Over the past six months, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside my friend and colleague Raúl Moro Hidalgo on his research into the Altares Rupestres del occidente peninsular, a project that reinterprets these ancient stone altars through an architectural and territorial lens.

Together, we’ve delved into the landscapes of western Madrid and Ávila, walking, observing, and documenting, with the aim of rediscovering these carved architectures not just as archaeological remnants, but as intentional spatial gestures embedded in nature. These altars, traditionally studied from an archaeological standpoint, are here reconsidered as interventions that organize paths, views, and presence within the landscape, long before a wall is ever raised.

My role in this collaboration has focused on photographic documentation, producing a visual narrative that complements Raúl’s textual research. Through a series of site visits, we have recorded the geometries, orientations, and material qualities of places such as Silla de Felipe II, Canto Castrejón, and the Altar de Ulaca, revealing how stone, emptiness, and horizon work together to shape a silent yet powerful architecture.

This work reflects our shared interest in understanding how ancient landscapes were inhabited with intention, and how design can emerge not from construction, but from attention, presence, and precision.