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FIGUERUELAS LIVING ORIGINS
FIGUERUELAS LIVING ORIGINS
Figueruelas, Spain
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Other Projects by Arquitectura Yngrid Echalar Gutierrez
FIGUERUELAS LIVING ORIGINS
Figueruelas, Spain
STATUS
Concept
YEAR
2029
SIZE
500,000 sqft - 1,000,000 sqft
Honoring the Past, Designing the Future:
Figueruelas Living Origins is a master plan for the development of a neighborhood consisting of 887 affordable and sustainable housing units, distributed across three distinct typologies, incorporating the principles of the New European Bauhaus. This proposal is designed to accommodate approximately 1,553 residents.
More than just an urban project, it is conceived as a proactive exercise in reflection and design in response to the growing social challenges faced by our cities and towns, particularly the housing crisis. Through this approach, new ways of rethinking housing typologies and urban layouts are explored.
The intervention area covers 49,727 m², on a plot located in Figueruelas, Zaragoza (Spain), bordered by Avenida de Aragón, Avenida Zaragoza, and the Autovía del Ebro.
Geographic coordinates: 41°45'46.7"N, 1°10'29.3"W
Context and Challenge:
Figueruelas, a small rural municipality in Zaragoza with around 1,250 inhabitants, is facing an unprecedented demographic transformation.
The construction of a battery gigafactory for electric vehicles, driven by the automotive group Stellantis and the Chinese company CATL, anticipates the arrival of up to 2,200 temporary Chinese workers, who will reside in prefabricated housing during the construction phase, according to official statements and media reports starting in early 2025.
However, once construction is completed, the plant will generate more than 2,000 permanent jobs, leading to sustained, long-term population growth. This situation demands urgent responses in terms of housing, public services, and social integration.
The rapid population increase presents critical challenges such as:
• The inadequacy of current infrastructure
• Risks of losing the cultural fabric and local identity
• Potential social tensions, common in rapidly expanding rural communities
The Proposal:
Figueruelas Living Origins
Rooted in the cultural identity of Figueruelas and inspired by the principles of the New European Bauhaus (NEB) and the goals of the European Green Deal, the Living Origins proposal represents a new beginning: an alternative approach to rethinking the affordable housing model, preparing the municipality for profound transformation with a regenerative, people-centered focus.
The project seeks to create an environment where beauty, nature, and inclusion coexist in balance. Each home is designed as a timeless refuge, using white textures, wooden details, sustainable concrete, and hydroponic gardens, all integrated into a living, evolving landscape.
The three housing typologies respond to different ways of living, while maintaining aesthetic and functional coherence.
The architectural language of the new neighborhood is inspired by the traditional roots of the municipality, combined with an innovative and sustainable outlook toward the future. It is an environment designed not just for living, but for belonging.
Figueruelas Living Origins transforms pressure into opportunity, offering a vision of how communities can grow with resilience, humanity, and deep respect for their surroundings.
What Does This Proposal Offer in Response to Current Challenges?
• Life-Centered Design: Each housing unit goes beyond mere shelter, integrating hydroponic gardens in every block, shared green spaces, and biophilic architecture that fosters both physical and emotional well-being.
• Timeless Architectural Identity: The design merges traditional Mediterranean architecture with modern sustainable materials and solutions, creating a harmonious dialogue between heritage and the future.
• Scalable Model for Rural Regeneration: As a replicable pilot project, it demonstrates how small towns can absorb significant demographic changes without losing social cohesion or cultural identity, offering valuable lessons for similar European regions.
• Community Engagement and Sense of Belonging: By emphasizing participatory governance and shared spaces, the project encourages genuine integration between long-term residents and newcomers, strengthening both cultural and economic cohesion.
Project Objectives
1.Develop a pilot model of affordable, sustainable, and beautiful housing adapted to fast-growing rural areas in Europe.
2.Promote meaningful social integration between the local population and the newly arrived workforce, fostering cultural and economic cohesion.
