Urban regeneration El camino de la almazara

“El camino de la almazara” is the winning proposal of CRU VI and seeks to consolidate and rehabilitate the old oil mill at La Artejuela and its surrounding area, transforming them into a new community space for the village.

The project is structured around a route connecting the oil mill with the wash house, the pond and the rest of the village centre, highlighting the existing buildings and creating small areas for resting, socialising and contemplating the landscape. Along the path, the interior space of the oil mill is also restored, where the millstone and the modern press now form an open-air space integrated into the route. The intervention prioritises the use of local materials (roof tiles, timber and remains from the oil mill itself), which are reincorporated into the project and interact with the path’s paving. These are combined with ceramic pieces from the province of Castellón and with low-impact strategies that prioritise reuse and minimal alteration. The restoration is based on precise and necessary interventions: metal beams reinforce the ruins of the old mill, even reusing the rubble generated. The elements that previously formed the roof, such as beams, joists, vaults, reeds and mortar, are now transformed into the space’s new floor.

Along the route, semi-circular benches mark key points and invite visitors to rest and socialise, whilst a pergola provides shade next to the old wash house. The various built elements share the same design principles and materials as the path itself, creating a living space that does not replace existing uses but rather reinforces them, even respecting the chairs that local residents had spontaneously placed in the most pleasant spots.

The project received a special mention at the COACV Awards (2025) in the Urban Planning and Landscape category and was awarded a prize at the 17th Spanish Architecture Biennial.