aksel alvarez cv + portfolio

AKSEL ALVAREZArchitect

[email protected]+49 (0) - 1577.874.32.65

RESUME PORTFOLIO

RESUME

1

CV - Aksel Alvarez - P.01

July 2006 - July 2007

Studies to MsC in Architecture History, Theory and CriticsCritic dissertations on architecture history and theory, then developing studies on architectureÊs historiography

Universidad de Los AndesMérida.- Venezuela

Member of the third cohort / complete schooling / The final job grade has not been submitted yet

ISCED 7

Mar. 1999 - Dec. 2004

Architect Magna Cum Laude graduate honors

Publication honors on graduate dissertation: „Public Space and Street Vendors on MeridaÊs Down Town‰, a research on conditions of street occupation by informal vendors and possible inclussion forms that develop public space quality and people participation / Formation on projects area, also in structural design, construction processes, traditional presentation techniques and architecture history as more relevant study fields.

Architecture & Art Faculty / Universidad de Los AndesMérida.- Venezuela

‰Luis Maria Ribas Davila‰ Order to the Most High Academic Performance on 2001 and 2003

ISCED 6

Name / Surname:

Aksel Alvarez

Adress:

Brahms Straße 6

Baden - Wurtemberg

68165 Mannheim

Deustchland

Telephone:

+49 (0) 1577 - 874.32.65

Email:

[email protected]

Nationalities:

Spanish and Venezuelan

Date of Birth:21.09.1981

Gender:Male

On the Web:

LinkedIn Profile

http://ve.linkedin.com/pub/aksel-alvarez/

Online Portfolio:http://www.behance.net/akselalvarez (in construction)

Issuu publications:

http://www.issuu.com/akselalvarez

Flickr Gallery:

http://www.fl ickr.com/photos/akselalvarez

Individual blog:

http://my.opera.com/aksel

Collective blog:

http://missarchitecture.wordpress.com

EDUCATIONDates

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EXPERIENCEDec. 2009 - Jun. 2010

Main National Development Director of Housing & Habitat National wide social housing projects coordination and development / Research and development on social housing prototypes / Project managment and control / Coordination of deputy minister special assignements

Public Works & Housing Department, Las Mercedes main avenue w/ Orinoco street, CONAVI Building, Caracas.- Venezuela 1052-A

Public / National goverment

Apr. 2009 - Dec. 2009

Deputy Project ManagerProject management and supervision, running over 50 works around the country with an approximate budget of 30 mill. USD / Manage public contracts and competitions / Develop architecture projects and draftlines for further projects

Grupo Padiper, C.A., Bello Monte main avenue, Bello Monte Commercial Center building 8th floor, 8-C / 8-D offices. Caracas.- Venezuela 1052-A

Private / Construction

Feb. 2009 - Apr. 2009

Architect Junior2009 National Housing Plan supervison & coordination in VenezuelaÊs south region / Rural coast housing prototypes development

Planning & Development of Housing and Habitat Deputy Minister, Las Mercedes main avenue w/ Orinoco street, CONAVI Building, Caracas.- Venezuela 1052-A

Public / National goverment

Apr. 2008 - Feb. 2009

ArchitectDeveloping of documentation from commercial, institutional building projects / Construction documentation coordination and management / Supervision of building codes fulfiling / Supervision on general office affairs like inventory, suppliers, manteinance and others

Lasala y Lasala Arquitectura, S.A. Bello Monte main avenue, Bello Monte Commercial Center building 8th floor, 8-C / 8-D offices. Caracas.- Venezuela 1052-A

Private / Architecture and Plan

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Dec. 2007 - Apr. 2008

Plan & Construction Manager Pediatric Hospital refurbishment project coordinator, gross area 1.200 m2 and 2.5$ million budget. Responsibilities ranged from a survey of

the existing building, project development, coordination and supervision of the execution of civil works, relationship with the contractor and

administrative work

Constructores & Electromecánicos MWR, C.A. Lomas de la Esmeralda, Block G Chalet 51, San Diego, Carabobo State.- Venezuela

Private / Public Building and works

Aug. 2007 - Feb. 2008

Partner ArchitectIn association with Arch. Diana Garrido, the most relevant projects

achieved were: South General Cementery Rehabiltation in Caracas, the works budget was 7.5 $ million. Mother Candelaria de San Jose