3.Revalue local heritage by integrating design that is in dialogue with the landscape, history, and identity of Figueruelas.
4.Explore replicable and adaptable construction solutions that reduce environmental impact and enhance housing resilience in the face of rapid change.
5.Build a positive European narrative around rural growth, demonstrating that development can strengthen, rather than erode community ties.
Technical Data:
The intervention area covers a surface of 49,727 m², where a new urban layout is proposed, carefully integrated into its surroundings. Far from disrupting the immediate context, the proposal enriches the existing urban fabric by introducing an inclusive, sustainable, and aesthetically harmonious residential space that also serves as a meeting point and green lung for the town of Figueruelas.
Within this area, the layout of new housing blocks and exclusively pedestrian internal streets is strategically designed, interconnected through green areas and living corridors. The entire structure is organized in harmony with zones designated for residential buildings and public facilities, resulting in a coherent, accessible framework focused on enhancing the quality of life for its future residents.
Housing Typologies:
Applying principles of bioclimatic architecture, the proposal introduces an innovative typological concept that transcends the traditional functionality of housing. Each of the three typological blocks incorporates a hydroponic garden at its central axis, strategically located at the main entrance area.
This element is presented as a majestic double-height arched portico made of metal, which not only welcomes residents into the block but also serves as a vertical farming system, including vegetables and grapevines at its uppermost level.
This component provides environmental, aesthetic, and wellness value, acting as a true climate refuge. Passing through the portico leads to the staircase core that connects all three residential levels, generating a sense of spatial fluidity and harmony with nature.
Each unit features large balconies, visually integrated with the neighborhood’s green surroundings.
These balconies are crowned by a triple-height arched portico, enveloped in vegetation from all angles, offering not only climatic comfort but also a unique architectural identity. This solution reflects lessons learned during the global health crisis of 2020, when access to outdoor spaces and a connection with the exterior became essential to quality of life.
Construction System:
The housing blocks are designed as modular components, with projected floor areas of 162 m², 164 m², and 169 m², depending on the typology. The construction system is based on prefabricated concrete panels made with sustainable biochar-enhanced concrete, which facilitates assembly, shortens construction time, and minimizes the project's ecological footprint.
Finishes incorporate traditional white textures and details in sustainable wood, providing warmth and an aesthetic language in harmony with the surrounding environment.
For the arched balconies, a mixed construction system is used: a prefabricated concrete base combined with specialized craftsmanship in traditional architecture. This approach helps to revalue cultural heritage and reinforce local identity.
The combination of the central metal axis housing the hydroponic garden, balconies crowned by arched porticos, and the modular residential structure creates a unique and timeless atmosphere, a dialogue between past, present, and future. All of this is framed within the principles of the New European Bauhaus, the goals of the European Green Deal, and multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Bioclimatic Architecture:
Each block features a rooftop system for rainwater harvesting and photovoltaic solar panels, enabling not only self-sufficiency in energy consumption but also the ability to feed surplus energy back into the public grid.
The design adheres to key bioclimatic principles such as optimal solar orientation, cross ventilation, shaded areas functioning as climate refuges, and the use of native vegetation to enhance the project's climate adaptability. Outdoor areas incorporate sustainable permeable pavements, improving water management and integration with the natural surroundings.
