Domestic and technical building types in the early Gasteiz (Basque Country) in the 8th-12th centuries

This paper provides a summary of the development of architecture and built spaces in the largest urban centre in the Basque Country in the early middle ages. Of the many aspects that make up the signifiers and significances of the domestic universe, this paper only approaches the material aspect; that is, its spatial layout and building techniques. Four models that succeed each other are documented: separate domestic spaces, more compact domestic spaces, the unitary house and storeyed house. It also warns against the danger of abusive generalizations caused by flat, static images of the medieval domestic universe.