Sanctuary in Altagracia de Orituco, Guárico State, Venezuela, total gross area aproximatedly of 1,5 Ha. works budget was 1.75 $ million

Circuitos Urbanos, C.A. Urb. Las Acacias, María Teresa Toro Avenue, cross of Cuba and Centroamérica streets, Quinta Carmencita #3 1030,

Caracas.- Venezuela

Private / Architecture and Planning

Oct. 2005 - July 2007

TeacherLecturer on Projects I, II and IV and in the theory seminar „The Public

and Private on Architecture and Urbanism‰, jury in the semesterÊs final works presentation and graduate work presentations

Architecture & Arts Faculty, ULA. Pedro Rincón Gutiérrez campus at La Hechicera, FADULA building, 5101 Merida.- Venezuela

Public / University education

Jan. 2005 - Sep. 2005

ArchitectEngaded on coordination and supervision of project and works

development, including deep rehabilitations and new buildings. More representatives works were Bolivarian Dome, multiporpuose pavillion,

gross area: 6.000 m2, works budget 5$ million, execution schedule 6 months. Bolivarian Forum, cultural center, 1.200 m2 gross area, budget of

1.2$ million, execution schedule 18 months

Trujillo State Autonomous Sport Service - National Sport Games Andes 2005, Urb. La Plata main avenue, „Luis Loreto Lira‰ Sport Complex,

Valera.- Venezuela

Public Government

Aug. 2003 - Sep. 2003

InternEngaged on Chacao Vertical Gym, Jesus Obrero University and Max

ProthecthÊs House projects development. Also work on diverse activities relatives to „Caracas Case and the Informal City Culture‰ exposition,

with the support of the Kulturstiftung des Bundes

Urban Think Tank - K2P Architects, EASO building, office 4l, Francisco de Miranda avenue, 1050, Caracas.- Venezuela

Private / Architecture and Plan

Mar. 2001 - Dec. 2004

ProfessorÊs AssistantAssistant to classic architecture cathedra lectureship

Architecture & Arts Faculty, ULA. Pedro Rincón Gutiérrez campus at La Hechicera, FADULA building, 5101 Merida.- Venezuela

Public / Univesity Education

2000 - 2006

DraftsmanDeveloped 2D & 3D drawings and models on architecture, restoration

and urbanism projects

Freelance

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OTHER ACTIVITIES

LECTURES

1999 - 2001StudentÊs Delegate for Cultural AffairsResponsible to organize the best student works exposition, every semester end. Engaded on organization of two symposium called „LetÊs Talk About Architecture‰ with the participation of renowned architects from Venezuela and Colombia, including David Gouverneur, Juan Carlos Pérgolis, Silvia Arango and others

2001 - 2003President of StudentÊs AssociationWorked with a team of 24 students, each two responsibles for an especific activity (sports, culture, finance, claims and others) and in collaboration with all departamental students delegates, student delegates on Faculty Council and other University levels as University Council

2001 - 2003

StudentÊs Delegate on University CouncilElected member of the most high council of the university, where were three students, main university authorities, delegate proffesors and goverment representatives. That council focuses on general and particular university matters as buget, academic programs and major student claims as grants, healthcare or transport.

2005 - 2006

Radio AnnouncerRan with Simón Rodríguez a radio show in a Comunity Radio located in a slum in Mérida, Venezuela. in that radio show were treated political, social and topical. Along with various activities of social organization and attention to the comunity

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2003

XX Latin-American Architecture Students MeetingMaracaibo, Venezuela

Fragmented Landscape - Non Referenced

Dissertation about the contradictory conditions of architectural practice from a student viewpoint, especially on Cultural Identity in a region as Latin-America, where positive ideals are referred to Eurocentric models, ignoring local conditions as negative and/or underdeveloped. Then success consists in being aware of oneÊs identity elements and blending them with elements and external experiences into something new

2005

Architectural Instruments SymposiumMérida, Venezuela

Architecture as Political Artifact

The use of architecture in politics and its relationship with power and representation is a well known argument, but the use of architecture to create political conditions (understanding politics as a organizational process) is not explored at all. The main idea of this lecture is that is possible to create on society through architecture „politics / organizative‰ effects, to give structure to the Public Opinion and making easy to develop it. An urgent subject on venezuelan society

