The Architects’ Association of Catalonia (COAC), founded in 1931 and heir to the Association of Architects (1874), is a corporation representing Catalan architects, promoting excellence in architecture, and spreading its values, especially its social and cultural dimensions. COAC has been tasked with organizing the International Union of Architects’ UIA 2026 World Congress of Architects, bringing the international architectural community to Barcelona from June 28 to July 2. Themed Becoming: Architecture for a Planet in Transition, this year’s Congress is expected to gather approximately 10,000 participants from over 130 countries. Madeline Beach Carey recently met up with COAC Dean Guim Costa at COAC’s headquarters in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter.