• • The event, organised by the LIFE BIRTUOSS project, will take place on the 9th of July at the Guruzu venue, the headquarters of EDE Fundazioa, and will bring together representatives from the 25 ‘opengelas’ in the Basque Country alongside institutions, businesses and social partners.

After years of working together to establish a network of local offices that support the public in urban regeneration processes, the time has come to share lessons learnt, showcase results and continue to build new partnerships. With this aim in mind, Opengela Eguna has been launched –a gathering of the neighbourhood offices in the Basque Country– which will take place on the 9th of July at the Guruzu venue, the headquarters of EDE Fundazioa in Bilbao.

The event, organised as part of the LIFE22-CET-BIRTUOSS project, will bring together the heads and managers of the 25 ‘opengelas’ in the Basque Country, as well as representatives from public authorities, businesses, social organisations and professionals working in the field of urban regeneration.

Opengela has established itself as a benchmark model for providing information, support and resources to the public, particularly in neighbourhoods undergoing urban transformation and regeneration. Its development has been made possible thanks to collaboration between regional, provincial and local authorities, alongside social organisations, businesses and local residents, always placing people at the heart of its initiatives.

During the summit, the main progress made in recent years will be analysed, an overview of the BIRTUOSS project will be presented, and practical experiences from various Basque municipalities will be shared. In addition, opportunities for the model’s growth and replication, both within and outside the Basque Country, will be discussed.

The event aims to provide a forum for meeting and exchange, with a view to continuing to promote a fair and sustainable urban transition, whilst strengthening a network that has already become a leading force in supporting urban regeneration processes.

Anyone interested can register using the form provided for the event.

• • The LIFE22-CET-BIRTUOSS project, which implements the Opengela programme, has promoted the renovation of 2,125 homes and their urban surroundings. Today, it shared its findings at a closing event held at the University of Alcalá de Henares.
  • The Opengela network has grown from two pilot offices to 25 operational offices in 28 vulnerable neighbourhoods across the Basque Country and has established a model that serves as a European benchmark.
  • The TorreUrizar housing complex in Bilbao functioned as a ‘living lab’ during this period, with solutions being trialled in the neighbourhood through the participation of local residents.

The European LIFE22-CET-BIRTUOSS project, carried out by a consortium of 14 public-private organisations led by the Basque Government’s Department of Housing and Urban Agenda, has released its findings today following three years of work. This marks the successful completion of the process of consolidating and scaling up the Opengela programme, the network of neighbourhood offices that supports citizens in comprehensive urban regeneration and renewal processes in the Basque Country.

The initiative builds on a process that began in 2019 with a previous European project, known as HIROSS4all (funded by the Horizon 2020 programme), which enabled the launch of the first two Opengela pilot offices in Txonta (Eibar) and Otxarkoaga (Bilbao) and validated an innovative model of comprehensive support for local communities. Building on that pioneering experience, BIRTUOSS has driven the network’s expansion across the region to reach 25 operational offices in 28 neighbourhoods across the Basque Country, thereby consolidating a stable structure dedicated to urban and energy regeneration.

The results and lessons learnt from this initiative were presented by Ana Telleria, Director of Neighbourhood Regeneration and Urban Agenda at the Basque Government, during the project’s closing event, held as part of the Sostenibilidad XL conference organised by the Green Building Council Spain (GBCE) at the School of Architecture of the University of Alcalá de Henares.

Results exceeding targets

The final project data show that all the strategic indicators defined at the start of the initiative have been achieved beyond expectations. The Opengela network has grown over the past three years with the opening of 21 new neighbourhood offices, more than double the ten initially planned. Furthermore, the actions carried out by the network have resulted in the refurbishment of 2,125 homes and directly benefited 4,888 people.

From an economic perspective, the project has attracted total direct investment of €175.96 million, well above the €120 million initially envisaged.

The environmental results also highlight the impact of the measures implemented. The initiatives undertaken have led to annual energy savings of over 25,480 MWh and a reduction in emissions of 4,924 tonnes of CO₂ per year.

The project has also created 38 direct jobs linked to the activities carried out as part of the initiative. Work has also been done on nature-based solutions to mitigate the urban heat island effect in neighbourhoods.

