“Live!” This is the literal translation from Basque to Spanish of the term Bizi, the name given to a social housing proposal in the town of Beizama, Guipúzcoa. It is part of the Ongi Etorri initiative, also supported by the Guipúzcoa Provincial Council, and was recognized in the Europan 16 call, a biennial architecture and urban planning competition for young talents organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda.
This year, Bizi Beizaman was awarded by the European Commission through its NEB Boost for Small Municipalities call, which aims to encourage development and improve quality of life in European municipalities with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants.
The award ceremony took place last Tuesday, September 30, during the ‘NEB in Regions and Cities’ event in Brussels. Alongside 19 other projects, including the regeneration of the Palacete de la Arboleda in Lorquí (Murcia), this Basque town will receive €30,000 to boost the planning it has been designing for years, aiming to revitalize the area by building on its characteristic local identity.
The proposal begins with an analysis of the traditional farmhouse typology, revitalized through versatile elements suitable both for working and living. Beizama’s proposal, consisting of a total of 12 social housing units, combines a commitment to traditional, austere, and ecological architecture with innovative features designed to attract young people to a setting with just about 130 inhabitants.
Both the Basque Government and the local town council have devised an opportunity to tackle demographic challenges, revitalize community life, and create new economic sources that are independent yet complementary to livestock farming and agriculture.
The project already embodies the values of the New European Bauhaus that have earned it this year’s award:
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Inclusion, through the creation of affordable housing located on an accessible plot that avoids steep slopes and promotes pedestrian pathways.
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Quality and Beauty, through a design and materials that harmonize with and modernize the habitat.
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Sustainability, by prioritizing landscape integration, energy efficiency, and the use of renewable energy in the new social housing units.
Citizen participation has undoubtedly been an essential element in the project’s planning, with local residents involved through collaboration with the rural development association Urkome. These activities have also strengthened the community’s sense of belonging, from its youngest members to its elders.
