A nephew of Gaietà Buïgas and cousin of Carles Buïgas, he studied with Pere Domènech i Roura, the son of L. Domènech i Montaner, at the Barcelona School of Architecture. Shortly after graduating he obtained the post of municipal architect in Cerdanyola, the town where he did most of his work.

His career was closely linked to that of his brother, the engineer Lluís Balcells, with whom he set up a workshop making stained glass windows at the beginning of the 20th century, although the only set of windows known to have been produced there is that in Casa Can Tosquella (1906-1907; Vallirana, 91-93), a building designed by him. He also designed several inventions with his brother and this spirit led him to create new tools, such as a circular slide rule, for his work as an architect.