2007

V CEISAL Latinamericanist Association MeetingBrussels, Belgium

Informal Commerce and Revitalization of Public Space

Street vendors in Venezuela are highly extended, official data estimates the Informal Commerce is a 50% of total economic activity. There are many forms, street vendors sells a vast variety of products, from cloths until food. As it name indicates the street vendors are located directly on street without major regulation, strangulating the streets and publics spaces, remaining only paths for pedestrians and cars. The lecture expose some of that issues and present a serie of explorations made up with students from Projects II and IV in Architecture and Art Faculty in Merida, Venezuela. The basic aproach is to take advantage of abandoned lots use as parkings or deposits, in Merida historic center, thru its develope as public squares, that are mixes of institutional basic equipments as libraries, free space and commercial space adapted to specific requeriments of street vendors

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SKILLSProficiency: Full

Proficiency: High

Proficiency: Meddium

Proficiency: Basics

Proficiency: Basics

Proficiency: Full

Proficiency: Full

Proficiency: High

Proficiency: High

Proficiency: Medium

Proficiency: Medium

Proficiency: High

Proficiency: Basics

Proficiency: Full

Proficiency: Full

Proficiency: High

Proficiency: Medium

Proficiency: Basics

LANGUAGE

Proficiency: High

Proficiency: High

Proficiency: Full

Proficiency: High

Proficiency: Full

Proficiency: Basics

Proficiency: Basics

Proficiency: Basics

Proficiency: Basics

Autocad from R12 until 2011

Vector Works from v7 (Minicad) until v11 (user until 2003)

Cinema 4D from 7 until 11

3D Studio Max v9

Rhino v4 + Grasshopper

SketchUp v5

Bryce 3D

Photoshop until CS4

Illustrator until CS4

InDesing until CS5

Premiere until CS2

Encore until CS2

Flash until v8

MS Word

MS PowerPoint

MS Excel

MS Outlook

Ms Project

CAD Sofware

3D Modelling and Rendering

Adobe Suite

Microsoft Suite (until version 2010)

Mother Toungue

First Language

Second Language(Completing the Level A 2.2. at Mannheim Universität)

Spanish

English

Speaking

Listening

Reading

Writing

German

Speaking

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PORTFOLIO

2

Po - Aksel Alvarez - P.01

PROJECT 001

Project Data

2009 - 2010

Project:

Prototypes Development for National Housing and Habitat Plan

Client / Kind of Project:Ministery for Public Works and Housing / Government

Budget:55.000 $ / House Unit

Area:70 m2 max. per House Unit

Schedule:1 year - Design phase

Team:Diosdado Cabello - MinisterUlianov Niño - Deputy MinisterAksel Alvarez - Main DirectorErnesto Meléndez - Prototype Coord.Juan J. Núñez - Engineering Coord.Javier Lemoine - Urban Design Coord.Eduardo Carrera - Urban Projects Coord.Luís de Aguiar - Special Projects Coord.Víctor Hernández - Geological Coord.Catherine Carías - Infraestructure Coord.Deifilia Alvarez - Project Analisys Coord.María E. Navas - Comunnity Att. Coord.

Position held on Project:Main Director

Responsibilities:Coordinate activities and projects following the instructions and goals established by the Deputy Minister and Minister. Develop the proto-types projects and Masterplans for Housing Developments according to the National Housing Plan

Ubication:

Venezuela

Entire Country2010 estimation: over 180 developments, that represents aproximatedly 70.000 houses


Top:Left: fl oor plan from Prototype VRU-001 (for Single Family Rural House in Spanish)

Right: longitudinal section from Prototype VRU-001

Center:Left: Render image from VRU-001. Credit: MOPVI

Right: Longitudinal section from Prototype VUU-001 (for Single Family Urban House in Spanish)

