We understand architecture as an opportunity to respond to everyone's need. A practice capable of reinforcing positive behaviors.
We maintain a prudent stance towards technique, aware of the limitations imposed by the environment in which we build. The simplicity in construction is positive. Low technification and reuse are our principles.
We enact the social value of 'the pleasant'. The qualities of the discipline of architecture, such as the rigor of geometry or compositional guidelines, are not incompatible with the construction of pleasant environments. Ornamentation, color and texture are essential for us in the construction of comfort.
We prioritize beauty as the central reason for architecture, the result of the intertwined gaze of philosophy, ethics, science and enjoyment. We defend beauty as an essential component of each project regardless of scale or use. Architecture as a potentially transformative aesthetic practice.
Cristina Acha and Miguel Zaballa founded ACHA_ZABALLA_ARQUITECTS office in 2006 which they have been leading since. In 2018 the practice evolved to AZAB office with the joining of new partners. In 2021, after this period of joint venture, the focus shifted back to ACHA_ZABALLA_ARQUITECTS
Projects range from public spaces and diverse scale of buildings to small-scale temporary interventions in a continual dialogue between strategy and details. Each project is an unbiased enquiry which starts by questioning assumptions to unlock hidden potencial of places and briefs.
A practice based on the conviction of the relevance of design driven by imagination and empathy to provide useful solutions for everyone.
As a studio, the approach is open-ended, driven by optimism and focused in the defense of beauty as a central reason for architecture.
Cristina Acha Odriozola Cristina Acha Odriozola Cristina Acha Odriozola Cristina Acha Odriozola
She graduated from the School of Architecture of the University of Navarre in 1999. In 1999 she takes part in the refurbishment for a business incubator of the Nave Ilgner – central electrical supplier for the factory AHV Altos Hornos de Vizcaya Biscay Blast Furnaces – built in 1927, in collaboration with Jose Luis Burgos principal architect at Mecsa.
In 2000 she joins Tecnei Arquitectura and as Project Architect she develops a wide range of works from private dwellings to public facilities and landscape projects such as 1240 dwellings in Barakaldo, residences for the elderly in Lujua and Bilbao, the project design for the Mina del Morro Park in Bilbao among others.
From 2006 to 2018 she is principal of Acha Zaballa Arquitectos. The practice has won recognition in various architectural competitions. Some of the notable projects of the firm are the Hotel in Herrera del Duque – rehabilitation and extension of the XV sc. Convent of Saint Jerome in Badajoz; the rehabilitation of the Mine Tunnels and redevelopment of the surrounding protected area in Castro Urdiales, the Fronton in Armintza, a 70 public dwellings building in Huesca or the MORE-house.
She was responsible of contents and programming as scientific secretariat of the BIA Urban Regeneration Forum “Towards living cities” held in Bilbao in September 2014.
Miguel Zaballa Llano Miguel Zaballa Llano Miguel Zaballa Llano Miguel Zaballa Llano
He graduated from the School of Architecture of the University of the Basque Country in 2005. From 2003 to 2005 he collaborates in diverse projects for Tecnei Arquitectura under the direction of Emilio Puertas principal architect.
From 2005 to 2006 he collaborates in diverse projects for JCAO Arquitectura under the direction of Jose Carlos Anasagasti principal architect, for public and private developers, most notably the Herri Eskola renovation in Soraluze
From 2006 to 2018 he is principal of Acha Zaballa Arquitectos. In 2015 the office was selected as one of the 35 emerging Spanish teams by ON Diseño architectural publisher. Some of the notable projects are the Hotel in Herrera del Duque – rehabilitation and extension of the XV sc. Convent of Saint Jerome in Badajoz; the rehabilitation of the Mine Tunnels and redevelopment of the surrounding protected area in Castro Urdiales; the Fronton in Armintza; a 70 public dwellings building in Huesca; the MORE-house. The practice has won recognition in various architectural competitions such as Europan 13-Stavanger, the Baltic Sea Art Park international competition or the New Town Hall for Prague 7 District.
From 2013 to 2016 has been board member of the Official Chamber of Basque Navarre Architects.
AWARDSAWARDSAWARDSAWARDSAWARDSAWARDSAWARDSAWARDS
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2021 FIRST PRIZE
Competition Musiktopa Ekomuseoa in Artea, Bizkaia. Basque Country.
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2019 FIRST PRIZE
Competition 15 Public Dwellings. Sestao. Basque Country. Spain
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2019 PREMIOS FAD
The project Apartment 100.60 (Bilbao) Selected in the category “interior design” 2019.
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2019 PREMIOS COAVN
The project Apartment 100.60 (Bilbao) Finalist in the category “interior design” 2019.
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2019 PREMIOS COAVN
The project Inazio Zubizarreta Primary School (Igorre) Finalist in the category “architecture” 2019.