TorreUrizar: a living lab and neighbourhood participation as the key

The project’s main experimental space has been the TorreUrizar ‘living lab’, located in the Irala neighbourhood of Bilbao. This historic residential complex, built in 1919 by Ricardo Bastida and comprising 264 homes spread across 25 doorways, has served as a testing ground for innovative solutions relating to universal accessibility, energy efficiency, urban renaturalisation and the integration of renewable energy. And always with the active participation of the local community.

The work carried out has included improvements to thermal insulation, the refurbishment of roofs and joinery, the installation of a photovoltaic system, and work on outdoor spaces to reduce the heat island effect and improve the environmental quality of the surroundings.

The initial comparative results obtained in TorreUrizar thus confirm the positive impact of the renovation. Monitoring carried out in 26 homes shows that, following the work, the average indoor temperature during the winter has risen from 18.8°C to 20.4°C, significantly improving living comfort for residents.

Furthermore, one of the key lessons learned from the project has been the importance of placing people at the heart of rehabilitation processes. The Opengela model has demonstrated that ongoing communication, close support and the building of trust are crucial factors in driving complex initiatives in residential settings.

The initiative carried out in TorreUrizar reflects this social dimension of the project. Throughout the process, 4,789 people have been assisted, more than 2,000 door-to-door information visits have been carried out, and 21 neighbourhood meetings have been held – all of which have strengthened the community’s involvement in decision-making.

The experience gained during the project underscores the need to combine technical solutions with strategies for active participation, attention to vulnerability and institutional coordination in order to ensure the success of urban transformation processes.

A well-established network serving local communities

The European project has driven the roll-out of the Opengela model across the region through a network of one-stop shops offering technical, financial, administrative and legal advice, supporting homeowners’ associations from the initial enquiry right through to the completion of the works.

These offices also facilitate coordination between public authorities, professionals and community representatives, streamlining complex processes and encouraging decision-making by local communities.

The model is based on a combination of multi-level governance, multidisciplinary teams and personalised support, with a particular focus on vulnerable neighbourhoods and those who face the greatest difficulties in undertaking rehabilitation processes.

A model with a European focus

The project’s findings suggest that neighbourhood offices or one-stop shops can play a decisive role in accelerating the renovation of Europe’s housing stock and helping to meet the European Union’s climate and energy targets.

Key lessons learnt include the importance of multi-level governance, institutional coordination, the existence of multidisciplinary teams, attention to situations of vulnerability, and public participation throughout the process.

Experience in the Basque Country also shows that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for all areas. The effectiveness of regeneration programmes depends on their ability to adapt to the social, urban and organisational characteristics of each neighbourhood, whilst maintaining stable frameworks for collaboration and technical support.

Consequently, the recommendations arising from the project include strengthening one-stop-shop networks, developing regulatory frameworks to facilitate their implementation, and consolidating funding mechanisms to enable the roll-out of such models at national and European level.

Participation in the Sostenibilidad XL conference has enabled us to share these results with institutional representatives, professionals and organisations from across Spain and Europe, helping to promote a model that is already regarded as an international benchmark in the field of comprehensive urban regeneration.

• • Several project partners will take part in two sessions focusing on support for energy-efficient refurbishment and urban regeneration. The event forms part of the Sostenibilidad XL conference, organised by Green Building Council Spain.

The BIRTUOSS-Opengela project will hold its final event on the 10th of June at the University of Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), as part of the Sostenibilidad XL conference organised by the Green Building Council Spain (GBCE). The event will provide an opportunity to share the main results and lessons learnt during these years of work on energy-efficient refurbishment and urban regeneration, as well as to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the sector.

In this context, Opengela will take part in two sessions focusing on support for energy-efficient refurbishment and urban regeneration. The first, entitled “How can we support vulnerable neighbourhoods? Opengela’s one-stop shops for urban regeneration”, will take place at 11.15 am in Room 3 and will feature Ana Telleria, Director of Neighbourhood Regeneration and Urban Agenda at the Basque Government; Rufino Hernández, from CAVIAR EHU; Juan Antonio Gascón, from ACLIMA; and Alejandro López Parejo, from EMVS Getafe. The session will be moderated by Andoni Hidalgo, representing Gabineteseis.