Bottom:Left: Lower fl oor plan from Prototype VUU-001

Rigth: Render image from street view of VUU-001. Credit: Aksel Alvarez

Render image: MOPVI

Ren

der

imag

e: A

ksel

Alv

arez


PROJECT 001

Top Left: Aerial view from a block based on Prototypes VUM-003 (for Multifam-ily House Building in Spanish) note the proportion between open and closed spaces. / Left: Floor plan of House Floor of prototype VUM-003. Each apartment have 3 rooms, 2 bathrooms, service and 1 Kitchen-Dinningroom. The center of the building have a “Patio” that functions as natural source of ventilation and illumina-tion and to concentrate the vertical circula-tion / Bottom Left: General view from the inner square. / Top Right: A general view from the street. The inclusion of trees and urban equipment is an important point of the proposal, all the elements are integrat-ed to a modular net that searches for the integration of the elements from design, trough the construction, to the urban plan-ning. / Right: Two views of VUM-003 iso-lated unit. All the buildings are conceibed to have a low manteinance, be builded with a relative lowtech but industrialized elements, and to respond as most as pos-

sible to the weather conditions in Venezu-ela, that have huge changes due to geo-graphic conditions. / Bottom Right: Plan Floor of VMP-001, that shows how strait is the scheme due the slope of the proposed sites. These buildings are designed to be robust and simple, theres only the basic in-stallations and sistems, all ventilation and lighting is natural. Its important to note that the standard family in Venezuela is composed by 5.4 persons, so the Bedrooms are key pieces in the designs considered.

Render image: Aksel Alvarez



Render image: Aksel Alvarez Render image: Aksel Alvarez



PROJECT 002

Project Data

Budget:n/d

Area:107.000 m2 aprox.

Schedule:2 years - Design phase (from basic schemes to complete construction documentation)

Team:Lasala Arquitectura S.A. / Lasala y

Lasala Arquitectos Web page: http://lasalaylasala.netIsabel Lasala - DirectorAna Lasala - DirectorSilvia Hernández de Lasala - Hist. Adv.

Eduardo Kairuz - Advisor

Team (2008-2009):Aksel Alvarez - ArchitectSilvia Caradona - ArchitectFernando Lara - ArchitectMariana Lugo - ArchitectClara Guerrero - Secretary

Position held on Project:Junior Architect

Responsibilities:Develop project plans and schemes following the project mainlines. Mainly involve on development of technical services and coordina-tion with engeneering specialist consultants.

The „Fuerte Tiuna‰ (Tiuna Fortress, „Tiuna‰ is the name of an important Indian chief in Venezuela) is the ma-jor military facility in Caracas and one of the biggest in Venezuela. There are the Defense Ministery, major administrative facilities re-lated to Military, the Independence Monument, the Military Academy and other important facilities.Due to the natural behavior of the Military in Venezuela, they use to have their own Hotels and lodge-ment installations, as well their own recreative facilities. These facili-ties are called „Círculos Militares‰ (Military Circles) and are grouped in a foundation, that wants to trans-form the image and the insight of the foundation and military men. So, thereÊs take place on 2007 an architectural competion of ideas to develop a new group of buildings that enhance the capacities of the current Hotel in operation and archi-tecturally speaking.Is important to note that the cur-rent complex was designed by one of the most relevant architetcs of Venezuela, Luís Malaussena. His design implies more than the build-ings, he designed the complete urban scheme of the zone, includ-ing the Indepence Monument, the major military facilities and the sur-rounding housing area. So, all these complex is included in the National Heritage listings, and is considered as a master piece of Modern Archi-tecture in Venezuela. The key ele-ment in the Hotel complex is a huge Ballroom, known as „Salón Venezu-ela‰ (Venezuela Hall).The proposed site is visually linked to „Salón Venezuela‰ and is in the interstice between one hill and the relative high mountains that sepa-rate „Fuerte Tiuna‰ and the sor-rounding city, near to a little artificial lake used as park.The program ask for a five stars Hotel with, at least, 300 rooms ori-ented to urban users like politicians, Businessmen, militaries, and per-sonalities. This Hotel will house an Concert Hall to 3.000 spectators.The project takes advantage of the topographic and scenery conditions. By one hand the Concert Hall is in-serted in the Mountains, exploiting the site conditions to isolate the hall, creating a huge Plaza behind the rooms block that serves as roof to a space that functions as container of public activities, segregating the public access to the hall and the HotelÊs Guests, but keeping them connected.All the administrative and service areas are hidden to the public sight, achieving a major connection with landscape.At the Plaza level is located the Pool and some restaurants. This level marks the transition between ser-vice and public levels to the rooms sector. And serves to stablish, in a visual level, the Building scaleÊs.The HotelÊs most visible element is the rooms block. ItÊs conceived as a reinterpretation of the language elements used by Malaussena in the original hotel complex. This ex-pression doesnÊt consist on formal exuberances, but in the scale and dimensions.The proposal seeks to produce a strong landscape element, that have emphasizes the scale and character of the Mountains, and respect the language elements of the existing buildings.

