Dr Antonio Blanco-Montero

Dr. Blanco-Montero is an architect and researcher interested in processes of sustainable development enhanced by the application of smart initiatives. His professional experience spans over two decades. He holds a master’s degree in Architecture and a Ph.D in Civil Engineering.

In recent years, Antonio has been a coordinator in research projects related to building resilience-strength against Climate Change for vulnerable communities in South Africa, funded by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI).

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Background

Dr. Blanco-Montero has tackled multiple roles within the architectural profession since 2001. As a city architect, he had the opportunity to design institutional buildings, public spaces and infrastructures. Later, he worked on large scale projects in Southern Africa, where he started his journey as a researcher, focused on sustainable development in developing countries with the aid of smart initiatives.

For the last 3 years, he has been the coordinator for green infrastructures under the first Adaptation Fund project in South Africa, a conglomerate of regional and local governments, academics, NPOs and local communities. This experience awakened his interest in vulnerable communities and ecosystems, and the capacity of architects and designers to enable the implementation of sustainable development.

Antonio is a registered professional architect in the UK (ARB), Spain (COAS) and South Africa (SACAP). He is also a certified passive house designer. With more than 130 architectural and infrastructural projects and over 80 built projects as lead architect, his work has been internationally published in specialized journals and exhibitions, as well as presented at conferences such as the American Institute of Architects (AIA) On Design Fall Conference 2012 and the International Union of Architects (UIA) Durban 2014.

He has actively engaged with the civic society as a board member of two NPOs (Strategic Urban Management and the South African Institute of Architects KZN Section).

Currently, he is a committee member of the Spanish Researchers in Southern Africa (ACE Sur de África).

Spoken Languages

• Spanish
• English
• Italian

Research interests

Waste Architecture

Urban waste has become one of the main contributors of global pollution. The concept of Waste Architecture acknowledges the importance of addressing what is a stigmatised urban issue and encouraging the architecture and engineering community to deal with waste and landfills, closure and planning, with more integration, embracing the opportunities for decentralisation and leapfrogging in developing countries.

Ruralisation as a strategy for sustainable regional development

Analysing and mapping scenarios for opportunities to uplift rural areas and their sustainable development may have an impact on decompressing cities, becoming a feasible alternative to urban “safety”, and attracting both, human and financial capital to historically disadvantaged areas.

Sustainable resilience through 'smart' projects in developing countries

The interest of this topic lies in determining the capabilities of the urban environment in developing countries to embrace policy-making, projects and initiatives on smart cities that tackle specific regional issues, especially those related to social and environmental matters. The aim is to identify sustainable ways for long-term implementation of up-to-date technologies in cities for an effective leapfrog that would bring developing countries up to nowadays standards without losing local references.

Low-carbon buildings

The development of sustainable building standards and certifications has had a positive impact on awaking awareness about available solutions and strategies for a decarbonised future. However, the implementation of these solutions encounters numerous barriers in policy, technical capacity and economic feasibility. The Passive House standard is a good example. Addressing implementation constraints and new affordable solutions, from management to technical applications are the basis of this research topic.

Areas of research supervision

• Sustainable design and planning
• Built environment in developing countries
• Sustainable development for the poor economies
• Circular design strategies
• Passive house
• Energy and architecture
• Making: innovation and applications
• Building performance
• Environmental awareness
• Biophilic architecture
• Architecture and wellbeing
• Smart cities and automation
• Ecological infrastructures

Teaching

• BA(Hons) and MArch(Hons) Architecture
• MSc Town Planning
• MSc Construction Management
• PhD and Professional Doctorates Supervisor

Qualifications

• PhD in Civil Engineering 
• M.Arch. Majored in Advanced Architectural Design, Construction, Structural Systems and Building MEP

Memberships, editorial boards

• Chartered member / Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), UK
• Registered Architect / Architects Registration Board (ARB), UK
• Registered Architect / Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos de Sevilla (COAS), Spain
• Registered Professional Architect PrArch / South African Council for the Architectural Profession (SACAP), South Africa
• Committee Member and Chair of Institutional Relationships and Media Portfolio / Society of Spanish Researchers in Southern Africa (ACESDA)
• Member / International Waste Working Group (IWWG), Southern Africa

Research grants, consultancy, knowledge exchange

• CO-I. ARU, VC Scholarship (UK). PhD Understanding the risks of climate change at a local level, using place-based data and engagement to enable health and wellbeing strategies with older people (Sally Fowler-Davis, Antonio Blanco-Montero, Zareen Bharucha). 2024-2027, £18,622/year
• CO-I. ARU, QR fund (UK). Household Waste Research, “Is the built environment, in the way it is designed and inhabited, contributing to carbon emissions and hinders net zero? Narratives in waste management as a way of reducing carbon footprint in housing schemes” (Maria Vogiatzaki, Antonio Blanco-Montero, Giacomo Damiani). £2,500

Selected recent publications

• Blanco-Montero, A. (2020) ‘Kindergarten in La Pañoleta’, in Cardelús-Vifal, C. (ed.) Kindergarten Architecture. Barcelona: Booq Publishing, p 18-26.
• Blanco-Montero, A. (2017) ‘Reordenación de la Plaza de la Humillación’ [Reorganisation of Plaza de la Humillacion], in Moscoso-Martel, P. (ed.) II Premios de Arquitectura del COAS (2011-2015). Seville: Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos de Sevilla, p 81.
• Blanco-Montero, A. (2016) ‘Nursery in La Pañoleta’, in Architectural Material & Detail Structure. Concrete. London: Design Media Publishing (UK) Limited, pp. 246–249.
• Blanco-Montero, A. (2014) ‘The Nursery in La Pañoleta’, in Brightening it up. Color in Space. Hong Kong: SendPoints Publishing Co. Ltd, pp. 42–47.
• Blanco-Montero, A. (2013) ‘Reorganization of the Victoria Kent Park’, in Creating Shade. Salenstein: Braun Publish. ISBN 978-3-03768-135-0
• Blanco-Montero, A. (2013) ‘Reordenación del Parque Victoria Kent’ [Reorganisation of the Victoria Kent Park], Barcelona: On Diseño, p 76-81.

Recent presentations and conferences

• 2022 Unveiling the African City of today. Bilateral workshop Italy-South Africa on Rethinking Urban Futures. University of KwaZulu-Natal. Durban, South Africa.
• 2021 Waste Architecture for landfills. Landfill and Waste Treatment Seminar and Expo 2021. Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa. Roodepoort, South Africa.
• 2020 Introduction to Waste Architecture. A glimpse of the African city of the future. REMTECH EXPO digital edition. Ferrara, Italy.

Media experience

• Interview (Documentary) – Umngeni Resilience Project, 16/8/2023 
• Interview and practice profile - Blanco-Montero, A. (2014) ‘abau’, Pro.Design, p 143-150.
• Interview (Newspaper) - Blanco-Montero, A. (2011) ‘En la construcción de un sueño’ [a dream under construction], Diario de Sevilla, 4 March, p 33.
• Interview (TV) – El Mundo TV