Zebra Lab: contemporary (and design) solutions for spaces to live, work, and play in
Zebra Lab: contemporary (and design) solutions for spaces to live, work, and play in
Architecture studios are noticing substantial changes in the needs of their clients, fundamentally due to two reasons: the restrictions applied as a result of COVID-19 and the rise in energy prices. “The long periods of time that the population had to spend at home due to lockdowns, restrictions, and quarantines brought many people face to face with a painful truth: their homes were not as comfortable as they needed them to be. At the same time, teleworking is gaining ground compared to face-to-face work, and this implies the need to have a workspace at home. Additionally, the rise in energy prices stemming from the outbreak of the war in Ukraine has led people to question the quality of the thermal envelope of their homes and to rethink structural improvements,” explains Cristina Burgos, who directs –together with Borja Izaskun– the Zebra Lab Architecture Studio.
With one office in San Sebastián and another in Pamplona, Zebra Lab is currently carrying out numerous projects whose main goal is precisely the creation of beautiful, comfortable, and quality spaces that maximize energy savings. Among their most noteworthy jobs are: the complete renovation of three homes in San Sebastián and a farmhouse in Hernialde; the planning and execution of a two-level building with four homes in the center of San Sebastián; and the construction of two farmhouses in Berastegi using materials recovered from buildings in the area. Likewise, they have just delivered two newly built, semi-detached villas with sea views in San Sebastián.
The owners of commercial premises and those responsible for managing institutions are also seeing the need to subject their spaces to efficiency improvements. To that end, Cristina Burgos and Borja Izaskun are finalizing two projects of great interest: the conversion of the old town hall in the rural area of Itziar (listed as a historical monument by the Basque Government) into a school and the construction of a multi-purpose building measuring 400 m2 which will be Passivhaus certified, commissioned by the Olaberria City Council. “Passivhaus 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,” explains Cristina Burgos. Thanks to actions such as the one being carried out in Olaberria, “energy consumption can be reduced by 85%-90% compared to conventional buildings,” she concludes.
Zebra Lab
Tel.: +34 943 297 666
