Innovation and Structures the Ground Zero of the DANA

67 architecture students from the University of Navarra have designed new public spaces and multifunctional facilities for Chiva (Valencia), one of the areas hardest hit by the cold front in October 2024.

The initiative arose from a partnership the academic institution and the city council of the Valencian town to mitigate the effects of flooding, combining architecture, applied learning, and a commitment to social good. The students presented their projects to Manuel Vicente Verdeguer, the city council’s director of urban planning, at an event held at the School of Architecture , which was also attended by professors Juan Miguel Otxotorena, Antonio Cidoncha, Victor Larripa, and Efrén Munárriz.

The mayor praised the students’ creativity and dedication: “The work done is particularly valuable. They haven’t limited themselves to designing buildings; instead, they’ve analyzed the area and understood the terrain’s vulnerability to water, proposing facilities designed not only to function but also to withstand the elements.”

“The partnership public administration universities is essential in the 21st century. Local governments need talent, fresh perspectives, and critical thinking, while universities need real-world experience, local contexts, and concrete problems that put theory to the test,” emphasized Manuel Vicente Verdeguer.

In the wake of the cold front, which highlighted the region’s vulnerability, the Chiva City Council sought to design innovative facilities that would help bring together a population scattered across neighborhoods and residential developments, and that would serve as civic infrastructure resilient to contemporary social and environmental challenges. “When the cold front hit our municipality, it didn’t just affect infrastructure—it also affected meeting spaces, sports areas… places where life happens. And when that happens, you realize that architecture isn’t just about technique; it’s about community, cohesion, and hope built into the fabric of our lives,” he emphasized.

The projects are part of the 4th-year Project subject , which presents students with the challenge working within a real-world context where architecture takes on a social and territorial dimension of the utmost importance. In fact, last January, the students, along with their professors, traveled to Chiva to gain firsthand knowledge of the site and the needs and constraints of the surrounding area.

project Architecture & Water" project : Addressing Flooding

Following the visit , the best project will be selected in the coming months, and leading architects will provide live feedback to evaluate the projects’ originality, suitability for the surroundings, and other characteristics.

The initiative is also part of project Architecture & Water" project , launched by the Foro América, which is sponsored by the University of Navarra and involves eleven universities from Spain and Latin America. Its aim is to explore new ways of inhabiting, planning, and managing the territory in the face of increasing flooding—one of the phenomena most closely associated with climate change. To this end, each university has selected an area in its country affected by flooding to develop its proposal , taking into account the specific characteristics of the terrain. In the case of Spain, the Polytechnic University of Valencia is participating alongside the University of Navarra, and both have chosen Chiva as their study area.