ZIGURAT celebrates 25 years of driving the digital transformation of architecture, engineering and construction

ZIGURAT Institute of Technology celebrates its 25th anniversary, firmly established as a benchmark institution in online education for professionals in architecture, engineering and construction. Founded in Barcelona in 2001, the school has built a track record over the years defined by innovation, technological specialisation and a clear international vocation.

Coinciding with the year in which Barcelona is World Capital of Architecture, ZIGURAT marks its first quarter of a century in 2026 with a global educational offering, connected to industry, focused on employability and backed by prestigious recognitions and academic partnerships. Today, the institution brings together an international community made up of partner companies, a network of more than 20,000 Alumni from over 120 countries, a faculty of more than 200 experts based around the world, and a team of over 70 people committed to training the future leaders of the AECO sector.

A trajectory defined by innovation and foresight

Throughout its history, ZIGURAT has stood out for its ability to anticipate changes in the sector. In 2003, it launched its first e-learning platform, already committing at that time to online education. In 2014, it launched its first master’s in BIM, at a time when this methodology was only just beginning to transform professional practice in a disruptive way. And in 2023, it became a pioneering institution in the integration of artificial intelligence into educational programmes for construction, a commitment that would later lead to the first online Master's in Artificial Intelligence for Architecture & Construction. That same year, ZIGURAT received the Francesc Santacana Award, granted by IL3 – Universitat de Barcelona, in recognition of its innovation in lifelong learning.

ZIGURAT’s history has been linked from the outset to that determination to stay ahead of change. The company was founded in 2001 by Bernabé Farré, who had already identified in the 1990s the need to train professionals who were beginning to incorporate CYPE software and travelled across the country delivering in-person courses. “When we founded ZIGURAT, it was to teach something that no one else was teaching, and we looked for unconventional lecturers, the kind who really teach, with experience, knowledge and passion,” explains Bernabé. Two years later, that experience gave rise to the Master’s in Building Structures with CYPE, now renamed in its Spanish version as the Master’s in Structural Design and Calculation, one of the founding milestones of the institution’s academic offering.

In addition to anticipating the market’s technological and training needs, ZIGURAT progressively expanded its reach until it became a global technology institute. In 2009, at the height of the construction sector crisis in Spain, it brought its programmes to the entire Spanish-speaking market. In 2015, it began its expansion into the Portuguese-speaking market and, in 2016, launched its portfolio in English, extending its international presence to more than 100 countries.

Growth, community and connection with industry

Another key moment in ZIGURAT’s history came in 2018. That year, following the signing of the agreement with IL3 – Universitat de Barcelona, the school made the leap from training centre to academic institution, strengthening both its structure and its university projection. It also held its first Student Week in 2018, an initiative that over time has become one of the main meeting points for ZIGURAT’s international community. That same year, Pau F. Aldomà took on the role of CEO, thus completing the generational handover in a company that had begun as a family project and, over the years, had become a global, well-established and specialised organisation.

“Celebrating 25 years is not only about looking at what we have built, but also about reaffirming why we do it: to support professionals around the world with education that is connected to the reality of the sector and prepared for the challenges ahead,” says Pau F. Aldomà, CEO of ZIGURAT.

During this stage of growth, ZIGURAT also expanded its ecosystem with the launch of postgraduate courses, the creation of the Alumni Platform and the emergence of ZIGURAT Corporate Services, further strengthening its ability to support both professionals and companies in their specialisation and transformation processes.

Today, ZIGURAT has fully consolidated the celebration of its Local Hubs in more than 15 countries, allowing it to strengthen its international community and create new spaces for connection between professionals, companies and leading figures in the sector. In addition, it currently holds the top position in El Mundo’s Online Master’s Ranking in the Architecture category.

Now, with its first 25 years completed, the institution looks to the future under the slogan ‘Transform Tomorrow Today’, with the ambition to continue supporting the professionals called to transform architecture, engineering and construction through innovation, knowledge and real impact. On this anniversary, ZIGURAT thus reaffirms its purpose of continuing to promote applied, global and industry-connected technological education.