Typological Definition of the Blocks
The residential complex is composed of a total of 97 blocks, with a projected total built area of 50,297 m². The typological distribution follows three block models, organized according to the number of levels, surface area, and interior layout:
BLOCK A
• Levels: 3
• Quantity: 49 blocks
• Floor area per level: 164 m²
• Layout per floor:
o 2 one-bedroom apartments (43 m² each)
Living room, dining room, kitchen
Full bathroom
Bedroom
Laundry area
2 balconies per unit
o 1 primary unit (20 m²)
Bedroom
Private bathroom
1 balcony
BLOCK B
• Levels: 3
• Quantity: 31 blocks
• Floor area per level: 169 m²
• Layout per floor:
o 1 two-bedroom apartment (67 m²)
Living room, dining room, kitchen
Full bathroom
2 bedrooms
Laundry area
3 balconies
o 1 one-bedroom apartment (43 m²)
Living room, dining room, kitchen
Full bathroom
Bedroom
Laundry area
2 balconies
BLOCK C
• Levels: 4
• Quantity: 13 blocks
• Floor area per level: 162 m²
• Layout per floor:
o 5 primary units (20 m² each)
Bedroom
Private bathroom
1 balcony per unit
BLOCK D – 2 levels – 4 blocks
The social dining hall can also function as a food security component, especially intended for residents of the type C housing units, which are designed with a more compact layout: a suite-style bedroom with a private bathroom, a small kitchenette countertop, and a laundry unit.
Beyond providing an accessible space for daily meals, the social dining hall is conceived as a direct social benefit resource for certain residents who may receive a monthly allowance from the municipality or the state to cover their food needs. Additionally, it represents a flexible economic management tool, as it can be operated by the local government, private initiatives, or public-private partnerships, generating local employment opportunities and strengthening the neighborhood’s economic fabric.
This space also gains significant value as a community meeting point, especially for elderly or vulnerable individuals, who find not only a practical solution for daily meal preparation but also a place for social interaction, mutual care, and belonging. Furthermore, the dining hall will be open to the entire community, allowing neighbors outside the residential complex to enjoy the service, thus promoting integration between the new neighborhood and the rest of the town.
This public facility block serves as a connecting hub between residents and neighbors, fostering community interaction. It consists of 4 units strategically distributed, each with a floor area of 512 m², developed over two levels.
Ground floor
• Café / Social dining area
• Restrooms for all genders
• Kitchen and customer service area
• Spacious outdoor galleries
• Two traditional-style passageways connecting streets and blocks, facilitating pedestrian circulation and acting as integrative circuits within the neighborhood
First floor
• Spaces for coworking or multipurpose rooms
• Two panoramic terraces with abundant vegetation
Hydroponic Gardens:
The incorporation of hydroponic gardens in each housing module not only promotes environmental sustainability and food self-sufficiency but also opens the door to a community-scale circular economy. These systems enable residents to grow a variety of fresh vegetables that can be used both for family consumption and for sale or exchange within the neighborhood or nearby areas.
A portion of this production may be directly allocated to the social dining hall, ensuring healthier, locally sourced food with a lower environmental impact. This connection between domestic production and communal facilities strengthens community bonds, encourages active resident participation, and fosters a more conscious, resilient, and collaborative way of life.
Streets and Blocks:
The urban design consists of 14 blocks, one of which stands out as a central space due to its large green areas and its role as a meeting point that connects the proposal with the existing surroundings.
The streets regain their value as active public spaces, as the arrangement of the blocks and the parcel sizes eliminate the traditional concept of private yards. Instead, the streets become an extension of the living space, functioning as common outdoor areas for daily life.
Each housing block has direct access and visual connection both to the front and rear streets, allowing greater visual permeability, improved natural ventilation, and cross lighting, thereby promoting stronger social cohesion and an urban fabric rich in outdoor experiences.
A Collaborative Diagnosis and Innovative Urban-Social Approach for Future Growth:
Figueruelas Living Origins emerged proactively and independently, shaped by a rigorous analysis based on the collection of information and testimonies from multiple stakeholders involved in this challenge for the future of Figueruelas: local residents, potential newcomers, municipal authorities, entrepreneurs, and journalists.
These testimonies have been widely published across various Spanish media outlets. This comprehensive diagnosis has made it possible to deeply understand the real needs, challenges, and opportunities facing the municipality in light of the imminent arrival of a large population influx.
