CAVIAR UPV/EHU “Quality of Life in Architecture” research group is composed of teaching and research staff from the Architecture Department of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). It was established in 2006, supported by the structure of the new Master’s programme in “Sustainable Construction and Energy Efficiency”, which was launched in collaboration with the Environmental Resource Centre “Cristina Enea” (San Sebastián City Council). In 2015, it was recognised for the first time as an Integrated Group in the Basque Research System by the Basque Government.

The group addresses, from the field of Architecture, one of the EU’s priorities and distinctive areas, as included in the European Construction Technology Platform (ECTP): Quality of Life. It places particular emphasis on the social responsibility of the actors involved in the creative-constructive process and on the need to foster an interactive dialogue with users. Thus, human perception is brought back to the forefront of development and research activities. For this reason, the research areas of the group are connected through three cross-cutting focus areas related to people, the environment and efficient management. To facilitate internal organisation, the group’s research projects are categorised into different lines of investigation, which are currently as follows:

L1: Quality of Life, Health and well-being, Comfort, Human-built environment interaction, Renaturalization.

L2: Sustainability, Climate neutrality, Energy efficiency, Circular economy, Life cycle, Industrialization.

L3: Regeneration and Urban Transitions: mobility and technologies for increasing capacities, urban renewable electricity.

The construction processes and the methods of management and intervention in the urban territory, which constitute the material object of our research, have a significant impact on the environment, the conservation of natural resource, the preservation of ecosystems, the city, and the quality of life of all its inhabitants. The concept of sustainability must be adapted to people’s needs, in the pursuit of continuous improvement of their quality of life.

Rufino J. Hernández Minguillón

PhD Architect | Professor

Olatz Irulegi Garmendia

PhD Architect | Senior Lecturer

Xabat Oregi Isasi

PhD Architect | Senior Lecturer

Izaskun Aseguinolaza Braga

PhD Architect | Lecturer

Olatz Grijalba Aseguinolaza

PhD Architect | Adjunct Lecturer

Alex Mitxelena Etxeberria

PhD Architect | Adjunct Lecturer

Irati Otamendi Irizar

PhD Architect | Adjunct Lecturer

Joseba Gainza Barrencua

PhD Architect | Adjunct Lecturer

Nagore Urrutia del Campo

PhD Architect | Adjunct Lecturer

Xabier Barrutieta Basurko

PhD Architect | Associate Lecturer

Eider Camarero Etxebarria

PhD Architect | Associate Lecturer

Iñigo Rodríguez Vidal

PhD Architect | Interim Lecturer

Francisco González Quintial

PhD Architect | Interim Lecturer

Urtza Uriarte Otazua

PhD Architect | Interim Lecturer

Miriam Varela Alonso

PhD Architect | Interim Lecturer

Claudia Pennese

PhD Architect | Equality Agent

Alba Arias Royo

Architect | Researcher

Maitane Menayo Hurtado

Architect | Researcher

Mikel Barrena Herrán

Civil Engineer | Researcher

Itziar Modrego Monforte

Architect | Researcher

Jorge Otaegi de Arce

Architect | Researcher

Markel Arbulu Dudagoitia

Architect | Researcher

Naiara Álava Aguirre

Architect | Researcher

Saioa González Gutiérrez

Marketing Specialist | Digital Marketing

Isabel Jordán Palomar

PhD Architect | Researcher

David Martínez Gómez

Architect | Researcher

Iván Alarcón López

PhD Architect | Researcher

Pablo Moreno Pestaña

Industrial Engineer | Researcher

Alhelí Estela Álvarez

Architect | Researcher

Amparo Gómez Cuevas

Architect | Researcher

Eunate Etxebarria Abad

Architect | Researcher

Isabel Guevara Fernández

Architect | Researcher

Ana Piedra Gómez

LCA expert | Researcher