110 VPP en Ermitagaña (Pamplona)

This February marks forty years since the contract was awarded for the design of 110 publicly promoted housing units in the Ermitagaña district of Pamplona. A milestone that led to the founding of the architecture practice ah asociados, for which we remain grateful to IVINA of the Government of Navarre and to the developer PROGINSA for placing their trust in a group of young architects—then as now—committed to delivering truly affordable, high-quality housing. This anniversary also offers an opportunity to acknowledge how much we learned from outstanding professionals such as Miguel Ángel Garaikoetxea, Ignacio Ibarra, and José Mª Martínez, as well as from the workforce of Construcciones Senosiain and Elizalde.

The urban complexity of the site is addressed in the housing layout through the reinterpretation of the traditional urban block. The design is based on a double-bay typology, whose dual orientation allows a clear separation between the sleeping areas (facing outward) and the living spaces (facing inward). The curved block, lower in height than the others, opens the space to the south and acts as a pivotal and transitional element, guiding access to the interior of the block through two vertical cores that accommodate the dwellings with the largest floor area.