Architecture and urban planning as a driver for social change
Architecture and urban planning as a driver for social change
The Zebra Lab studio is the brainchild of architects Borja Izaskun and Cristina Burgos, who understand architecture and urban planning as a driver and opportunity for social change that aims to improve people’s lives. Zebra Lab is a laboratory of ideas that through creative solutions gives rise to spaces with personality, without falling into trends, seeking to get a feeling of surprise and excitement out of the end user. The company has an office in Pamplona and another in San Sebastián, where they offer urban development advice and carry out comprehensive remodels of houses and other types of real estate, while also building new residential and service buildings.
Zebra Lab is currently undertaking numerous projects in Navarre and the Basque Country. In Pamplona they are renovating two homes, updating the façade of an emblematic building that is protected due to its heritage value, and eliminating the architectural barriers of an entranceway. In Berastegi, they are going to build a traditional farmhouse using materials recovered from buildings of the area. In San Sebastián, they are constructing two contemporary-style, semidetached villas with sea views and four duplexes in an existing building in the center (they are going to add two floors to the building). In addition, they have just finished a colorful speech therapy center. They are also beginning a project to build a multi-purpose building measuring 400 m2 to be certified by the Passivhaus Institute. This job was commissioned by the Town Council of Olaberria. Passivhaus –meaning passive house in German– is a building standard based on an excellent thermal envelope with thick insulation, rigorous control of drafts, maximum indoor air quality, commitment to the use of renewable energies, and the optimized use of energy for heating and cooling systems, reducing energy consumption by 85%-90% when compared to conventional buildings. The studio has also just won a competition for the conversion of the old town hall building in the rural hub of Itziar into a school. This is a very special project because the building has been designated as a historical monument by the Basque Government.
The projects that Zebra Lab embarks upon do not follow the same line, as they are committed to the study of and respect for the specific sites and users. This custom approach yields unique solutions in terms of spaces and materials for each one of their proposals. Nature, sustainability, construction coherence, mastery of technique, a search for beauty, and care in execution are the basis of this studio’s work.
Zebra Lab
Tel.: +34 943 297 666