The project adopts a transdisciplinary approach, combining architecture, ecology, sociology, public policy, democracy, and technology to design an innovative and sustainable urban and social model. It is also conceived as a participatory process, with the aim of sharing and communicating the concept with the entire community. It proposes the creation of a living case study to help residents, authorities, and future newcomers visualize the magnitude and historic potential of this transformation, guiding them toward a new origin under the principles of the New European Bauhaus.
Like a seed, an individual idea projects a collective force. This multi-level engagement strategy fosters the inclusion of diverse voices, from planning to future management of the neighborhood, strengthening the sense of belonging and shared responsibility in building the environment together.
Figueruelas Living Origins embraces a timeless aesthetic that merges the beauty of the natural landscape with the area’s cultural heritage. The architectural design draws from Mediterranean traditions, white textures, soft forms, and abundant vegetation, creating an atmosphere of serenity, light, and harmony. Every detail, from arch placements to the integration of greenery, is designed to inspire emotion, connection, and care. Living in this neighborhood goes beyond efficiency; it invites mindful living. The collective hydroponic gardens are not only functional, but also beautiful and symbolic, they represent care, cultivation, and belonging. Green communal spaces, shaded pedestrian paths, and small gathering corners encourage slowing down, observing, and sharing.
Each housing unit, including the minimal ones, features comfortable balconies connected to nature and protected from heat waves, embodying lessons learned from the 2020 health crisis. The entire neighborhood can be walked in 15 minutes, thanks to wide pedestrian and cycling lanes. The project respects human scale and prioritizes sensory well-being: natural light, cross-ventilation, ambient sounds, shade, and silence are all part of daily life quality. To live here is to live with pleasure, dignity, and beauty. It’s not just about inhabiting a house, it’s about inhabiting a shared emotional landscape. It is a new origin, a place to begin living under the principles of the New European Bauhaus.
Figueruelas Living Origins responds to an unprecedented social transformation: the massive arrival of new residents to a small rural town. Inclusion is central to the project, which goes beyond housing to build community between locals and newcomers from diverse cultures.
The urban design fosters coexistence, active participation, and belonging through shared open spaces, community gardens, gathering areas, and pedestrian paths encouraging daily interaction. Participatory governance invites residents to engage in caring for and evolving the environment. Architecture is accessible and human-centered, designed for people of all ages and backgrounds. Housing typologies include two-bedroom and one-bedroom units, both with kitchen, living, dining, and bathroom areas, plus minimal units with only bedroom and bathroom but no kitchen or social space.
Residents in minimal units can use a community dining hall, which offers some beneficiaries free monthly meals. These halls generate local jobs and act as social hubs for residents and visitors, stimulating economic and social ties. This project offers a replicable model of inclusion through design, where everyone can find a place, build relationships, and be part of a transforming, united community.
Figueruelas Living Origins integrates sustainability across its design, conception, and daily operation. All residential blocks feature solar panel-equipped roofs that not only meet energy demand but also generate surplus power. A rainwater harvesting system and permeable pavements enable responsible water management and prevent soil sealing. The design follows bioclimatic principles, including natural cross- ventilation, strategic orientation, and extensive shaded areas, reducing the need for artificial climate control. Construction uses eco-friendly concrete with biochar, lowering carbon footprint while enhancing CO₂ storage. Each housing block includes a hydroponic garden, contributing to food security and encouraging sustainable daily practices. Outdoor spaces regenerate the local landscape and promote biodiversity. The project minimizes environmental impact while proposing a lifestyle in harmony with natural cycles, fostering energy and food self-sufficiency at household and community levels. Native vegetation, contemporary architecture, and advanced environmental solutions combine to make this a green urbanism benchmark aligned with the New European Bauhaus. Additionally, green pergolas shaped as traditional arches serve as hydroponic gardens that provide shade. This new environment protects against heat waves and encourages pedestrian mobility and intergenerational interaction.