The second session, “How are renovation contractors and one-stop shops tackling the challenges of the National Building Renovation Plan?”, will take place at 12.20 pm, also in Room 3. Participants will include Txari Vallejo, architect at Bilbao Municipal Housing; Paula Ferrando, from GNE Finance; Olatz Ugarte, from the Basque Government; and Iván Madrigal, from EOS RenovAcción, with Miguel Segovia from GBCE acting as moderator.

Both sessions will provide an opportunity to share experiences, lessons learnt and models for supporting the public during regeneration processes, alongside other relevant projects and initiatives in the sector.

The full schedule and registration details for the conference are now available on the GBCE website.

• • Zurbaran-Arabella, Osintxu and Mendelu will have neighbourhood offices to boost the regeneration of their respective neighbourhoods.
  • The Basque urban regeneration network continues to grow as projects in Andonaegi (Pasaia), Txarama (Leaburu), Beraun (Errenteria) and Aramotz (Durango) are successfully completed.

The Opengela network of neighbourhood offices, led by the Basque Government’s Department of Housing and Urban Agenda, continues to strengthen its presence in the Basque Country with the opening of new offices in Zurbaran-Arabella (Bilbao), Osintxu (Bergara) and Mendelu (Hondarribia), areas where residential refurbishment and urban regeneration play a strategic role in improving citizens’ quality of life and moving towards more accessible, efficient and socially cohesive neighbourhoods.

In Bilbao, the new ‘opengela’ will operate in two neighbourhoods, Zurbaran and Arabella, located in the district of Uribarri. The office will focus in particular on 134 buildings comprising 1,739 homes considered a priority due to their need for improvements in accessibility and energy efficiency, although the regeneration programme covers a total of 719 buildings and more than 12,000 homes across the district.

The challenging terrain of these neighbourhoods, which affects connections with other parts of the city and makes day-to-day access difficult, makes the neighbourhood office a key tool for bringing technical and administrative support closer to local communities. The aim is to facilitate regeneration processes through a local, ongoing service tailored to the needs of each community.

The ‘opengela’ in Osintxu, Bergara, has also begun its work, and will be driving the renovation of 12 house numbers and 102 homes. This is a neighbourhood that has undergone significant social and urban transformation since the industrialisation of the 20th century, resulting in a highly diverse residential area where newer buildings stand alongside older properties in need of extensive renovation.

To support the project’s development and strengthen ties with the local community, the former Txuringo bar-restaurant has been transformed into the project’s headquarters. Located next to the neighbourhood square, the premises will enable the project to centralise its support for local residents and coordinate the various initiatives linked to the urban regeneration process.

Meanwhile, in Mendelu, Hondarribia, the project is being carried out across various residential areas of the neighbourhood, combining different building types and distinct local contexts. The initiative covers areas such as Mugondo, Planetas, Caseríos, Sauraenea, San Isidro and Eskapatxulo, enabling a comprehensive approach to the local housing stock. The office, located in the Mendelu Enea complex, provides local and ongoing support to residents, working alongside neighbourhood communities on the processes of renovation, improving accessibility and enhancing the energy efficiency of homes.

Offices closed following the completion of refurbishment and regeneration works 

Alongside these new openings, several offices have recently ceased operations following the completion of the renovation and urban regeneration projects for which they were established.

This is the case for the offices in Andonaegi (Pasaia), Txarama (Leaburu), Beraun (Errenteria) and Aramotz (Durango), which are closing following the completion of the support processes for local communities and the successful conclusion of the planned initiatives in each of these areas.

These closures reflect the temporary and community-focused nature of the Opengela model, which is designed to address the specific needs of each neighbourhood during the course of urban regeneration projects, from the initial information and engagement phases through to the execution of the works and the completion of the regeneration processes.

• The dwellings on Txotena Street (three doorways) and Irumineta Street (four doorways) feature 12 m² terraces, thereby increasing their usable space by 30%.

A total of 84 dwellings in the Otxarkoaga neighbourhood of Bilbao have been extended with new terraces as part of the Opengela urban regeneration programme. The project, carried out by Bilbao Municipal Housing, aims to improve the liveability of small flats through innovative refurbishment solutions.

