Max Rutgers

Master carpenter and framer dedicated to advancing traditional crafts as a vital part of today’s built environment.

Joining the BUILDING: Craft & Construction panel discussion is Max Rutgers, a structural carpenter and master framer with an international reputation for excellence in traditional timber construction. He trained with the Compagnons du Devoir in 1994 and went on to found his workshop, MaxMadera, in Alt Empordà in 2007. His acclaimed projects include the Antaviana Restaurant, the dome of Mas Marroch, and the award-winning Draulic Restaurant, alongside heritage restorations such as Casa Burés, the Claustre dels Gats at the Royal Monastery of Pedralbes, and the bell tower of the Church of Sant Andreu de Serinyà.

His craftsmanship has been recognised with the Diploma de Mestre Artesà (Master Craftsman) from the Generalitat de Catalunya (2020) and the Richard H. Driehaus Prize for the Building Arts (2024). As a teacher, Max has collaborated with institutions including the University of Girona’s Master’s in Bioconstruction, the Col·legi d’Arquitectes de Catalunya, and professional training centres in France and Denmark, passing on his expertise in architectural heritage and the enduring art of timber construction.