The Figueruelas Living Origins project, promotes a deep reconnection with nature through biophilic design, integrated hydroponic gardens in each housing typology block, and community green spaces that foster well- being. At the same time, it seeks to revive a sense of belonging through architecture that dialogues with local identity, active resident participation, and an urban structure that encourages social interaction, cohesion, and rootedness, especially in the context of a massive influx of new residents.
Figueruelas Living Origins is a master plan for the development of a neighborhood consisting of 887 affordable and sustainable housing units, distributed across three distinct typologies, incorporating the principles of the New European Bauhaus. This proposal is designed to accommodate approximately 1,553 residents.
More than just an urban project, it is conceived as a proactive exercise in reflection and design in response to the growing social challenges faced by our cities and towns, particularly the housing crisis. Through this approach, new ways of rethinking housing typologies and urban layouts are explored.
The intervention area covers 49,727 m², on a plot located in Figueruelas, Zaragoza (Spain), bordered by Avenida de Aragón, Avenida Zaragoza, and the Autovía del Ebro.
Geographic coordinates: 41°45'46.7"N, 1°10'29.3"W
Context and Challenge:
Figueruelas, a small rural municipality in Zaragoza with around 1,250 inhabitants, is facing an unprecedented demographic transformation.
The construction of a battery gigafactory for electric vehicles, driven by the automotive group Stellantis and the Chinese company CATL, anticipates the arrival of up to 2,200 temporary Chinese workers, who will reside in prefabricated housing during the construction phase, according to official statements and media reports starting in early 2025.
However, once construction is completed, the plant will generate more than 2,000 permanent jobs, leading to sustained, long-term population growth. This situation demands urgent responses in terms of housing, public services, and social integration.
The rapid population increase presents critical challenges such as:
• The inadequacy of current infrastructure
• Risks of losing the cultural fabric and local identity
• Potential social tensions, common in rapidly expanding rural communities
The Proposal:
Figueruelas Living Origins
Rooted in the cultural identity of Figueruelas and inspired by the principles of the New European Bauhaus (NEB) and the goals of the European Green Deal, the Living Origins proposal represents a new beginning: an alternative approach to rethinking the affordable housing model, preparing the municipality for profound transformation with a regenerative, people-centered focus.
The project seeks to create an environment where beauty, nature, and inclusion coexist in balance. Each home is designed as a timeless refuge, using white textures, wooden details, sustainable concrete, and hydroponic gardens, all integrated into a living, evolving landscape.
The three housing typologies respond to different ways of living, while maintaining aesthetic and functional coherence.
The architectural language of the new neighborhood is inspired by the traditional roots of the municipality, combined with an innovative and sustainable outlook toward the future. It is an environment designed not just for living, but for belonging.
Figueruelas Living Origins transforms pressure into opportunity, offering a vision of how communities can grow with resilience, humanity, and deep respect for their surroundings.
What Does This Proposal Offer in Response to Current Challenges?
• Life-Centered Design: Each housing unit goes beyond mere shelter, integrating hydroponic gardens in every block, shared green spaces, and biophilic architecture that fosters both physical and emotional well-being.
• Timeless Architectural Identity: The design merges traditional Mediterranean architecture with modern sustainable materials and solutions, creating a harmonious dialogue between heritage and the future.
• Scalable Model for Rural Regeneration: As a replicable pilot project, it demonstrates how small towns can absorb significant demographic changes without losing social cohesion or cultural identity, offering valuable lessons for similar European regions.
• Community Engagement and Sense of Belonging: By emphasizing participatory governance and shared spaces, the project encourages genuine integration between long-term residents and newcomers, strengthening both cultural and economic cohesion.
Project Objectives
1.Develop a pilot model of affordable, sustainable, and beautiful housing adapted to fast-growing rural areas in Europe.
2.Promote meaningful social integration between the local population and the newly arrived workforce, fostering cultural and economic cohesion.
3.Revalue local heritage by integrating design that is in dialogue with the landscape, history, and identity of Figueruelas.
4.Explore replicable and adaptable construction solutions that reduce environmental impact and enhance housing resilience in the face of rapid change.
