12 dwellings & civic centre

2003 | Competition - 2nd prize

4.025 m² - 2.775.000 €

Urduña - 12 dwellings & civic centre, square benches grass trees public space apartments

The new housing building is aligned with the two most significant surrounding streets taking an L shape. Thus, together with the Alhondiga building, generates a new square alternating green and pavemented areas, benches and playgrounds. The area of the square next to the Civic Centre could also be used for open air activities, becoming an extension of the ground floor. The finishing would be coloured stucco (same colour can be seen at Orduña's Old Quartier). All windows are one storey high and in the south and west façades balconies of generous dimensions are disposed. Slats would be used as solar protections as well. The project is also sensitive to the environment and uses two ways of reducing the consumption of energy: (A) Solar panels to pre-heat water that would reduce heaters consumption up to 60%. (B) Re-use of grey water in toilets.

The housing building has 12 dwellings in total. We concentrate humit spaces in the central area in order to free the façades , allowing a very flexible distribution. All flats have two orientations to get better lighting. On the south and west façades the balconies are big enough to fit a dining table and they become an extra room in the summer. In the Civic Centre we concentrate all small rooms in order to gain space for bigger halls. This provides the project with a great flexibility and allows different activities as well as eventual changes of use. Every floor has a meeting room and toilets. On the ground floor the hall leads you to the Home of the Retired, the Youth Assotiation and the bar. All have direct access from the outside and therefore can be used indepently. Several activities coul be done in those areas as they are interconnected and next to the square.