ETXELAGUN is part of the Gipuzkoa Provincial Council's Strategy for loneliness HARIAK and has been financed and promoted by Adinberri and the Gipuzkoa Provincial Council.

According to the Gipuzkoa Loneliness Map (2021), unwanted loneliness reaches 29.5% of people over 55 years in Gipuzkoa. This is a problem that must be addressed from different disciplines, including Architecture.

The objective of ETXELAGUN is to review current housing models and evaluate them qualitatively and quantitatively from the perspective of people's loneliness. The project identifies the main factors and proposes design guidelines that mitigate the perception of unwanted loneliness so that the people can develop a full life project there. Homes that accompany us throughout our lives, that encourage active living and promote social relationships.

The project has a multidisciplinary and inter-institutional approach and has been developed in collaboration with three City Councils: Beasain, Bidania-Goiatz and Pasaia where three homes have been used as case studies.

The process has culminated in the ETXELAGUN design GUIDE, which is illustrated with practical cases to facilitate its application. The guide is proposed as a practical tool for architecture and design professionals, administration and citizens in general.

To develop the work, various research techniques have been applied: bibliographic and literature analysis, field visits, surveys, interviews, co-creation processes with actors belonging to the quadruple helix and monitoring of environmental parameters in three real cases.

Website: http://hdl.handle.net/10810/58046

Research staff

Lead researcher: Olatz Irulegi Garmendia (Department of Architecture - CAVIAR Group)

• Miriam Varela (Department of Architecture - CAVIAR Group)
• Claudia Pennese (Department of Architecture - CAVIAR Group)
• Urtza Uriarte (Department of Architecture - CAVIAR Group)
• Maria Viota (Department of Architecture - CAVIAR Group)
• Laura Menatti (Department of Architecture - CAVIAR Group)
• Rufino Hernández (Department of Architecture - CAVIAR Group)
• Olatz Grijalba (Department of Architecture - CAVIAR Group)
• Izaskun Aseguinolaza (Department of Architecture - CAVIAR Group)
• Xabat Oregi (Department of Architecture - CAVIAR Group)
• Iñigo Rodríguez (Department of Architecture - CAVIAR Group)
• Elena del Río (School of Architecture)
• Asier Benko (School of Architecture)
• Moises Odriozola (Faculty of Engineering, Gipuzkoa - ENEDI Group)
• Iñaki Gómez (Faculty of Engineering, Gipuzkoa - ENEDI Group)

Other project information

• Locator: IK-21-002 
• Year: 2021-2022
• Keywords: Diseño de viviendas, Soledades, Personas mayores, Estrategia HARIAK, Envejecimiento saludable
• Program name: Retos del envejecimiento activo y saludable. Adinberri. Departamento de Promoción Económica, Turismo y Medio Rural de la Diputación Foral de Gipuzkoa. Acuerdo de Consejo de Gobierno de 27 de julio de 2021. 
• Project type: Proyecto de I+D+i financiado en convocatoria competitiva
• Funding entities: ADINBERRI and Diputación Foral de Gipuzkoa
• Participating entities: Ayuntamiento de Beasain | Ayuntamiento de Pasaia | Ayuntamiento de Bidania-Goiatz
• Start date: 2022
• Duration: 8 hilabete
• Total amount: 149.000,70€
• Amount subsidized: 116.800,56€