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2019 FINALIST
International Ideas Competition MUSEO BELLAS ARTES Extension. Bilbao. BIG AZAB Proskene
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2019 FIRST PRIZE
Ideas Competition 35 Public Dwellings "el Campillo". Badajoz. Extremadura. Spain
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2018 THIRD PRIZE.
Ideas Competition "El Campillo". Badajoz. Extremadura. Spain
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2017 ACCESIT
Ideas Competition Manzana del Palacio Escoriaza - Esquivel en Vitoria Gasteiz
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2016 FINALIST. 2nd round
International Ideas Competition New Town Hall for Prague 7 District. Prague. Czech Republic
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2016 HIGHLIGHTED ENTRY.
International Ideas Competition newaarch New School of Architecture in Aarhus. Denmark
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2015 MENTION EUROPAN 13.
International Competition in Stavanger. Norway
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2015 FINALIST.
Ideas Competition Biblioteca en el Antiguo Cuartel de Policía Local en Almería. Spain
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2014 WT SMART CITY AWARDS
THIRD PRIZE Competition WT Smart City Awards in Milan. Italy
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2014 CSCAE AWARD.
Procesos Arquitectónicos CSCAE. Adaptation of the San Jerónimo Convent in the Hospedería de Herrera del Duque.
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2014 SPECIAL MENTION.
Ideas Competition for the new Euskal Herria square and Fronton in Orkoien
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2013 CSCAE AWARD.
Arquitectura en Positivo CSCAE. More House in Castro Urdiales. Spain
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2013 THIRD PRIZE.
International Ideas Competition Baltic Sea Art Park in Pärnu. Estonia
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2013 PRESELECTED EUROPAN 12.
International Competition in Don Benito. Spain
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2011 SHORTLISTED.
International Ideas Competition Liesma Hotel in Jurmala. Latvia
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2010 FIRST PRIZE.
Ideas Competition Adaptation of the San Jerónimo Convent in the Hospedería de Herrera del Duque. Badajoz. Spain
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2010 SECOND PRIZE.
Ideas Competition for the Gernikako Arbola Square in Urretxu. Gipuzkoa. Spain
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2009 THIRD PRIZE.
International Ideas Competition Bcc Basque Culinary Centre in San Sebastian. Gipuzkoa. Spain
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2008 FIRST PRIZE.
Competition Ideas Rehabilitation Old mine tunnels and redevelopment of the Ocharan area in Castro Urdiales. Spain
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2008 SECOND PRIZE.
Competition Ideas Rehabilitation and extension of the Bake-Eder Palace as office dwellings in Getxo. Bizkaia. Spain
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2008 SPECIAL MENTION.
Ideas Competition. Adaptation of the San Juan de Dios Convent in the Hospedería de Olivenza. Badajoz. Spain
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2007 FIRST PRIZE.
Competition 58 public dwellings in Huesca. Aragon. Spain
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2007 SECOND PRIZE.
Ideas Competition Underground parking and new España Square in Arnedo. La Rioja. Spain
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2007 SHORTLISTED.
Ideas Competition Fiscalia Building in Justice Campus Madrid. Spain
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2006 SECOND PRIZE.
Ideas Competition Inteco. National Institute of Telecommunications of the Government of Spain. Leon. Spain
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2006 SECOND PRIZE.
Ideas Competition of Redevelopment of the Armintza borough
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2006 SHORTLISTED.
Ideas Competition "Soluciones Urbanas. Propuestas de Futuro" CSCAE
LECTURESLECTURESLECTURESLECTURESLECTURESLECTURESLECTURESLECTURES
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2024 SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE UNIVERSITY OF VALENCIA. ETSAV
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2023 INHABITING CHANGE. ‘The street and the home, a receptive binomial’
Basque Country International Architecture Biennial Mugak/ Pabellón MUGAK HABIT[atu]Z
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2022 SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE UNIVERSITY OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY. ETSASS DAGET Donosti
"Rethinking the old" Cristina Acha & Miguel Zaballa will be lecturing at the School of Architecture University of the Basque Country next October 20th
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2022 Artium Museum Gasteiz. The Official College of Basque-Navarrese Architects of Álava approaches the “new ways of living”
The Official College of Basque-Navarrese Architects of Álava approaches the “new ways of living” with its ‘Creation Days. City. Scenery’. A conference that will come from the hand of several architecture studios that “will present innovative projects from the constructive, social and sustainable point of view”.
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2022 SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE OFf the Sapienza Università di ROMA
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2021 SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE UNIVERSITY OF ZARAGOZA. UNIZAR
"Cristina Acha_Miguel Zaballa" LECTURE at the School of Architecture University of Zaragoza
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2020 SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE UNIVERSITY OF NAVARRA. ETSAUN
20 UNDER 40 "CONSTRUIR, HABITAR, PENSAR" LECTURE at the School of Architecture University of Navarra. ETSAUN
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2019 SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE UNIVERSITY OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY.