2008 - 2009

Project:

IACFA Hotel

Client / Kind of Project:Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA) + Instituto Autónomo Círculo de la FANB / Government

Ubication:

Venezuela

Caracas


Opposite Page Top: Floor Plan rooms level, it’s possible to view the Plaza over the Concert Hall and Pool located at the top of the hill, connected to the main building by a bridge that have several recreational facilities. / Op-posite Page Bottom: technical level and main Concert Hall level. The sorrounding spaces of the Concert Hall are

conceived as a continium that can allow diverse public and recreational activities connected or not to the main use of the Concert Hall. / This Page Top: view at Pool level that allows to appreciate the Plaza situated over the Concert Hall, the bridge and the Rooms block. / Middle: section of the building showing the Concert Hall main axis

and the spacial organization of the complex. / Bottom: view at the Reception level, this level connect the Concert Hall and the Hotel to the public access. Between the Plaza and Reception levels are the Multifunctional rooms and other services.




PROJECT 003

Project Data

Budget:5.582.000 $ aprox.

Area:44.000 m2 aprox. functional areas + 8.000 m2 aprox. Public Plaza

Schedule:d/a

Team:Lasala Arquitectura S.A. / Lasala y Lasala Arquitectos Web page: http://lasalaylasala.netIsabel Lasala - DirectorAna Lasala - DirectorSilvia Hernández de Lasala - Hist. Adv. Eduardo Kairuz - AdvisorTeam (2008-2009):Aksel Alvarez - ArchitectSilvia Caradona - ArchitectFernando Lara - ArchitectMariana Lugo - ArchitectClara Guerrero - Secretary

Position held on Project:Junior Architect

Responsibilities:Develop of building sections. Coor-dinate of floor plans development.

2008

Project:

La Alameda Commercial Center

Client / Kind of Project:Central Madeirense C.A. / Private

Caracas, VenezuelaÊs Capital, is a city with an accidented Topogra-phy characterized by Mountains and Hills that take form to smaller valleys like refuges in the middle of the city. One of the areas is „La Al-ameda‰, situated in the Southeast between „Colinas de Bello Monte‰ and „Prados del Este‰ highway. From early 2000 was developed a series of private neighbourhoods, habitated at most by young and rich people, that urbanization process is based in apartment condos with luxury finishes and other elements of a priviledged life, but in fact all of these urban developments have a lack of urban equipment like Super-markets, Restaurants, Cinemas or Public Parks. All of that equippment are accesible via Auto in other City places.From late 70Ês a large national chain of Supermarkets, called „Central Madeirense‰, owns a relative big terrain in the middle of the zone. In that time was supposed that zone becomes a strategic ubication to fu-ture logistic facilities, due to its posi-tion in the City. But with time that place transforms from a undevel-oped periferic zone to a fancy high income residence zone.Is important to note that „Central Madeirense‰ is a Family Company and is ruled from 50Ês by the found-ers and their sons. These super-market company is dedicated to a popular, even lowcost approach, associated to their cultural refer-ence as portuguese people, deeply fixed in the venezuelan culture as merchants. Now the original found-ers are Old Mans that are laying the bussines on their sons, men around 35 to 45 years old.They have more interest in more high income market, due the char-acteristics of venezuelan market, in particular the low-income market is ruled by government and its com-mercial branchs.Due to this generational change and the new conditions of site is proposed to develop a Supermarket that combines office uses and com-mercial/recreational functions in the programm.In one hand, searches for expand

Upper: two views of the Plaza showing the integrations of greenery and activities in this space. The building allow a complete integration between the two levels of the street and creates a organically integrated public space with the commercial functions. / Inferior: the rising volumes are distributed to create an inner space and delimitate the dimensions but without separating the building from its surroundings. The large offi ce building situ-ated on west side serves as background to the Plaza and emphasizes the main connection between up and down levels of street. This Plaza works as a perfect siting to contemplate the valley that open below the Lot.

