RESUME
PORTFOLIO
AKSEL ALVAREZ Architect
akselalvarez@gmail.com +49 (0) - 1577.874.32.65
1 RESUME
EDUCATION Dates Title of qualification awarded Principal subjects / occupational skills covered
Additional
Member of the third cohort / complete schooling / The final job grade has not been submitted yet
Title of qualification awarded Principal subjects / occupational skills covered
Adress: Brahms Straße 6 Baden - Wurtemberg 68165 Mannheim Deustchland Telephone: +49 (0) 1577 - 874.32.65 Email: akselalvarez@gmail.com Nationalities: Spanish and Venezuelan Date of Birth: 21.09.1981 Gender: Male
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.flickr.com/ photos/akselalvarez Individual blog: http://my.opera.com/aksel
http://missarchitecture. wordpress.com
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 Andes Mérida.- Venezuela
Additional
‰Luis Maria Ribas Davila‰ Order to the Most High Academic Performance on 2001 and 2003
Level in international classification
ISCED 6
EXPERIENCE Dates Occupation or position held
Dec. 2009 - Jun. 2010
Main National Development Director of Housing & Habitat
Main activities and responsabilities 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 Name and adress of employer Public Works & Housing Department, Las Mercedes main avenue w/ Orinoco street, CONAVI Building, Caracas.- Venezuela 1052-A Type of bussines or sector Public / National goverment
Occupation or position held
Apr. 2009 - Dec. 2009
Deputy Project Manager
Main activities and responsabilities Project 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 Name and adress of employer Grupo Padiper, C.A., Bello Monte main avenue, Bello Monte Commercial Center building 8th floor, 8-C / 8-D offices. Caracas.- Venezuela 1052-A Type of bussines or sector Private / Construction Dates
Feb. 2009 - Apr. 2009
Occupation or position held
Architect Junior
Main activities and responsabilities 2009 National Housing Plan supervison & coordination in VenezuelaÊs south region / Rural coast housing prototypes development Name and adress of employer Planning & Development of Housing and Habitat Deputy Minister, Las Mercedes main avenue w/ Orinoco street, CONAVI Building, Caracas.Venezuela 1052-A Type of bussines or sector Public / National goverment Dates Occupation or position held
Collective blog:
ISCED 7
Institution
Dates On the Web:
Critic dissertations on architecture history and theory, then developing studies on architectureÊs historiography Universidad de Los Andes Mérida.- Venezuela
Dates
Aksel Alvarez
Studies to MsC in Architecture History, Theory and Critics
Institution
Level in international classification
Name / Surname:
July 2006 - July 2007
Apr. 2008 - Feb. 2009
Architect
Main activities and responsabilities Developing 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 Name and adress of employer 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 Type of bussines or sector Private / Architecture and Plan
CV - Aksel Alvarez - P.01
Dec. 2007 - Apr. 2008
Plan & Construction Manager
Dates Occupation or position held
Pediatric Hospital refurbishment project coordinator, gross area 1.200 Main activities and responsabilities 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, Name and adress of employer Block G Chalet 51, San Diego, Carabobo State.- Venezuela Private / Public Building and works Type of bussines or sector
Aug. 2007 - Feb. 2008
Partner Architect
Dates Occupation or position held
In association with Arch. Diana Garrido, the most relevant projects Main activities and responsabilities 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, Name and adress of employer cross of Cuba and Centroamérica streets, Quinta Carmencita #3 1030, Caracas.- Venezuela Private / Architecture and Planning Type of bussines or sector
Oct. 2005 - July 2007
Teacher
Dates Occupation or position held
Lecturer on Projects I, II and IV and in the theory seminar „The Public Main activities and responsabilities 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 Name and adress of employer Hechicera, FADULA building, 5101 Merida.- Venezuela Public / University education Type of bussines or sector
Jan. 2005 - Sep. 2005
Architect
Dates Occupation or position held
