The modular Biofiver system Patricia Fernández Häring developed and patented was installed in buildings and public spaces in Madrid and Barcelona, including Móstoles town hall square. She was one of the victims of the rail accident in Urda, Toledo, on Wednesday 28 October. Europa Press reported at least 69 deaths and 80 injuries in its coverage updated on 30 October.
The Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos de Madrid (COAM) published a memorial tribute to Fernández Häring on 30 October, recalling her warmth and commitment to colleagues. Fellow architects and friends remembered her generosity and her ability to bring people together. The wider response to the disaster was also covered in an earlier report on families searching for passengers.
Fernández Häring studied at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid (ETSAM) from 1986 to 1992. Between 1994 and 2012 she was a partner and technical director at LEON & HARING ASOCIADOS and YLEON, ARQUITECTURA Y URBANISMO. From 2012 she worked independently on new buildings and energy renovations, as well as the conservation and maintenance of properties. She also managed grants for building-efficiency improvements as a rehabilitation agent.
In 2013 she co-founded Vertiarte Jardines Verticales, a venture focused on landscaping and vertical gardens. Its Biofiver system was used in projects in Madrid and Barcelona. She also took part in Casa Decor in 2020 and 2021, creating the charitable space for Fundación Aprocor, and worked with Domus Nova from 2018 to 2025. Her restoration work included renewing the flooring at Gimnasio Maravillas.
Social work ran alongside her professional career. She volunteered with Fundación Aprocor from 2013 and Fundación ONCE from 2020. She was also involved with Edificando Comunidad de Nazaret, an NGO linked to La Salle, where she became president in 2019 after serving as a project officer. Accessibility was another focus of her work, both professionally and through the COAM.
At the COAM, Fernández Häring, registered as architect number 16161, served on its governing board from 2015 to 2019 and sat on the Representative Assembly. She was a trustee of Fundación Arquitectura and coordinated working groups focused on architecture and accessibility, including work on childhood and youth. She also chaired the group “Los Arquitectos ante el cambio climático” and helped launch Pop Arq, a market where architects could display and sell their designs. COAM’s memorial records that she organized four editions of the market and coordinated children’s architecture workshops through its Childhood and Youth Working Group.
The COAM credited her with helping establish its Fondo Asistencial Social, which supports professionals facing financial hardship. The college also recalled her work as a volunteer architect inspecting buildings affected by wildfires in the Community of Madrid in summer 2026.
José María Ezquiaga, a former COAM president who served with her on the governing board for four years, praised her architectural work and sensitivity towards people and nature. Fundación Arquitectura COAM remembered her involvement in International Architecture Week and activities for children. The Consejo Superior de los Colegios de Arquitectos de España (CSCAE) also expressed its condolences, remembering her as an architect and urban planner, as well as a COAM member and council assembly member.
Friends shared memories of their years with her. Mª Ángeles Guardiola, who had known Fernández Häring since they were 17, recalled their architecture studies and the long hours spent making models. Renovación +HUMANA and Nexo COAM remembered her efforts to make the college a shared space and to seek agreement during periods of tension.
