Laura Patricia Spinadel (born 7 July 1958 in Buenos Aires, Argentina) is an Austrian‑Argentine architect, urban planner, writer, and educator. She is the founder and principal of the architectural practice BUSarchitektur and the interdisciplinary studio BOA büro für offensive aleatorik, both based in Vienna, Austria.
Early life and education
Spinadel studied architecture at the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urbanism (FADU) of the University of Buenos Aires, where she received the Gold Medal Diploma. She is the daughter of mathematician Vera W. de Spinadel and engineer Erico Spinadel.
Academic career
Since the mid‑1980s Spinadel has taught in a variety of institutions worldwide, including the University of Buenos Aires (Urban Strategies program), Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (Medellín, Colombia), Università degli Studi di Palermo (Italy), ETSAB (Barcelona, Spain), Dr. B. N. College of Architecture (Pune, India), Universidad Católica de Córdoba (Argentina), Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos de Tabasco (Mexico), and the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil). She has also served as a guest professor and lecturer at numerous other universities and conferences.
Architectural and urban planning work
Spinadel’s practice is known for a holistic and ecological approach that integrates health, perception, and sustainability into built environments. Notable projects include:
- Compact City (Vienna, Austria, 1995–2001) – a dense, layered urban block designed through extensive stakeholder negotiation.
- Master Plan for Campus WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business, 2007–2015) – a multiscale, evolving campus plan described as an “interactive device” and “living body.”
- Various residential, educational, and landscape interventions such as the Housing Patchwork at Hoffmannpark (Purkersdorf, Austria, 2005) and the Kindergarten at Erlachplatz (Vienna, 1999).
She has also developed research tools for participatory urban design, including the “Urban Menus” interactive planning game.
Publications
Spinadel has authored and edited several books, among them Campus WU: A Holistic History (2013), Urban Unconscious (2003), and Perceptions (2001). Her writings address holistic architecture, bio‑construction, and the integration of art and science in urban contexts.
Awards and honors
- Architecture Award of the City of Vienna (2015)
- Golden Ring of Honour of Vienna University of Economics and Business (2014) – first woman recipient
- Ernst A. Plischke Award (2014)
- Otto Wagner Urban Design Award (1998)
- Outstanding Artist Award for Experimental Trends in Architecture (BMUK, 1989)
- Doctor Honoris Causa, Civic Parliament of the Humanity, Transacademy Universal Institute of Nations (2015)
Professional affiliations
Spinadel is a member of various architectural and urban planning societies and has participated in international exhibitions and biennials, including the XV International Biennial of Architecture of Buenos Aires (BA 15, 2015).
Influence and legacy
Through her projects, teaching, and publications, Spinadel has contributed to the development of holistic architecture and sustainable urbanism, emphasizing the integration of cultural, ecological, and human‑centric values in the built environment.
