Pau Batalla Soriano, Miguel Martínez Castillejo. EMAC Arquitectura

EMAC (espacio mediterráneo de arquitectura contemporánea), is an architectural studio primarily focused on public works, founded by Pau Batalla Soriano and Miguel Martínez Castillejo in Castellón, following the 2012 crisis.

Pau Batalla Soriano and Miguel Martínez Castillejo graduated from the ETSAV (University of Valencia) in 2006. As students, Pau won two competitions and Miguel received a DPA scholarship and the COACV Award for his final project.

After completing their studies, they combined their own work with collaborating on studies by professors at the UPV (University of Valencia). Pau obtained a research grant from the Instituto Tecnológico de la Cerámica (Technological Institute of Ceramics) (2007-2008) and won second prize in the competition for the Plaza Mayor in Vila-Real (Castellón, 2006). Miguel won two design competitions: the Extension of the Alicante College of Architects (Alicante, 2008) and a housing project in the San Antón neighborhood of Alicante (Alicante, 2008).

Since founding his studio, they have won eleven competitions and received various awards.

His built work has been recognized as a finalist in the 2017 Spanish Urban Planning Awards (Parque de los Bajos), the 2019 Valencian Community Awards (Casa Tino), and the 2024 XIII Ibero-American Biennial of Architecture and Urban Planning (Parque Almansa and Cultural Facilities). She received a mention in the 2017-18 ARCO Awards from the Almería Association of Architects (Parque de los Bajos) and was selected for exhibitions by the Regional Associations of Valencia (Casa Carla) in 2014 and 2020 (Casa Tino and Casa Gya) and Castellón (Casa Carla, Casa Tino, Casa Gya, and Parque de los Bajos). She was also selected for the 2024 CSCAE Architecture Awards (Parque Almansa and Cultural Facilities).
Her work has been published in prestigious print and digital media, and she has participated in various conferences and exhibitions.

Pau was a Cultural Representative of the Castellón Association of Architects (2014-2017), and Miguel has been an Associate Professor in the Department of Architectural Design at the UPV (University of Valencia) since 2023.