UIA Working Bodies
The Working Bodies (WB) of the International Union of Architects (UIA) are permanent working groups that conduct research, engage in critical reflection, and take action on key issues in contemporary architecture, including its social, cultural, environmental, and territorial impacts.
These groups — including Commissions and Work Programmes — bring together architects, researchers, and professionals from diverse countries, fostering knowledge exchange and international cooperation.
Within the framework of the UIA World Congress of Architects Barcelona 2026, and based at the Barcelona International Convention Centre (CCIB), the Working Bodies will present the work developed during the 2023–2026 triennium, including research, projects, exhibitions, and thematic activities.
They will also organize professional sessions and meetings, encouraging dialogue, knowledge sharing, and collaboration among architects from around the world.
Their contribution reinforces the UIA’s commitment to an ethical, inclusive, and sustainable approach to architecture, aligning with today’s global challenges.
The UIA Work Programmes are structured around four strategic thematic areas:
Architecture and Society, Habitat and Community, Public Spaces and Wellbeing, and Specific Contexts and Global Challenges.
Architecture and Society
Architecture for All:
Accessibility and inclusion within the built environment.
Architecture and Children:
Education and awareness of architecture from early childhood.
Heritage and Cultural Identity:
Heritage conservation and its relationship with cultural identity.
Habitat and Community
Social Habitat:
Addressing social inequality through architecture.
Community Architecture and Human Rights:
Links between architecture, human rights, and sustainability.
Architecture, Cities and Territories:
Relationships between urban planning, intermediate cities, and territorial development.
Public Spaces and Wellbeing
Public Health:
Design approaches that protect and enhance people’s health.
Public Spaces:
Analysis and promotion of high-quality public spaces.
Educational and Cultural Spaces:
Design of educational and cultural spaces with social impact.
Sports and Leisure:
Quality in sports and leisure facilities.
Specific Contexts and Global Challenges
Indigenous Peoples:
Promotion of design grounded in indigenous knowledge systems.
Informal Settlements:
Exchange of good practices in informal settlements.
Natural and Human Disasters:
Preparedness and the role of architecture in natural and human-made disasters.
Main Commissions and Their Areas of Focus
Architectural Education Commission
Acts as a think tank on global architectural education policy, proposing guidelines and analyses on educational practices and learning outcomes in architecture.
International Competitions & Awards Commission
Provides specialized consultancy for international competitions and awards, promoting fair, transparent, and high-quality architectural competition processes.
Professional Practice Commission
Implements and promotes the UIA Accord on International Standards of Professionalism in Architectural Practice, guiding professional standards, international mobility, and best practices within the profession.
Sustainability Commission
Examines the concept of sustainability from an architectural perspective, linking it to
broader frameworks, including global agreements and context-based development.
UN 17 SDGs Commission
Directly addresses the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, promoting
their understanding, dissemination, and implementation within global architectural
practice.
UNESCO-UIA Validation Commission
Establishes international standards of excellence in architectural education through the
validation of academic programs, ensuring quality and academic prestige in
collaboration with UNESCO.