Isaac Cobo Displas

Isaac Cobo Displas is a Spanish architect and academic, born in 1975 in Catalonia. The son of a well-known contractor, Juan Cobo Cobos, he spent much of his childhood on building sites. After his father’s death, he began a bachelor in Industrial Design Engineering at the Elisava Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona in 1996 in preparation to become a product designer. In 2000 he was a finalist of ADI-Fad awards. 
He began his architecture studies in 2003 at the Architectural Association School of Architecture. In 2005 he moved to the University of East London on the advice of Peter Salter and finished his Master´s under Mark Hayduk, who was was also strongly influenced by Peter Salter. He has taught at the University of East London since 2009 and has been Senior Lecturer of Architectural Design to date. 
He worked as an architectural technician for a number of years at Murray John Architects in London before becoming creative director at Mahattan Loft Corporation (MLC) for two years. In 2008 he co-founded, with Daniel Coll, Cocoarchitects where he still currently practices.
==Career in Practice==
In the early 2000s Isaac Cobo Displas worked for Murray John Architects in London, and then became a key contributor to the restoration of St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in Kings Cross while working as a Creative Director at MLC. 
He began completing projects in his own name in 2008 when he started a partnership with Daniel Coll (former Director at FORMit Architects in Cyprus) under the name Cocoarchitects. They produced a series of projects and won competitions, notably…. (add competition name). 
Cocoarchitect projects are notable for their highly developed and evocative computer generated drawings, which are concerned with core architectural qualities such as the environmental aspects of construction, spatial atmosphere and analysing the quality and impact of light. 
While some remain unbuilt, like the 2009 Moulin Rouge concept in Paris - developed in collaboration with Andrew Fortune, their best projects combine ecological awareness and creativity in a ………. influenced style. For example, in 2012 Cocoarchitects designed the conversion of the ZSAZSA cinema into what has become one of the best nightclubs on the Costa Brava, Spain.
Having worked for different councils in Spain, Cobo Displas is applying his knowledge of masterplans and public urbanism projects to address his concerns at climate change while working in partnership with Andrew Fortune at Cocoarchitects. They were, with Arup, Efa Arquitectes, award-winning finalists for a 2022 completed master plan concept for the St Josep de Talaia Council in Ibiza, Spain. Under construction in 2023 with a €8m budget is a house in an ecological residential area in Ibiza, where each house is designed by a notable architecture firm, such as the renowned architects and designers, Aires Mateos, Carlos Ferrater, Marcio Kogan, Matteo Thun, Rick Joy, John Pawson and Sir David Chipperfield.
==Academic Career==
In 2009 Isaac Cobo Displas started teaching at the University of East London, where he also earned his Diploma. He initially served as Assistant Unit Master to Mark Hyduck for Diploma3 and the skills he learned from his mentor allowed him to become Unit Master from 2013. There has proven to be an effective synergy for Cobo Displas between the leadership of Unit E and his practice at Cocoarchitects. He has created a bridge between university and the professional real world for his students and in the unit design and his own work has attempted to maximise the link between education and practice. 
The effectiveness of this approach is evident in the success of his students. In the period 2013-2022, there were six student nominations for RIBA (hyperlink needed) medals, one SOM prize under Unit C (visualization taught by Cobo Displas), five ‘best portfolio’ prizes, and three internal UEL competitions. 
In 2016-17 the Royal Institute of British Architects external examiner commented “Unit E is masterpiece in Architectural Teaching”, which was the year – under the title of “Mobility” – that students were taken with the idea of Archigram ‘un-plugged city’ to a refugee camp in Sweden. Unit E has made four book publications, and various conferences workshops. At one in Cairo at the Faculty of Engineering-Ain Shams University in 2018 Cobo Displas received a Gold Medal for his teaching career. 
Cobo Displas’ students work worldwide and include…(name notable students or architecture firms).
==Publications==
* Captured Unit E Student final year. Architecture projects Year. 2013-2014
* Ruins of Toledo Unit E Student final year. Architecture projects Year 2013-2014
* Perspective Unit E Student final year. Architecture projects Year 2013-2014
* The Measure of Things UnitE Student final year Architecture Projects year 2014-2015
* Museum of Childhood Extensions de Reem Charif, Eva Hauck, Kristina Hertel, Isaac Cobo i displas
==Buildings==
* Care Homes in Tona
* Disco Freatic, Platja d´Aro
* Disco Zsa Zsa Platja d´Aro
* Chelsea apartments, London
* St Pancras Hotel restoration, London
* Moulin Rouge concept, Paris
* Master plan for St Josep, Ibiza
* Villa in Sabina States, Ibiza
* Factory in Monterrey, Mexico
Category:Academics
Category:Spanish architects
Category:People from Catalonia
Category:Spanish people