Social terraces on the Ripa of Cizur

An experimental residential intervention that brings together young people and over 60s in an intergenerational community. Between city and countryside, the project shapes the volume in section, exploiting the topography to create vibrant terraces, shared spaces, and a locally impactful energy model.

Integration between landscape and section

The plot is located on the boundary between city and countryside, overlooking the Ripa de Cizur and facing south. The project, carried out by GVG Estudio, originates from the section, articulating a volume that responds to the topography: the single-bedroom dwellings (clad in golden sheet metal), which are shallower, are positioned above the two-bedroom dwellings (in gray sheet metal), which are deeper. This contradictory diagonal stratification creates a compact and sober body towards the north and a southern facade rich in spacious and bright terraces, where materials and geometries translate the dialogue between natural and built elements.

Public Heritage and Flexibility of Use

The intervention is part of the public strategy for creating a social housing park in Navarra. The houses are designed with criteria of versatility, durability, and sustainability, with the aim of accommodating different types of users and configurations over time. The approach goes beyond mere physical construction and considers the life cycle of spaces: low maintenance, adaptability, high energy efficiency, and monitored air quality. The result is a replicable model, rooted in an inclusive and long-term urban vision.

Intergenerational Community and Shared Spaces

The complex welcomes an intergenerational community, integrating the EMANZIPA programs for under 35s and protected rent for over 60s. In this context, domestic life expands into a network of shared spaces: shared studies and offices, cellar, multipurpose room, laundry-recreation area, and a small auditorium on a ramp. A cycle-pedestrian gallery to the north connects five distribution hubs and serves as an active internal street, with areas for bicycles and assisted mobility. It is here that the Adsis Foundation operates, managing spaces and relationships, transforming the building into a unified social organism. Within this framework, the architecture projects are positioned to generate communities rather than just housing.

Local Energy and Guaranteed Comfort

The building aims for PassivHaus Classic certification and ensures tenants a thermal comfort between 18° and 27° at no additional cost. The system is powered by a biomass boiler using wood chips from locally certified forests, part of the Navarra Forest Agenda and the BIO4RES project for sustainable undergrowth management and fire prevention. The underground storage silo ensures monthly autonomy. The result is a significant reduction in emissions and a zero-kilometer energy supply chain, integrated with territorial management.

Gallery

PEOPLE

GVG Estudio

GALAR-VÉLAZ-GIL, SLP Estafeta 47, 1st - 2. 31001 Pamplona