Ubication:

Venezuela

Caracas

Render image: Ana Lasala

Render image: Ana Lasala + Aksel Alvarez

Model: ˘lvaro Plaza / Photos & Photo Edition: Isabel Lasala + Aksel Alvarez


the companyÊs operations, in the other side looks for take advantage from a priviledged property, highly revalorized by time.From the architectural point of view represents a valuable opportunity to develop a building higly defined by its publics activities and em-placed in a really interesting urban lot. This lot have an irregular form, around 200 meters wide and 100 meters deep, with a vertical dif-ference of 15 meters. Also the lo-cal regulations establish that only underground is possible to occupy the 100% of the lot, from ground level is possible occupy only 50%, and the higher buildingÊs point canÊt be more than 10 meters from the highest terrainsÊs level.Taking this in mind the proposal consist on a buried building that completes the lotÊs topography with a public plaza accesible 24 hours. Under that plaza are de noisy and huge functions like the Market itself, parking and service areas, on the plaza are commercial places to locate restaurants and small stores. Above plaza level and in an independent building are the office spaces.This Plaza-roof (8.000m2 aprox.) is freely accesible and donÊt disturb

the buildingÊs normal funtions, even itÊs an added value to the ur-ban development that sorrounds the building, functioning as encoun-ter point for the isolated develop-ments.From a constructionÊs perspective this building can be easily con-structed using precast concrete elements, availables in VenezuelaÊs market. Other important aspect is digging, in a first sight seems to be really big, but estimated around 80.000m3, considering that build-ingÊs functional area is around 44.000m2, itÊs not so big at end.Natural light plays an important role, the separation between build-ing and terrain at back function as a light entry and natural ventilation space, even it have a strong pres-cence as vertical garden, allowing locate internal circulations and ter-races.The main vertical circulations are located in a tower at the East side, theres a ramp that communicate all commercial levels. This tower is highly transparent and functions as a light tube to introduce natural lighting in SupermarketÊs area.

Top Left: in the fi rst plane can see the vertical circulation tower with the ramp in its interior. Behind the tower its located the fi rst offi ce building, its roof is other plaza that is accesed at upper street level. Below this offi ces are the restaurants, that open to the main Plaza. / Top Right: another angle that shows the pedestrian main access in the left side of the circulation tower. The “piers” shown, are terraces that serve to the restaurants area, but are commercial locals that create connections between the plaza, or front, and the backyard, enhancing the spatial relations and directions. / Bottom: cross section that shows how functions the Plaza as connector between the different street levels. Most of the Market space have a variable section that is exploited in a functional and aesthetic sense.


PROJECT 004

Project Data

Budget:1.750.000 USD aprox.

Area:500 m2 Chapell area1.200 m2 Service Buildings area1,5 Ha Sanctuary area

Schedule:6 months (including construction phase)

Team:Circuitos Urbanos, C.A.

Diana Garrido- DirectorJuan Lugo - Contract ManagerMiguel A. Bartorila - Chief in ProjectAksel Alvarez - Architect Assoc.Mc Quae & Ass. - EngeneersHilarión Verde - Structural EngeneerAugusto Garrido - Theological Consultant

Position held on Project:Associated Architect

Responsibilities:Develop and supervision of archi-tecture and construction solutions. Integration of Art Works in building design. Coordination with engi-neers and consultants in construc-tion and equipments. Data and documentation management.

2007

Project:

Mother Candelaria of Saint Joseph Sanctuary

Client / Kind of Project:Guárico State Government + Venezuelan Catholic Church / Public / Religious

In April 2008 was programmed the beatification of Mother Candelaria of Saint Joseph, founder of the order of Carmelite Sisters in Venezuela. She is the second venezuelan that reach to catholic altars. Due to the significance of this, the venezuelan Catholic Church and Guárico StateÊs government, decided to build a sanctuary in the place were Mother Candelaria founded a Hospital in the early of 20th century. This place is a little hill located at the side of Ori-tuco river. The hill rises around 50 meters over the town, offering an excelent view of the Town and the surrounding valleys. In this place is located now a Care House ruled by the Carmelite Sisters Order, to facilitate education and atention to orphan girls.The actual buildings and installations are poor and bad constructed, but count with a great value: the nature. The Sisters have taken care in time of trees and vegetation, converting this hill in a magnific garden.The project was commissioned on september 2007 and required to be completed before april 2008. So the assignement was develop whole project, includind the Art Works, and its construction in 8 months. The programme was relative simple, in first place was the intallations and facilities to the sisters and girls, that consist in three buildings: the Sis-

Ubication:

Venezuela

Altagracia de Orituco / Guárico St.

