Juan Elvira was born in Badajoz, a hot and dry city in Spain. He studied architecture in Madrid ETSAM and spent one year at the IUAV in Venezia (Italy). He met Clara Murado during his academic career and started their collaboration right there. After completing his architecture degree, he also studied an advanced design master in Columbia University, New York (2000). When he returned to Spain, he worked for Arquitectura, the oldest architecture publication in Spain. Soon he co-founded his own magazine and finally founded Murado & Elvira Architects along with his partner.
He obtained his Phd degree with honors in 2015. The manuscript, called “Ghost Architecture. Space and the production of Ambient Effects” has been awarded with 1st mention at Arquia/Tesis foundation thesis prize in 2015 and has been finalist at the Bienal Iberoamericana de Arquitectura 2016. He anxiously expects it to be published soon.
Juan is Project Design Associated professor at the ETSAM, Urban Design professor at IE University, and visiting professor at national and international schools.
Along with his academic and professional career, he also runs a critical and editorial task, as editor of diverse architectural publications and author of numerous essays in specialized books and journals.