The buildings involved are located on Txotena Street (three doorways) and Irumineta Street (four doorways). The new terraces, measuring approximately 12 square metres, represent an increase of around 30% in the usable space of each flat. This work forms part of the Orain Otxar regeneration project, run by Opengela.

The project has received funding from the European Union through the Next Generation EU funds, as part of the Spanish Government’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, as well as contributions from the Basque Government and Bilbao City Council.

• It has been included in the Commission Notice C/2025/6438 for its comprehensive neighbourhood and housing support model.

Commission Notice C/2025/6438 from the European Commission, released last December, provides guidance to Member States on how to implement the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) and improve the efficiency of the residential building stock. In this context, the Opengela project is mentioned as an example of inspiring practice. It states that ‘the Opengela pilot project in the Basque Country offers neighbourhoods advice and support on the administrative, technical and financial aspects of energy-related issues, but also on other relevant topics, such as accessibility for people with disabilities’.

In addition to the one-stop shop service, the document states that Opengela has developed ‘an online tool with an energy map of all buildings in the Basque Country’, which provides ‘an integrated framework to support the development of renovation plans, complemented by estimates of the financial implications at multiple levels: national, regional, neighbourhood and individual housing’. This tool also makes it possible to ‘detect needs, including the identification of the least efficient buildings’ and serves as a starting point for each building to determine its energy renovation needs.

The European Commission includes this experience in a section on household advisory practices, recognising Opengela as an inspiring model for other European regions seeking to accelerate the energy renovation of their buildings.

Full document here.

Since September 2023, the European BIRTUOSS project has been developing the Opengela model, created in a previous project (HIROSS4all, funded by the Horizon 2020 programme), which delves deeper into social, economic and environmental aspects. It also explores ways to scale up building renovation to urban regeneration in each neighbourhood.

In fact, in recent years, this model, led by the Basque Government’s Department of Housing and Urban Agenda, has grown to be implemented in 25 neighbourhoods in 21 municipalities in the Basque Country and is enabling the improvement of up to 2,800 homes. And, at the same time as the network of offices is being extended to municipalities throughout the autonomous community, BIRTUOSS is developing a “living lab” in TorreUrizar, in Bilbao, which is being used as a pilot site to experiment with the advances of this European project.

This new video, led by journalist Gonzalo Loza, shows the progress of the works in the neighbourhood and in the homes, as well as the value of the one-stop shop for the neighbourhood. It also features testimonials from a TorreUrizar resident; the head of the neighbourhood’s one-stop shop, Marina Hornazabal; Bilbao City Council’s Councillor for Housing, Yolanda Díez; and the Basque Government’s Director of Neighbourhood Regeneration and Urban Agenda, Ana Telleria.

Together with the Basque Government, the EU-funded project is being promoted by a public-private consortium made up of the Basque Energy Agency (EVE), Bilbao Municipal Housing (VVMM), the Environment (Aclima), Construction (Build:Inn) and Knowledge and Technology (GAIA) clusters, the CAVIAR research group at the University of the Basque Country (EHU), EDE Fundazioa, Ciclica cooperative (specialising in decarbonisation strategies), as well as companies with expertise in financing (GNE Finance), communication (Gabineteseis) and European affairs (Zabala Innovation), and also two European bodies such as Fedarene (European Federation of Agencies and Regions for Energy and Environment) and the Spanish Green Building Council (GBCe).

Great news for Opengela!

Our project appears in the European Commission’s publication ‘Giving LIFE to Europe’s clean energy transition’ and is one of three examples highlighted in the section on ‘One-Stop Shops for Building Renovation’.

The document was launched during the 2nd Round Table of the European Energy Efficiency Financing Coalition, presented by Commissioner Dan Jørgensen.

We are proud to see how our work is contributing to the clean energy transition in Europe!

On Friday, 12 December, as part of the Annual Conference of the Urban Rehabilitation, Renovation and Regeneration Group (3R) organised by AVS and AVS Euskadi, held in Vitoria-Gasteiz, a panel discussion was held on “Innovation projects in the field of urban rehabilitation and regeneration”. Participants included Ana Telleria, director of Neighbourhood Regeneration and Urban Agenda for the Basque Government and leader of the European BIRTUOSS project (operating under the Opengela brand), and Miguel Segovia, Policy Coordinator for GBCE (Green Building Council Spain) and partner in the project.