Render image: Carlos Agell Sogbe



tersÊs residence, that includes the administrative facilities. The GirlsÊs place, that includes their rooms, the classrooms and the dining room. At last was the private chapel for the Sisters. The second group of facili-ties are those dedicated to serve to pilgrims, like public baths, access controls, hidratation points. These equippment was planned as little el-ements located in strategic points of the hill to minimize their presence. Finally are the sacred spaces, that are a open chapel in the place were Mother Candelaria builded with her own hands a little stone altar. The second, and the most relevant, is the Temple at the top of the hill.Due to the limitations on time, bud-get and construction technology available in the zone (Altagracia de Orituco is a small rural town with severe access limitations to heavy transport) the proposal focuses in develop a clear and construction ori-ented schemes, but avoiding loose the aesthetics relevance fo the proj-ect. Taking care about the symbolic and emotive charge of this kind of projects where called 6 venezuelan artists to produce unique works that are fully integrated in the buildings. Even was developed a documental investigation on the Carmelites Or-der, the figure of Mother Candelaria and the semiotic and symbolic ele-ments that have to be take in ac-count to develop the project.Other relevant aspect was the main-tenance. Due to the agressive ambi-ent in tropic and the lack of mainte-nance by the responsible institutions the most logic way to approach the characteristics and finishes of the building is to use the most resistent and basic building elements. So the choice was to build with traditional clay bricks, searching for a modest complex that functions as soport to the encounter of pilgrims with God, more focused in revealing the mag-nificent surrounding nature.The Temple consist in a brick box, where the light plays the most rel-evant role. This Temple can function in two ways, the first one is in its interior with an small group of pil-grims. The second one is to acco-modate big Pilgrimages, in this case the Temple opens two big wood doors that expand the interior space trough the Plaza located in front. In a more private way is located the crypt where the remains of Mother Candelaria. The connection be-tween the cult space and the crypt is in two ways: the first one is the functional, thereÊs a connection that allows pilgrims to walk from one space to another. The second is an ambience connection, the wall that separates both spaces is made with perforated blocks, in its interior are small colour glass pieces as stained glass.At the exterior is a big wall of per-forated bricks that hides the Tem-ple from the city and the pilgrims, whom have to climb at the hill top to discover the Temple. The final point of that climbing is the Belfry, with a high of 27 meters, around 77 meters above the town level, so itÊs like a Lighthouse in the middle of the landscape.Unfortunately the project was can-celed a few weeks after the start of construction for political reasons, and some voices called for a temple with a more classic style.



Opposite Page: General perspective from the river Orituco valley. Is possible to appreciate the Plaza in front of the Chapel, the “fi lterwall” between the Chapel and the Belfry, the balcony below the window in the Chapel, that Balcony is the exit from the Cript and guides the pilgrims to the Plaza and utilize the views availables. / Middle upper: general view of the Cript

space, at the extreme left can be seen the place to situate Mother Candelaria’s re-mains. / Middle down: cross section of the Chapel is possible to see the main rit-ual space at right, the cript at left, and the corridor that communicates the cript and the exterior at bottom. / Bottom: view of the main façade from Orituco River. All proportions and dimensions are linked to

the restriction of build with bricks and to symbolic meanings derived from the Theo-logical studies developed under the design process. / This Page Up: two views from the liturgical space, here the most relevant aspect was emphazise the peacefulness by the light and senses. / Bottom: main fl oor plan showing the disposition of the elements.


PROJECT 005

Project Data

Budget:7.500.000 USD aprox.

Area:First phase 2Ha aprox.

Schedule:18 months

Team:Diana Garrido Arquitecta

Diana Garrido- DirectorJuan Lugo - Contract ManagerJuan Gavidia - Botanic ConsultorAksel Alvarez - Architect Ass.Mc Quae & Ass. - Engeneers

Position held on Project:Architect Assistant

Responsibilities:Coordination with engineers and consultants in construction and equipments. Data and documenta-tion management.

