Si bien podemos afirmar que el hecho arquitectónico no es mera construcción ni mera función, tampoco radica únicamente en la poética que expresa como arte. Por más disímiles que puedan ser las posturas ante la arquitectura en la actualidad, existe algo irrefutable: es una actividad exclusivamente humana, creada por y para el hombre, y por ende, sería imposible desvincularla del hecho social. Desde esa dimensión social y para dar respuesta a una inquietud personal, tomé como caso de estudio una comunidad real, con miras a descubrir lo que a mi parecer podría ser la esencia del hacer arquitectónico. It can be stated that a built environment is not mere construction or mere function, nevertheless, it doesn’t rely on the aesthetical meaning only. There may be dissimilar opinions towards architecture nowadays, but something is irrefutable: it is essentially a human activity, created by and for man, and therefore, it’d be impossible to disassociate the social fact from the architectural activity. From this social stand and to find answers to a personal concern, I took as a case study a real community with substantial needs, in order to discover what I believe may be the essence of architectural duty.
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mercado textil+intervención plaza textile market+plaza intervention Gavidia, Mérida, Venezuela
2011
architecture degree project
Las Mujeres Tejedoras de Gavidia conforman un grupo dedicado al oficio del tejido tradicional andino-venezolano, carecen de una sede propia, y ésto se ha hecho cada vez más demandante. Las Mujeres Tejedoras de Gavidia (Gavidia’s Knitters) is an association dedicated to the craft of knitting, using traditional Andean Venezuelan techniques. The lack of its own headquarters with proper facilities has become an urgent issue.
La elaboración de este tipo de artesanía no solo representa una actividad económica para las tejedoras, también incentiva el rescate de una tradición. The development of this type of craft is not only an economic activity for the weavers, it also encourages the rescue of a tradition.
Las mujeres tejedoras se capacitaron no solo en lo referente a la elaboración de los tejidos, sino en todo el proceso de obtención de la lana, desde la cría de especies ovinas laneras hasta el producto final. Las instalaciones para su actividad deben tener el cuenta la totalidad del proceso. The knitters are trained not only for the weaving craft, but throughout the process of getting the wool from the sheep upto the final product. Therefore, facilities for this activity must consider the whole process.
Otro factor a tener en consideración es el carácter del lugar donde se encuentra éste grupo de tejedoras. Gavidia es un asentamiento rural enmarcado en la inmensidad de un valle del páramo andino merideño. Another fact to consider is the nature of the place where this group of knitters belong. Gavidia is a rural village framed in the vastness of a valley of Mérida’s Andean mountain chain.
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north day wind
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3.300 m.s.n.m.
Temperature
6,5° C average
Rainfall
600 m.m./year
Extention of the 1.190 Ha. aprox. Valley
Just like a valley is shaped by the erosion of water courses and air masses; the layers of the plaza are shaped by human flows.
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Altitude
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Se propone el diseño de un mercado textil, y la intervención de la plaza de Gavidia, estableciendo como criterios básicos el dinamismo, la apertura, la flexibilidad y la inclusión. Se emplea como concepción arquitectónica la analogía estructural al tejido, a través de la reinterpretación de ciertos valores en la tradición constructiva local. The proposal includes a textile market, and the intervention of the village Plaza, establishing as basic parameters: dynamism, openness, flexibility and inclusion. A structural analogy of the knitting process is displayed throughout the spaces, guiding the visitor along a path that displays the traditional endeavor, as well as the beauty of the landscape.
La energía no es solo un concepto físico, es la fuente de todo movimiento, puede llegar a ser incluso, un pensamiento colectivo capaz de generar consciencia en la cultura humana. ENERGY + es una propuesta basada en el concepto de la energía como un TODO, como pensamiento colectivo y como recurso ecológico. Energy is not only a physical concept, is the source of all movement, it can be even a collective thought capable of generating awareness in human culture. Humanity has been experiencing an unbalanced reality, encouraging situations that generate chaos all over. It is now time for balance. ENERGY+ is a proposal based on the concept of Energy as a whole, as collective thought and as an ecological resource.
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Energy+ Energy+ Freshkills Park, New York City, USA
2012
landscape design
*autoría compartida/shared authorship
Catroit Studio
The diversity of Fresh Kills allows anyone to relate to it emotionally, because it contains the values and scales from the international New York and the tradition from the conservative Staten Island, within a landscape that has survived the natural processes and transformations along the centuries. This background makes us think of culture. We can describe culture as a fusion of genetic, geographic, economic and philosophical factors acting in parallel at the same space. The balanced combination of these four generates the perfect energy of collective thought. Therefore ENERGY+ sets out the beginning of human consciousness, expressed by culture throughout its four factors interpreted as Earth and its origin, race-man and its action on the ground, economic interests and ecologic awareness. Permeable films that flow throughout the landscape adapting themselves to the sinuous topography, describe along the path, the process of evolution expressed by the energy of consciousness coming out from the origin to the chaos, and finally restored when reaching to equilibrium. ENERGY+ represents human’s mark on earth, and how energy can be transformed to balance our reality.
An emergency situation is usually declared whenever there is a considerable amount of population either affected or in risk. Globally, there are over 35 million people affected by mental illnesses involving memory loss (such as the different types of dementia), which not only affects the one who suffers it, but his/her loved ones. Therefore it’s not a punctual event that causes a great damage, it is an alarming reality that claims for special attention, it’s a latent emergency. As is true for degenerative illnesses, at these kinds of affections, the structures of the brain get injure progressively, having a negative bearing on the life quality of the affected ones. Nevertheless, the stimulation of the patient’s memory improves his/her condition, avoiding the rapid advance of the affection and prolonging the periods of wellness, and therefore improving their life quality.
Unidad de Auto-Reconocimiento SRU Self-Recognize Unit Concepto desarrollado para el Concurso/ Concept developed for the contest ‘Design for Emergency’
2012
Based on the positive response achieved by initiatives such as “The IPod Project� (which focuses on the stimulation through music), the proposal aims to offer a space capable of reminding the basic information a person needs to recognize him/herself as an individual, within a comfortable spot that will remind them who they are and what they love through an audiovisual experience. The proposal aims to offer a space capable of reminding the basic information a person needs to recognize him/herself as an individual, within a comfortable spot that will remind them who they are and what they love through an audiovisual experience.
campus park
¨waterless world¨ illustration
interior design
concept sketch
chalet
¨mano¨
pencil sketch
¨América se expresa diseñando¨. illustration
cartboard/ aluminum model neomundo public intervention
architecture
casa AG
architecture
textile market polyethylene & acrylic model
freshkill park intervention
landscape design
casa los cortijos
constructive details design neomundo public intervention
SRU unit
concept sketch Bhuddist Center architecture/ landscape design
office building
gate/public furniture design
4
work samples
polyethylene & acrylic model public Intervention
hill topography cork model
casa OSB architecture/ technical drawings
cartboard model
casa monta単a
textile market & plaza intervention
car dealer
structure design
degree project concept model
concept drawings
architecture
polyethylene & acrylic model public Intervention
casa los cortijos
textile market & plaza intervention
landscape design/ architecture
illustration
commutiny center
architecture/ structure design
building office
entrance pergola structure design
interior design
casa magnolia
product design SRU unit
technical drawing
casa OSB