Juan Luis Camacho Molina

Juan Luis Camacho graduated as an architect at the Madrid Higher School of Architecture in 1992 and subsequently took further training in fields such as heritage refurbishment and restoration. Throughout his career Juan Luis has been notable for a profound sensitivity toward architectural culture enabling him to create some of the finest urban ensembles in the Madrid region. In 1991 he chose to settle and practice in Chinchón, allowing him to be in direct contact with both the rural and the urban environment, an aspect that has greatly influenced his work.

The urban fabric of Chinchón that we can enjoy today is to a large extent the product of his quiet, steady efforts, with countless refurbishments and enlargements of historic buildings as well as new construction projects. Juan Luis’s most notable work includes the rehabilitation of iconic buildings such as Casa Dusmet in Chinchón, restored to accommodate the headquarters of the Arauco Foundation, or Hotel La Condesa, a new building designed in keeping with the town’s tradition of stately houses.

He has also worked in public spaces with great heritage value such as the Plaza Mayor in Colmenar de Oreja, where he has helped revitalize the historic town center. He has also designed many residential complexes and new homes, always seeking to fit new buildings harmoniously into their context. A good example of this is Residencial La Chimenea in Chinchón, a development in which he managed to give continuity to features of local traditional architecture through a mixed solution of dwellings and commercial premises with alternating volumes of different heights arranged around a square functioning as an agora, along with an inner pedestrian street.

Juan Luis has always been a staunch advocate of the region’s traditional building techniques and materials, such as plaster, wood, stone, or arched roof tiles, as opposed to other styles often at variance with the character of local architecture. In choosing such materials he seeks not just to preserve and give continuity to the aesthetic and cultural values of the place but also to strengthen the link between architecture and landscape through a sensitive and coherent integration of buildings into their environment. Thus his designs are intended not to grab one’s attention but to blend in, filling gaps in the urban fabric and giving streets and squares a visual consistency in keeping with an invaluable architectural legacy.

The mark left by Juan Luis on the communities where he has worked goes beyond his architectural input. He is also an ardent promoter of culture and an advocate of local heritage. In 2014-2022 he chaired the Chinchón Tourism Association, organizing a range of cultural events aimed at highlighting the importance of the region’s traditional architecture and heritage. His latest project, Arquitectura y Tradición (AyT), also reflects his commitment to disseminating and conserving heritage. This novel property concept involves both preserving notable buildings and forging a closer link between them and their prospective owners so as to actively foster the protection and conservation of this rich heritage.