5.Build a positive European narrative around rural growth, demonstrating that development can strengthen, rather than erode community ties.
Technical Data:
The intervention area covers a surface of 49,727 m², where a new urban layout is proposed, carefully integrated into its surroundings. Far from disrupting the immediate context, the proposal enriches the existing urban fabric by introducing an inclusive, sustainable, and aesthetically harmonious residential space that also serves as a meeting point and green lung for the town of Figueruelas.
Within this area, the layout of new housing blocks and exclusively pedestrian internal streets is strategically designed, interconnected through green areas and living corridors. The entire structure is organized in harmony with zones designated for residential buildings and public facilities, resulting in a coherent, accessible framework focused on enhancing the quality of life for its future residents.
Housing Typologies:
Applying principles of bioclimatic architecture, the proposal introduces an innovative typological concept that transcends the traditional functionality of housing. Each of the three typological blocks incorporates a hydroponic garden at its central axis, strategically located at the main entrance area.
This element is presented as a majestic double-height arched portico made of metal, which not only welcomes residents into the block but also serves as a vertical farming system, including vegetables and grapevines at its uppermost level.
This component provides environmental, aesthetic, and wellness value, acting as a true climate refuge. Passing through the portico leads to the staircase core that connects all three residential levels, generating a sense of spatial fluidity and harmony with nature.
Each unit features large balconies, visually integrated with the neighborhood’s green surroundings.
These balconies are crowned by a triple-height arched portico, enveloped in vegetation from all angles, offering not only climatic comfort but also a unique architectural identity. This solution reflects lessons learned during the global health crisis of 2020, when access to outdoor spaces and a connection with the exterior became essential to quality of life.
Construction System:
The housing blocks are designed as modular components, with projected floor areas of 162 m², 164 m², and 169 m², depending on the typology. The construction system is based on prefabricated concrete panels made with sustainable biochar-enhanced concrete, which facilitates assembly, shortens construction time, and minimizes the project's ecological footprint.
Finishes incorporate traditional white textures and details in sustainable wood, providing warmth and an aesthetic language in harmony with the surrounding environment.
For the arched balconies, a mixed construction system is used: a prefabricated concrete base combined with specialized craftsmanship in traditional architecture. This approach helps to revalue cultural heritage and reinforce local identity.
The combination of the central metal axis housing the hydroponic garden, balconies crowned by arched porticos, and the modular residential structure creates a unique and timeless atmosphere, a dialogue between past, present, and future. All of this is framed within the principles of the New European Bauhaus, the goals of the European Green Deal, and multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Bioclimatic Architecture:
Each block features a rooftop system for rainwater harvesting and photovoltaic solar panels, enabling not only self-sufficiency in energy consumption but also the ability to feed surplus energy back into the public grid.
The design adheres to key bioclimatic principles such as optimal solar orientation, cross ventilation, shaded areas functioning as climate refuges, and the use of native vegetation to enhance the project's climate adaptability. Outdoor areas incorporate sustainable permeable pavements, improving water management and integration with the natural surroundings.
Typological Definition of the Blocks
The residential complex is composed of a total of 97 blocks, with a projected total built area of 50,297 m². The typological distribution follows three block models, organized according to the number of levels, surface area, and interior layout:
BLOCK A
• Levels: 3
• Quantity: 49 blocks
• Floor area per level: 164 m²
• Layout per floor:
o 2 one-bedroom apartments (43 m² each)
Living room, dining room, kitchen
Full bathroom
Bedroom
Laundry area
2 balconies per unit
o 1 primary unit (20 m²)
Bedroom
Private bathroom
1 balcony
BLOCK B
• Levels: 3
• Quantity: 31 blocks
• Floor area per level: 169 m²
• Layout per floor:
o 1 two-bedroom apartment (67 m²)
Living room, dining room, kitchen
Full bathroom
2 bedrooms
Laundry area
3 balconies
o 1 one-bedroom apartment (43 m²)
Living room, dining room, kitchen
Full bathroom
Bedroom
Laundry area
2 balconies
BLOCK C
• Levels: 4
• Quantity: 13 blocks
• Floor area per level: 162 m²
• Layout per floor:
o 5 primary units (20 m² each)
Bedroom
Private bathroom
1 balcony per unit
BLOCK D – 2 levels – 4 blocks
The social dining hall can also function as a food security component, especially intended for residents of the type C housing units, which are designed with a more compact layout: a suite-style bedroom with a private bathroom, a small kitchenette countertop, and a laundry unit.