Engaded on coordination and supervision of project and works Main activities and responsabilities 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 Name and adress of employer 2005, Urb. La Plata main avenue, „Luis Loreto Lira‰ Sport Complex, Valera.- Venezuela Public Government Type of bussines or sector
Aug. 2003 - Sep. 2003
Intern
Dates Occupation or position held
Engaged on Chacao Vertical Gym, Jesus Obrero University and Max Main activities and responsabilities 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 Name and adress of employer Miranda avenue, 1050, Caracas.- Venezuela Private / Architecture and Plan Type of bussines or sector
Mar. 2001 - Dec. 2004
ProfessorÊs Assistant
Dates Occupation or position held
Assistant to classic architecture cathedra lectureship Main activities and responsabilities Architecture & Arts Faculty, ULA. Pedro Rincón Gutiérrez campus at La Name and adress of employer Hechicera, FADULA building, 5101 Merida.- Venezuela Public / Univesity Education Type of bussines or sector
2000 - 2006
Draftsman
Dates Occupation or position held
Developed 2D & 3D drawings and models on architecture, restoration Main activities and responsabilities and urbanism projects Freelance Name and adress of employer CV - Aksel Alvarez - P.02
OTHER ACTIVITIES Dates Activity
1999 - 2001
StudentÊs Delegate for Cultural Affairs
General description Responsible 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 Dates Activity
2001 - 2003
President of StudentÊs Association
General Description Worked 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 Dates Activity
2001 - 2003
StudentÊs Delegate on University Council
General Description Elected 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. Dates Activity
2005 - 2006
Radio Announcer
General Description Ran 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
LECTURES Date Event
2003
XX Latin-American Architecture Students Meeting
Place Maracaibo, Venezuela Lecture Title Fragmented Landscape - Non Referenced Resume 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 Date Event
2005
Architectural Instruments Symposium
Place Mérida, Venezuela Lecture Title Architecture as Political Artifact Resume 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 Date Event
2007
V CEISAL Latinamericanist Association Meeting
Place Brussels, Belgium Lecture Title Informal Commerce and Revitalization of Public Space Resume 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 CV - Aksel Alvarez - P.03
SKILLS Proficiency: Full Proficiency: High
Proficiency: Meddium
Autocad from R12 until 2011 CAD Sofware Vector Works from v7 (Minicad) until v11 (user until 2003)
Cinema 4D from 7 until 11 3D Modelling and Rendering
Proficiency: Basics
3D Studio Max v9
Proficiency: Basics
Rhino v4 + Grasshopper
Proficiency: Full
SketchUp v5
Proficiency: Full
Bryce 3D
Proficiency: High Proficiency: High
Photoshop until CS4 Adobe Suite Illustrator until CS4
Proficiency: Medium
InDesing until CS5
Proficiency: Medium
Premiere until CS2
Proficiency: High Proficiency: Basics Proficiency: Full Proficiency: Full Proficiency: High Proficiency: Medium Proficiency: Basics
Encore until CS2 Flash until v8 MS Word Microsoft Suite (until version 2010) MS PowerPoint MS Excel MS Outlook Ms Project
LANGUAGE Proficiency: Full
Spanish English
Proficiency: High
Speaking
Proficiency: High
Listening
Proficiency: Full
Reading
Proficiency: High
Writing
Mother Toungue First Language
German Proficiency: Basics
Second Language (Completing the Level A 2.2. at Speaking Mannheim Universit채t)
Proficiency: Basics
Listening
Proficiency: Basics
Reading
Proficiency: Basics
Writing
CV - Aksel Alvarez - P.04
2
PORTFOLIO
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
Ubication:
Venezuela
Entire Country 2010 estimation: over 180 developments, that represents aproximatedly 70.000 houses
Budget: 55.000 $ / House Unit
Area: 70 m2 max. per House Unit
Schedule: 1 year - Design phase
Team: Diosdado Cabello - Minister Ulianov Niño - Deputy Minister Aksel Alvarez - Main Director Ernesto 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 prototypes projects and Masterplans for Housing Developments according to the National Housing Plan Po - Aksel Alvarez - P.01
Render image: MOPVI
Top: Left: floor 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:
Rigth: Render image from street view of VUU-001. Credit: Aksel Alvarez
Render image: Aksel Alvarez
Left: Lower floor plan from Prototype VUU-001
Po - Aksel Alvarez - P.02
