As a measure to address the housing crisis, the Basque Government has started acquiring vacant buildings, planning to develop 170 rental homes in Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia. Some of these homes will be located in Orio, Elgoibar, and Elorrio, through the rehabilitation of industrial and public buildings.
In Orio, specifically, the former Nueva Ceramica factory will be renovated to construct approximately 40 homes. The old courthouse and the AIBE industrial building in Eibar are also being repurposed for rental housing. The government has also cited completed projects, such as the wing of the Esklabetak convent in Azpeitia (48 units) and the Casa de los Sindicatos in Arrasate (12 units).
The objective is to utilize existing properties without needing new land and by restoring buildings that contribute to the urban landscape. This approach helps preserve structures and elements of heritage value and prevents their deterioration, as explained by Pablo Garcia, Director of Housing, Land, and Architecture, who stated that converting buildings like convents, courthouses, or factories into accessible housing recovers heritage and creates residential opportunities.
The building that was once the Nueva Ceramica de Orio factory, located on Aita Lertxundi street, took on its current appearance in 1940 following a project by Ignacio Mendizabal, Jose Ignacio Yeregui, and Luis Tolosa. This work is considered a significant example of Gipuzkoan industrial architecture. Previously, from 1899 to the 1920s, it housed a factory belonging to the German company Schneider.