Beyond providing an accessible space for daily meals, the social dining hall is conceived as a direct social benefit resource for certain residents who may receive a monthly allowance from the municipality or the state to cover their food needs. Additionally, it represents a flexible economic management tool, as it can be operated by the local government, private initiatives, or public-private partnerships, generating local employment opportunities and strengthening the neighborhood’s economic fabric.
This space also gains significant value as a community meeting point, especially for elderly or vulnerable individuals, who find not only a practical solution for daily meal preparation but also a place for social interaction, mutual care, and belonging. Furthermore, the dining hall will be open to the entire community, allowing neighbors outside the residential complex to enjoy the service, thus promoting integration between the new neighborhood and the rest of the town.
This public facility block serves as a connecting hub between residents and neighbors, fostering community interaction. It consists of 4 units strategically distributed, each with a floor area of 512 m², developed over two levels.
Ground floor
• Café / Social dining area
• Restrooms for all genders
• Kitchen and customer service area
• Spacious outdoor galleries
• Two traditional-style passageways connecting streets and blocks, facilitating pedestrian circulation and acting as integrative circuits within the neighborhood
First floor
• Spaces for coworking or multipurpose rooms
• Two panoramic terraces with abundant vegetation
Hydroponic Gardens:
The incorporation of hydroponic gardens in each housing module not only promotes environmental sustainability and food self-sufficiency but also opens the door to a community-scale circular economy. These systems enable residents to grow a variety of fresh vegetables that can be used both for family consumption and for sale or exchange within the neighborhood or nearby areas.
A portion of this production may be directly allocated to the social dining hall, ensuring healthier, locally sourced food with a lower environmental impact. This connection between domestic production and communal facilities strengthens community bonds, encourages active resident participation, and fosters a more conscious, resilient, and collaborative way of life.
Streets and Blocks:
The urban design consists of 14 blocks, one of which stands out as a central space due to its large green areas and its role as a meeting point that connects the proposal with the existing surroundings.
The streets regain their value as active public spaces, as the arrangement of the blocks and the parcel sizes eliminate the traditional concept of private yards. Instead, the streets become an extension of the living space, functioning as common outdoor areas for daily life.
Each housing block has direct access and visual connection both to the front and rear streets, allowing greater visual permeability, improved natural ventilation, and cross lighting, thereby promoting stronger social cohesion and an urban fabric rich in outdoor experiences.
A Collaborative Diagnosis and Innovative Urban-Social Approach for Future Growth:
Figueruelas Living Origins emerged proactively and independently, shaped by a rigorous analysis based on the collection of information and testimonies from multiple stakeholders involved in this challenge for the future of Figueruelas: local residents, potential newcomers, municipal authorities, entrepreneurs, and journalists.
These testimonies have been widely published across various Spanish media outlets. This comprehensive diagnosis has made it possible to deeply understand the real needs, challenges, and opportunities facing the municipality in light of the imminent arrival of a large population influx.
The project adopts a transdisciplinary approach, combining architecture, ecology, sociology, public policy, democracy, and technology to design an innovative and sustainable urban and social model. It is also conceived as a participatory process, with the aim of sharing and communicating the concept with the entire community. It proposes the creation of a living case study to help residents, authorities, and future newcomers visualize the magnitude and historic potential of this transformation, guiding them toward a new origin under the principles of the New European Bauhaus.