PROJECT 001
Render image: Aksel Alvarez
Top Left: Aerial view from a block based on Prototypes VUM-003 (for Multifamily 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 illumination and to concentrate the vertical circulation / 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 integrated to a modular net that searches for the integration of the elements from design, trough the construction, to the urban planning. / Right: Two views of VUM-003 isolated 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 Venezuela, that have huge changes due to geographic 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 installations 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
Po - Aksel Alvarez - P.03
Render image: Aksel Alvarez
Render image: Aksel Alvarez
Render image: Aksel Alvarez
Po - Aksel Alvarez - P.04
PROJECT 002 The „Fuerte Tiuna‰ (Tiuna Fortress, „Tiuna‰ is the name of an important Indian chief in Venezuela) is the major military facility in Caracas and 2008 - 2009 one of the biggest in Venezuela. There are the Defense Ministery, Project: major administrative facilities related to Military, the Independence IACFA Hotel Monument, the Military Academy and other important facilities. Due to the natural behavior of the Client / Kind of Project: Military in Venezuela, they use to have their own Hotels and lodgePetróleos de Venezuela ment installations, as well their own S.A. (PDVSA) + Instituto recreative facilities. These faciliAutónomo Círculo de la ties are called „Círculos Militares‰ FANB / Government (Military Circles) and are grouped in a foundation, that wants to transform the image and the insight of the foundation and military men. So, thereÊs take place on 2007 an architectural competion of ideas to Ubication: develop a new group of buildings that enhance the capacities of the current Hotel in operation and architecturally speaking. Is important to note that the current complex was designed by one of the most relevant architetcs of Venezuela, Luís Malaussena. His design implies more than the buildings, he designed the complete Venezuela urban scheme of the zone, including the Indepence Monument, the major military facilities and the surrounding housing area. So, all these complex is included in the National Heritage listings, and is considered as a master piece of Modern Architecture in Venezuela. The key element in the Hotel complex is a huge Ballroom, known as „Salón Venezuela‰ (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 separate „Fuerte Tiuna‰ and the sorCaracas rounding city, near to a little artificial lake used as park. Budget: The program ask for a five stars Hotel with, at least, 300 rooms orin/d ented to urban users like politicians, Businessmen, militaries, and perArea: sonalities. This Hotel will house an 107.000 m2 aprox. Concert Hall to 3.000 spectators. The project takes advantage of the topographic and scenery conditions. Schedule: By one hand the Concert Hall is in2 years - Design phase (from basic serted in the Mountains, exploiting schemes to complete construction the site conditions to isolate the hall, creating a huge Plaza behind the documentation) rooms block that serves as roof to a space that functions as container Team: of public activities, segregating the Lasala Arquitectura S.A. / Lasala y public access to the hall and the HotelÊs Guests, but keeping them Lasala Arquitectos Web page: http://lasalaylasala.net connected. All the administrative and service Isabel Lasala - Director areas are hidden to the public sight, Ana Lasala - Director achieving a major connection with Silvia Hernández de Lasala - Hist. Adv. landscape. Eduardo Kairuz - Advisor At the Plaza level is located the Pool and some restaurants. This level Team (2008-2009): marks the transition between serAksel Alvarez - Architect vice and public levels to the rooms Silvia Caradona - Architect sector. And serves to stablish, in a Fernando Lara - Architect visual level, the Building scaleÊs. Mariana Lugo - Architect The HotelÊs most visible element is the rooms block. ItÊs conceived as Clara Guerrero - Secretary a reinterpretation of the language elements used by Malaussena in Position held on Project: the original hotel complex. This expression doesnÊt consist on formal Junior Architect exuberances, but in the scale and dimensions. The proposal seeks to produce a Responsibilities: Develop project plans and schemes strong landscape element, that have emphasizes the scale and character following the project mainlines. of the Mountains, and respect the Mainly involve on development of language elements of the existing technical services and coordinabuildings. tion with engeneering specialist consultants. Po - Aksel Alvarez - P.05