Telleria emphasised that the central focus of the Opengela programme is neighbourhood offices, designed as local spaces where citizens are supported in making decisions about the renovation of their buildings and surroundings. She highlighted the importance of the Urban Vulnerability Inventory, which will take on even greater prominence as it becomes the basis for future subsidy programmes. Telleria stressed that multi-level governance is essential to address current challenges, based on collaboration between local, regional, national and European administrations, as well as on trust, a comprehensive diagnosis and a non-institutional approach that brings public policies closer to neighbourhoods.

During the Q&A session, Telleria focused on the challenge of integrating all rehabilitation tools into a single coherent system, where the one-stop shop acts as a clear reference point for citizens. A space that offers diverse information, but with a clear and consistent message, facilitating informed decision-making and strengthening neighbourhood and community awareness, which is key to raising awareness, building trust and reducing fears.

On his part, Miguel Segovia highlighted the role of GBCE as an ally for the transformation of the building sector and emphasised its work in developing tools to assess the sustainability of buildings, creating technical solutions and disseminating information through talks, conferences and courses. He also stressed the importance of initiatives such as the EU Peers community, which aims to integrate and support the various agents involved in the renovation process, with more than 75 organisations in Spain and more than 400 in Europe. In this project, GBCE actively contributes to defining the role of the Renovation Agent, promoting renovation offices and influencing public policies and regulatory frameworks, laying the foundations for an increasingly solid sector at national and European level.

Segovia also addressed one of the major challenges facing the sector: how to raise public awareness about renovation. He pointed out the need for a coordinated effort in terms of messaging, connecting with issues that are important to people, such as comfort, health, quality of life, safety and independence, without forgetting resilience in the face of climate change. ‘We need real communication campaigns, with consistent messages shared across the sector,’ he said.

The panel made it clear that innovation in urban regeneration does not depend solely on technical solutions, but also on new forms of governance, communication and citizen engagement, which are fundamental pillars of projects such as Opengela.

Other BIRTUOSS partners also took part in the conference, such as Cíclica (through Ander Bilbao). The programme included a visit to the Zaramaga neighbourhood in Vitoria-Gasteiz, where a neighbourhood office of the Opengela programme is promoting urban regeneration work. Txari Vallejo, architect at Bilbao Municipal Housing, attended the visit.

GAIA and Bilbao Municipal Housing, partners in the European BIRTUOSS project (Opengela), welcomed several representatives from the INBUILT project, coordinated by Université Côte d’Azur and made up of 16 partners, to the TorreUrizar living lab on the 25th of November. This project is developing innovative construction products and systems designed to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of buildings.

The delegation was able to see first-hand how Basque initiatives associated with Opengela are developing a comprehensive neighbourhood regeneration model in line with INBUILT’s vision: systemic, inclusive and people-centred renewal. During the visit, the delegation was shown how the one-stop shop model applied in the Basque Country works, combining technical, social, legal and financial advice and incorporating financial mechanisms such as MAS Opengela to address situations of economic vulnerability and combat energy poverty.

The evolution of the model was also explained through the Bilbao neighbourhood’s living lab, which broadens the scope of the approach by integrating digitalisation, building passports, industrialised solutions, renewable energies and nature-based solutions (NBS), together with governance frameworks that enable structured intervention at neighbourhood level.

The visit to TorreUrizar allowed INBUILT partners to observe how these principles are applied in a real-world setting: a large-scale intervention combining technical innovation, citizen participation and environmental improvements aimed at strengthening neighbourhood well-being. The experience provided valuable insights for the future implementation of the INBUILT project, particularly in areas such as governance, social inclusion and SBN integration.

The event highlighted the synergies between the projects and reinforced Opengela’s role as a benchmark model in Europe for sustainable, inclusive and neighbourhood-based regeneration.

The BIRTUOSS project, led by the Basque Government’s Department of Housing and Urban Agenda, has implemented an urban regeneration model that is already being applied in 25 neighbourhoods in the Basque Country.