Like a seed, an individual idea projects a collective force. This multi-level engagement strategy fosters the inclusion of diverse voices, from planning to future management of the neighborhood, strengthening the sense of belonging and shared responsibility in building the environment together.
Figueruelas Living Origins embraces a timeless aesthetic that merges the beauty of the natural landscape with the area’s cultural heritage. The architectural design draws from Mediterranean traditions, white textures, soft forms, and abundant vegetation, creating an atmosphere of serenity, light, and harmony. Every detail, from arch placements to the integration of greenery, is designed to inspire emotion, connection, and care. Living in this neighborhood goes beyond efficiency; it invites mindful living. The collective hydroponic gardens are not only functional, but also beautiful and symbolic, they represent care, cultivation, and belonging. Green communal spaces, shaded pedestrian paths, and small gathering corners encourage slowing down, observing, and sharing.
Each housing unit, including the minimal ones, features comfortable balconies connected to nature and protected from heat waves, embodying lessons learned from the 2020 health crisis. The entire neighborhood can be walked in 15 minutes, thanks to wide pedestrian and cycling lanes. The project respects human scale and prioritizes sensory well-being: natural light, cross-ventilation, ambient sounds, shade, and silence are all part of daily life quality. To live here is to live with pleasure, dignity, and beauty. It’s not just about inhabiting a house, it’s about inhabiting a shared emotional landscape. It is a new origin, a place to begin living under the principles of the New European Bauhaus.
Figueruelas Living Origins responds to an unprecedented social transformation: the massive arrival of new residents to a small rural town. Inclusion is central to the project, which goes beyond housing to build community between locals and newcomers from diverse cultures.
The urban design fosters coexistence, active participation, and belonging through shared open spaces, community gardens, gathering areas, and pedestrian paths encouraging daily interaction. Participatory governance invites residents to engage in caring for and evolving the environment. Architecture is accessible and human-centered, designed for people of all ages and backgrounds. Housing typologies include two-bedroom and one-bedroom units, both with kitchen, living, dining, and bathroom areas, plus minimal units with only bedroom and bathroom but no kitchen or social space.
Residents in minimal units can use a community dining hall, which offers some beneficiaries free monthly meals. These halls generate local jobs and act as social hubs for residents and visitors, stimulating economic and social ties. This project offers a replicable model of inclusion through design, where everyone can find a place, build relationships, and be part of a transforming, united community.
Figueruelas Living Origins integrates sustainability across its design, conception, and daily operation. All residential blocks feature solar panel-equipped roofs that not only meet energy demand but also generate surplus power. A rainwater harvesting system and permeable pavements enable responsible water management and prevent soil sealing. The design follows bioclimatic principles, including natural cross- ventilation, strategic orientation, and extensive shaded areas, reducing the need for artificial climate control. Construction uses eco-friendly concrete with biochar, lowering carbon footprint while enhancing CO₂ storage. Each housing block includes a hydroponic garden, contributing to food security and encouraging sustainable daily practices. Outdoor spaces regenerate the local landscape and promote biodiversity. The project minimizes environmental impact while proposing a lifestyle in harmony with natural cycles, fostering energy and food self-sufficiency at household and community levels. Native vegetation, contemporary architecture, and advanced environmental solutions combine to make this a green urbanism benchmark aligned with the New European Bauhaus. Additionally, green pergolas shaped as traditional arches serve as hydroponic gardens that provide shade. This new environment protects against heat waves and encourages pedestrian mobility and intergenerational interaction.
The Figueruelas Living Origins project, promotes a deep reconnection with nature through biophilic design, integrated hydroponic gardens in each housing typology block, and community green spaces that foster well- being. At the same time, it seeks to revive a sense of belonging through architecture that dialogues with local identity, active resident participation, and an urban structure that encourages social interaction, cohesion, and rootedness, especially in the context of a massive influx of new residents.
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