Project Data
Render image: Aksel Alvarez
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. / Opposite 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. Render image: Aksel Alvarez
Po - Aksel Alvarez - P.06
PROJECT 003 Project Data 2008
Project:
La Alameda Commercial Center Client / Kind of Project: Central Madeirense C.A. / Private
Ubication:
Render image: Ana Lasala
Venezuela
Caracas
Render image: Ana Lasala + Aksel Alvarez
Budget:
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 5.582.000 $ aprox. 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 office building situArea: ated on west side serves as background to the Plaza and emphasizes the main connection 44.000 m2 aprox. functional areas + between up and down levels of street. This Plaza works as a perfect siting to contemplate 8.000 m2 aprox. Public Plaza the valley that open below the Lot.
Schedule: d/a
Team: Lasala Arquitectura S.A. / Lasala y Lasala Arquitectos Web page: http://lasalaylasala.net Isabel Lasala - Director Ana Lasala - Director Silvia Hernández de Lasala - Hist. Adv. Eduardo Kairuz - Advisor Team (2008-2009): Aksel Alvarez - Architect Silvia Caradona - Architect Fernando Lara - Architect Mariana Lugo - Architect Clara Guerrero - Secretary
Position held on Project: Junior Architect
Responsibilities: Develop of building sections. Coordinate of floor plans development.
Po - Aksel Alvarez - P.07
Caracas, VenezuelaÊs Capital, is a city with an accidented Topography 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 Alameda‰, 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 Supermarkets, 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 future logistic facilities, due to its position in the City. But with time that place transforms from a undeveloped 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 founders and their sons. These supermarket company is dedicated to a popular, even lowcost approach, associated to their cultural reference as portuguese people, deeply fixed in the venezuelan culture as merchants. Now the original founders 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 characteristics of venezuelan market, in particular the low-income market is ruled by government and its commercial branchs. Due to this generational change and the new conditions of site is proposed to develop a Supermarket that combines office uses and commercial/recreational functions in the programm. In one hand, searches for expand
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 emplaced in a really interesting urban lot. This lot have an irregular form, around 200 meters wide and 100 meters deep, with a vertical difference of 15 meters. Also the local 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 urban development that sorrounds the building, functioning as encounter point for the isolated developments. From a constructionÊs perspective this building can be easily constructed 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 buildingÊs functional area is around 44.000m2, itÊs not so big at end. Natural light plays an important role, the separation between building and terrain at back function as a light entry and natural ventilation space, even it have a strong prescence as vertical garden, allowing locate internal circulations and terraces. 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 first plane can see the vertical circulation tower with the ramp in its interior. Behind the tower its located the first office building, its roof is other plaza that is accesed at upper street level. Below this offices 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.
Po - Aksel Alvarez - P.08
PROJECT 004 Project Data 2007
Project:
Mother Candelaria of Saint Joseph Sanctuary Client / Kind of Project: Guรกrico State Government + Venezuelan Catholic Church / Public / Religious
Ubication:
Render image: Carlos Agell Sogbe
Venezuela
Altagracia de Orituco / Guรกrico St.
Budget: 1.750.000 USD aprox.
