where she teaches the Advanced Design Studio – Sustainable Strategies course. In the coming months, she will begin teaching in the Department of Architectural Design at ETSAM.