2007

Project:

Caracas South General Cemetery

Client / Kind of Project:Caracas City Government / Public

The South General Cemetery of Ca-racas was opened in 1876, inspired in the French Style of that Time. In that moment, SGCoC was thought to be the only cemetery in Caracas, after the reorganization and closure of the small private cemeteries that normally functioned in Caracas at the end of XIX Century.After more than a Century and a quarter, the SGCoC remains open and active, but in really bad condi-tions and more ahead than its ca-pacity. Theres a lot of problems, principally related to maintenance, infrastructure, planning and land-scape.This Cemetery has an important col-lection of Funeral Sculpture, there are sculptures from important ate-liers from France, Italy and Venezu-ela. Also are important venezuelan figures buried there, like President Cipriano Castro or Rufino Blanco Fombona. Its Area is about 290 Ha but only a half can be occupied, due to the abrupt Topography and the fact that shares its area with the Metropolitan Park „Vicente Emilio Sojo‰.This Cemetery is part of the col-lective imaginarium in many ways, obviously the presence of monu-ments and historical figures, also the cemetery was part of recent facts, the most important is the social revolt known as „Caracazo‰, many of victims were buried in graves, that are remenbered every year in mass rallies.So, is possible to imagine this cem-etery in a historical sense and as a monument close related to popular emotions.The Cemetery conditions, in 2007, were chaotics in all senses. All the infrastructure were collapsed, there were no water pipelines function-ing, even public illumination sys-tems or waste manage systems. Including the funeral service, wich should be closed due to the lack of space and conditions.In a first instance were developed a consultancy report, to stablish pri-orities and to identify problems, the result of that Report was a series of recommendations in different fields like: infrastructure redevelop-ment, legislation, waste manage-ment, Community involvement, Landscape, Monuments restora-tion and other fields. As an Excecu-tive Action Plan were proposed 11 works, most of them related to in-frastructure but two of them have are focused on the Cemetery en-trance and the first stage of inner Boulevard.This two projects are called to be showcases of the pretended image to the full rehabilitation of the Cem-etery. But they count with a very limited budget and the restrictions of project „BusCaracas‰, a trans-portation system to be implanted in the city.So the aproximation is very dis-creet, merely based in redevelop and adapt the existing spaces to new standars of quality and ac-cesibility. Also knowing that the major problem in Venzuela is main-tenance, the proposal takes care about the use of elements, materi-als and equipments with low main-tenance and low tech.Even this limitation implies the use of a relative simple scheme of modular systems. The basic unit was the paving stone. Using differ-ent models is achieved a system that includes reference systems

Ubication:

Venezuela

Caracas


to handicaped people, an organized system to public illumination and waste disposal. The main objetive is to regularize the general image of the spaces, seriously abandoned for years, with this regularization is pos-sible to initiate the recuperation of tombs zones in a planned and siste-matic way.More than the budget, the Old Trees were a serious limitation. In GSCoC are a magnific collection of Trees, some were planted during the years, others are native trees that stand here for more than a century.Taking this in mind was made a General Inventory in about 34 Ha to identify and diagnose all the trees, also the infrastructure and a basic inventory of tombs. In the making of that task were revealed a lot of de-tails and curiosities about the trees an its relations with tombs and inter-ventions over the years.All the interventions were planned avoiding innecessary trees sacrific-es. Also was developed a Fitosani-tary rehab plan. New species were included to enhance the original landscape intentions and to revalo-rize the existing structure like the Monumental Chapel, which origi-nalÊs Garden was destroyed to gave place to a parking lot.Finally, was developed a discreet scheme, that searches for the dig-nification of a space and its users that was abandoned for many years. Maybe simple things like the public illumination system or the rain dre-nage system, are more important in the regular life than „eye candies‰, which can be implemented with time.

Opposite Page: conditions of cemetery in 2007, is evident the lack of maintenance and the poor aesthetic conditions of the Ac-cess, also is relevant the presence of trees and vegetation. / This page: serie of ren-der images from the proposal for the access zone. The major elements are the Plaza at the center as a part of “BusCaracas” and the inclusion of urban furniture elements, also the enhanced presence of greenery and the monumentalization of the existing trees.

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