Area: 500 m2 Chapell area 1.200 m2 Service Buildings area 1,5 Ha Sanctuary area
Schedule: 6 months (including construction phase)
Team: Circuitos Urbanos, C.A. Diana Garrido- Director Juan Lugo - Contract Manager Miguel A. Bartorila - Chief in Project Aksel Alvarez - Architect Assoc. Mc Quae & Ass. - Engeneers Hilariรณn Verde - Structural Engeneer Augusto Garrido - Theological Consultant
Position held on Project: Associated Architect
Responsibilities: Develop and supervision of architecture and construction solutions. Integration of Art Works in building design. Coordination with engineers and consultants in construction and equipments. Data and documentation management. Po - Aksel Alvarez - P.09
Render image: Carlos Agell Sogbe
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 Guรกrico Stateร s 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 Orituco 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-
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 facilities are those dedicated to serve to pilgrims, like public baths, access controls, hidratation points. These equippment was planned as little elements 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, budget 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 oriented schemes, but avoiding loose the aesthetics relevance fo the project. 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 Order, the figure of Mother Candelaria and the semiotic and symbolic elements that have to be take in account to develop the project. Other relevant aspect was the maintenance. Due to the agressive ambient in tropic and the lack of maintenance 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 magnificent surrounding nature. The Temple consist in a brick box, where the light plays the most relevant role. This Temple can function in two ways, the first one is in its interior with an small group of pilgrims. The second one is to accomodate 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 between 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 perforated bricks that hides the Temple 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 canceled a few weeks after the start of construction for political reasons, and some voices called for a temple with a more classic style.
Render image: Carlos Agell Sogbe
Render image: Carlos Agell Sogbe
Opposite Page: General perspective from the river Orituco valley. Is possible to appreciate the Plaza in front of the Chapel, the “filterwall” 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 remains. / Middle down: cross section of the Chapel is possible to see the main ritual 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 Theological 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 floor plan showing the disposition of the elements.
Po - Aksel Alvarez - P.10
PROJECT 005 Project Data 2007
Project:
Caracas South General Cemetery Client / Kind of Project: Caracas City Government / Public
Ubication:
Venezuela
Caracas
Budget: 7.500.000 USD aprox.
Area: First phase 2Ha aprox.
Schedule: 18 months
Team: Diana Garrido Arquitecta Diana Garrido- Director Juan Lugo - Contract Manager Juan Gavidia - Botanic Consultor Aksel 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 documentation management.
Po - Aksel Alvarez - P.11
The South General Cemetery of Caracas 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 conditions and more ahead than its capacity. Theres a lot of problems, principally related to maintenance, infrastructure, planning and landscape. This Cemetery has an important collection of Funeral Sculpture, there are sculptures from important ateliers from France, Italy and Venezuela. 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 collective imaginarium in many ways, obviously the presence of monuments 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 cemetery 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 functioning, even public illumination systems 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 priorities and to identify problems, the result of that Report was a series of recommendations in different fields like: infrastructure redevelopment, legislation, waste management, Community involvement, Landscape, Monuments restoration and other fields. As an Excecutive Action Plan were proposed 11 works, most of them related to infrastructure but two of them have are focused on the Cemetery entrance 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 Cemetery. But they count with a very limited budget and the restrictions of project „BusCaracas‰, a transportation system to be implanted in the city. So the aproximation is very discreet, merely based in redevelop and adapt the existing spaces to new standars of quality and accesibility. Also knowing that the major problem in Venzuela is maintenance, the proposal takes care about the use of elements, materials and equipments with low maintenance 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 different models is achieved a system that includes reference systems
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 possible to initiate the recuperation of tombs zones in a planned and sistematic 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 details and curiosities about the trees an its relations with tombs and interventions over the years. All the interventions were planned avoiding innecessary trees sacrifices. Also was developed a Fitosanitary rehab plan. New species were included to enhance the original landscape intentions and to revalorize the existing structure like the Monumental Chapel, which originalÊs Garden was destroyed to gave place to a parking lot. Finally, was developed a discreet scheme, that searches for the dignification of a space and its users that was abandoned for many years. Maybe simple things like the public illumination system or the rain drenage 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 Access, also is relevant the presence of trees and vegetation. / This page: serie of render 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. Po - Aksel Alvarez - P.12