ALONSO HERNANDEZ & ASOCIADOS ARQUITECTURA SOCIEDAD LIMITADA

Their core work

AH Asociados is a Spanish architecture and design firm specialising in building renovation and energy-efficient construction, operating primarily in Pamplona and the broader Navarra region. In EU projects, they contribute architectural design expertise, building information modelling (BIM), and hands-on knowledge of prefabricated renovation systems — translating research into practical construction workflows. Their more recent work extends from individual buildings to entire districts, where they contribute architectural and community-facing expertise to positive energy neighbourhood initiatives. They bring the practitioner's perspective that larger research consortia often lack: what it actually takes to renovate a building on site, on budget, and within planning constraints.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their first H2020 project (IMPRESS, 2015–2019), AH Asociados focused squarely on the technical and industrial side of renovation — prefabricated modules, BIM workflows, and the practicalities of installing energy upgrades on existing buildings. By their second project (oPEN Lab, 2021–2026), the focus had shifted considerably toward the community and systems level: positive energy neighbourhoods, living labs, and open innovation processes that engage residents and local actors. This trajectory suggests the firm is broadening from pure architectural execution toward a hybrid role that combines design expertise with community-facing innovation facilitation at district scale.

AH Asociados is moving toward district-scale energy transition projects that require both architectural know-how and community engagement skills — making them a practical partner for Positive Energy District (PED) initiatives under Horizon Europe.

How they like to work

AH Asociados has participated in all projects as a consortium partner, never as coordinator, which is typical for a small architecture practice embedding practical design expertise into larger research consortia. Despite their small size, they have accumulated 50 unique partners across 13 countries over just two projects — suggesting they were embedded in large, ambitious consortia rather than tight-knit small teams. This indicates they are accustomed to operating within complex multi-partner environments and contributing a defined, specialist role rather than driving project governance.

With 50 unique consortium partners across 13 countries from only two projects, AH Asociados has a surprisingly broad European network for their size, reflecting the large consortia typical of Innovation Actions in the building renovation space. Their partnerships likely span research institutes, municipalities, energy agencies, and technology providers across Southern and Northern Europe.

What sets them apart

AH Asociados occupies a rare niche as a practising architecture SME — not a research institute, not a consultancy — that participates directly in EU-funded innovation projects. This gives them credibility both on the research side (peer-reviewed project deliverables) and on the implementation side (real buildings, real planning systems, real construction constraints in Spain). For consortia designing building renovation solutions that need to work in practice, not just on paper, an architecture firm that has already been inside two major EU projects is a valuable grounding voice.

Highlights from their portfolio

• oPEN Lab
  Their largest funded project (€650,759 EC contribution, running to 2026) and a flagship EU initiative for positive energy neighbourhoods, placing AH Asociados at the intersection of architecture, community innovation, and district-level energy transition.
• IMPRESS
  An early Innovation Action targeting industrialised prefabricated renovation — a technically demanding area where architectural design firms rarely appear, signalling genuine construction-side expertise beyond typical research participation.