"MANIFESTO" LECTURE at the School of Architecture University of the Basque Country ETSASS
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2018 BIA Urban Generation Forum. “Hacia una nueva domesticidad”. Rectorado UPV, Bilbao
Rectorado UPV, Bilbao
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2017 Mugak. International Architecture Biennial
Housing Architecture. Closing session of the 1st Euskadi Architecture Biennial MUGAK
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2017 "a blue - green approach" COAVN,
Official Chamber of Basque Navarre Architects. Bilbao
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2016 SAFARI#35 SAF.
Stavanger Arkitektforening. Stavanger. Norway
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2016 Inauguration of European Capital of Culture year 2016.
Museum Rezola. Donostia
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2015 Arkitektenes hus.National Association of Norwegian Architects (NAL). Oslo
Europan 13, landscape architects and site representatives gathered in Oslo, to celebrate the awarded projects for the Europan 13 competition in Norway.
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2014 Proyectar Bilbao. Grupo Vía
COAVN. Bilbao.
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2013 Innova Youth Meeting. Madrid.
Atari Cultura Arquitectónica. Madrid.
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2012 Architectes Basques <40
Pavillon de l´architecture Pau. France Atari.Ka
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2011 COAVN. Bilbao
Official Chamber of Basque Navarre Architects. Bilbao
EXHIBITIONSEXHIBITIONSEXHIBITIONSEXHIBITIONSEXHIBITIONSEXHIBITIONSEXHIBITIONS
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2023 Inhabiting Change Main exhibition of the fourth edition of the Basque Country International Architecture Biennial Mugak
‘Inhabiting Change' is the main exhibition of the fourth edition of the Basque Country International Architecture Biennial Mugak/. It is a choral reflection of works produced by renowned architects and artists. It establishes a collective dialogue between them, through original pieces, representations of their practices and projects around the motto of this edition, 'rebuild, reinhabit, rethink'. The works are grouped together in the three rooms of the Basque Country Institute of Architecture, each representing one of these three key concepts in this edition. Curated by the Bilbao architect María Arana, also curator of the fourth Mugak/ Biennial, the exhibition 'Inhabiting Change' brings together the works of the 'pritzker' Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu, co-founders and partners of the Chinese studio Amateur Architecture Studio; the researcher Beatriz Colomina along with Ignacio G. Galán, Evangelos Kotsioris and Anna Maria Meister; the Madrid studio amid.cero9; the artist Isaac Cordal; the architect José María Torres Nadal; the Bilbao studio Acha Zaballa Arquitectos; the architect Marina Otero together with Katía Truijen, René Boer and María Mazzanti; and the Barcelona studio TAKK. Curator:María Arana
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2021 Installation "Between sweet and raw".
Installation Display for "pasajes" at Basque Country Architecture Institute. EAI_IAE
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2019 Bilbao Fine Arts Museum. Museo Bellas Artes Bilbao. Bilboko Arete Ederren Museoa
Project to enlarge and remodel the THE BILBAO FINE ARTS MUSEUM
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2019 Premios FAD
Disseny Hub Barcelona
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2019 PREMIOS COAVN
Official Chamber of Basque Navarre Architects. Bilbao Official Chamber of Basque Navarre Architects. Pamplona Estación Autobuses, Gasteiz
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2019 Public dwellings in "el Campillo"
COADE Official Chamber of Extremadura Architects. Badajoz
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2018 Ideas Competition "El Campillo".
Las Casas Mudéjares Badajoz. Extremadura. Spain
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2016 "New town hall for Prague 7 District".
New Prague 7 Town Hall. Prague. Czech Republic
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2016 "The adaptable city 2" Europan 13.
Collegi Oficial d´Arquitectes de les Illes Balears, COAIB. Palma de Mallorca. Spain
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2016 "Newaarch New School of Architecture in Aarhus", Nørreport 22.
Aarhus School of Architecture. Aarhus. Denmark
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2014 WT Smart City Awards.
Milan. Italy
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2014 "Architectur competition Baltic Sea Art Park".
Museum of Architecture. Tallin, Estonia
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2014 "Architectur competition Tartu Wardolf Center".
Museum of Architecture. Tallin, Estonia
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2013 "Sustainable Architecture". Atari Ka.
Museum Cementos Rezola. Donosti
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2012 “National and university library NUK II Competition”.
Museum for architecture and design, Fužine castle, Pot na Fužine 2, Ljubljana.
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2010 Exhibition "Hospederia Herrera del Duque Competition".
Palacio de Congresos de Mérida. Badajoz, Spain