First stone

'At last'. These were the words most often repeated at the ceremony to lay the first stone of the UPV Design Factory building. The construction respects the winning design from the ideas competition held among students in this programme a few years ago. (Video)

The time capsule contains the statutes of the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), a UPV Design Factory T-shirt signed by the programme's promoters, a letter to the future from Carme Ferrer, from the Poliwood team representing Design Factory, a UPV medal and key ring, as well as news articles celebrating the teams' successes. They will remain for posterity in the foundations of a building that will house talent and enable many dreams to come true.

The rector of the UPV, José E. Capilla, emphasised that this event is ‘much more’ than the laying of the first stone of a building, referring to the Infrastructure Plan approved by the UPV, which "looks beyond 2030. This marks the beginning of a new stage for the Universitat Politècnica de València, and it is particularly fitting that it should be with the UPV Design Factory, a space for our students."

Speaking on behalf of the 3,000 students participating in the 65 teams that make up this pioneering UPV project, Carme Ferrer, from the Poliwood team, explained that thanks to UPV Design Factory, she has had the opportunity ‘to develop skills that she never expected to explore, such as leadership, teamwork, conflict resolution, resilience and creativity’.

Also in attendance was the regional secretary for Universities of the Generalitat, Esther Gómez, who promoted UPV Design Factory when she was Vice-rector for Students and Entrepreneurship at the UPV from 2021 to 2023. She remarked that ‘this building demonstrates that at the UPV, learning is done by doing, and that is what UPV Design Factory is all about’.

Other attendees included former Rector Francisco Mora, the initial promoter of the project; the Vice-Rector for Students and Entrepreneurship, J. Alberto Conejero; and the Director of the UPV Design Factory Area, Fanny Collado.

Learning by doing

UPV Design Factory is a pioneering programme at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) that was launched in 2014. It serves as an incubator for interdisciplinary student projects, promoting 'learning by doing', enhancing cross-curricular competencies, and fostering the mentor-student relationship. It supports the participation of teams in university competitions, both nationally and internationally.

Eleven years after its creation, one of its major demands has become a reality: its own building. It will have just over 3,000 square metres, divided into a ground floor, first floor, and rooftop, with landscaped areas and paved outdoor spaces, and a budget of around € 8 million. It will provide facilities for all teams, encouraging synergies between them by sharing a common space. It is expected to open in 2027.

Photograph: Vicente Lara Sáez

Video: Amparo Berbegal Juan

Text: Carmen Revillo Rubio

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