Multipurpose Social Center Opens in Muimenta as Part of Rural Revitalization Project

A new multipurpose social center has been inaugurated in Muimenta, a rural village in Carballeda de Avia, Ourense, Spain. The project was commissioned by the Concello de Carballeda de Avia as part of a broader initiative to revitalize the Model Village of Muimenta, which has been experiencing depopulation. The architectural team responsible for the design consists of Daniel Gómez Magide, Eduardo Dipre Mazza, and Miguel Ángel Díaz González. The center aims to reactivate the rural community by restoring adjacent productive lands and rehabilitating existing structures. The facility is located on a plot at the highest point of the village, directly above the church, and integrates into a series of prior interventions that include communal kitchens, laundry facilities, temporary public lodging, and urban improvements. The program includes three flexible spaces intended for community activities, celebrations, a small day center, and workshops for local entrepreneurs. The design approach preserves the site's topography and traditional Galician terracing known as 'socalcos.' A key element involves restoring a house that was destroyed by fires in 2018, converting it into two levels for work, talks, courses, exhibitions, and informal gatherings. An additional pavilion with a wooden structure and tile roof was constructed on an intermediate terrace, activating the green space and serving as an entrance. The project also conserves heritage elements on the property, including a granary, a well-laundry, and perimeter walls. Minor urbanization works and pathway connections were completed using materials found on-site. The construction was managed by Diego Rodríguez Val, with Barbas Grupo Empresarial S.L. as the contractor. The built area covers 214.20 square meters, with 285 square meters of urbanized space, at a project budget of €340,021.35. Photographs of the project were taken by Luis Díaz Díaz.