11TH EDITION
AD&VISION
SPRING / SUMMER 2020 2017
FEATURED PROJECT
BALDWIN SCHOOL INNOVATION CENTER
IN THIS ISSUE • AD&V has been selected among the Top International Design Firms by ENR. • AD&V’s projects update. • A look at our projects under construction. • Embracing our “new normal” back at the office.
FEATURED PROJECT
AD&V TO DESIGN THE BALDWIN SCHOOL INNOVATION CENTER The Science, Technology, Engineering and Media (STEM) Center is conceived as a hub for Innovation for one of the leading private independent schools in Puer to Rico. The design of this new building aims to suppor t the school’s mission to provide a hands-on learning experience that is meant to nourish the mind, nur ture curiosity, and encourage critical thinking. The entire project vision of providing a place for student-led advancement in inquiry, problem-solving and critical thinking is materialized and communicated through the choice of materials and the expression of the building make up. The building itself is a classroom where students will be exposed to building technology, sustainability, mechanics, and materials. The innovative building design should inspire students to solve the problems of the future. The state-of-the-ar t 16,800 square feet, two story building will sit on an existing beautiful 23-acre campus and will seek LEED Cer tification. The Innovation Center will be the physical representation of the school’s DNA, embodied in their mission and vision. The architectural language respects the natural and man-made elements of its context. It deconstructs the existing campus building elements and reinforces the existing tropical architecture with the incorporation of passive design strategies. The building is open to the surrounding landscape, allowing nature to come indoors. The Innovation Center will be located adjacent to the existing School Cafeteria Building on the site currently occupied by the playground. The building placement and orientation along one of the primary pedestrian circulation routes on the school campus is intentional. The new building organizes the site and defines it as a quad. It acts as a central anchor and connection between all the existing campus elements. The first floor is being developed around a Makers Space, a central classroom where students with mutual interests can work together on projects while sharing ideas, equipment, and knowledge. Science laboratories and a fabrication shop will be located adjacent to the Makers space, with visual proximity to facilitate cooperative learning and investigation.
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The second floor will house the Upper School Media Center, an digital library space that nur tures thought and is a statement of Baldwin’s philosophy and thinking. The Media Center will provide classroom spaces, small study group areas, and an open space for flexible learning. The roof of the building will be inhabitable to provide additional areas for educational experiences and will be equipped with a roof garden as well as photovoltaic panels. Ultimately, the Innovation Center aims to become an activity center within the campus for both users and passers-by through the offering of a diverse learning environment that encourages what Baldwin’s mission states: critical inquiry, positive reflection, and positive action.
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UPCOMING PROJECTS MEDICAL EDUCATIONAL FACILITY Ponce, Puer to Rico
GUAYNABO HOUSING Guaynabo, Puer to Rico
SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITY Guaynabo, Puer to Rico
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UNDER CONSTRUCTION CONDADO RESIDENCE San Juan, Puer to Rico
LUCHETTI RESIDENCE San Juan, Puer to Rico
RESIDENCE INN BY MARRIOTT Carolina, Puer to Rico
CAGUAS MIX-USE & ELDERLY DEVELOPMENT Caguas, Puer to Rico
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PROJECT UPDATE STAGING OF THE
LOUIS E. BROWN PHASE III The installation of the Louis E. Brown Phase III affordable housing project in St. Croix is complete! Our incredible Interior Design Team, always taking into account a sense of place, based their design on the island feel choosing furniture and finishes with dark woods, bright and contrasting colors, greenery, and natural fibers. Overall, the installation took four days to complete and neither the project nor the installation would have been possible without the suppor t of our suppliers, Krone and Fitness Warehouse who helped the team successfully complete this project.
The new Louis E. Brown Phase III affordable housing project is not only changing the lives of its 232 families, it’s also a successful demonstration of building high-quality affordable housing in the Caribbean islands.
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AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS AD&V IS RECOGNIZED AS A TOP INTERNATIONAL DESIGN FIRM
BY ENGINEERING NEWS-RECORD
Our architecture and interior design firm, Álvarez-Díaz & Villalón®, was recognized among the top international design firms by Engineering NewsRecord magazine (ENR). ENR is one of the most impor tant publications in the construction industry. It offers news and repor ts about projects, products, and industry leaders. In addition, it connects several sectors in the industry by covering topics such as entrepreneurial management, design, construction techniques, technology, security, law, legislation, the environment, and jobs. In the latest edition of ENR, Álvarez-Díaz & Villalón® was included among the top 225 international design firms, being the only Puer to Rican firm included in this magazine. The firms are classified according to the design projects built in 2019 and the category includes commercial projects, offices, academic facilities, hospitals, medical establishments, hotels, apar tments, and housing complexes. According to ENR, “the leading 225 companies generated $72.31 billion in design revenue in 2019 from projects outside home countries, up a scant 0.6 percent from $71.88 billion in 2018.” “We are extremely proud to be able to represent Puer to Rico internationally. This mention validates what we have known for years… that local talent can compete globally. However, although these mentions are impor tant, now more than ever, we have a duty to continue working for our island’s economic development and growth because local talent wants to and can.” said architect Ricardo Álvarez-Díaz, co-founder of the firm.
FROM THE ACADEMY
AD&V’s INTERNSHIP
PROGRAM
At AD&V, we believe in providing growth oppor tunities within the architecture and interior design profession. That is why, this summer, AD&V’s Internship Program had not one, not two, but three awesome interns! Introducing from top to bottom: José, who is completing his Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture at Iowa State University; Margarita, a Master’s student at the University of Puer to Rico School of Architecture; and Ignacio, a high school student at Baldwin School of Puer to Rico with an interest in pursuing a career in Architecture. We cherish their hard work and enjoyed our time together. We wish them a bright future full of growth & success!
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SPECIAL APPEARANCES Our CEO Ricardo Álvarez-Díaz joined a team of world class exper ts to speak at Enterprise Community’s Keep Safe Seismic Safety Webinar. During the webinar, Ricardo spoke about best practices to ensure homes keep people safe during an ear thquake.
1 Ricardo Álvarez-Díaz par ticipated as a panelist for the Business After COVID-19 panel by The Growth Coach PR. Ricardo joined the discussion about Puer to Rico’s new business vision for the recovery of various industries.
2 Ricardo Álvarez-Díaz was a guest speaker at this year’s AIA Kentucky and Indiana Convention. Ricardo’s Thrive, Survive or Be Extinct presentation covered the challenges the architecture industry faces, adapting to these challenges, and thriving under the circumstances in order to grow your practice.
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Our CEO was a presenter at Inspire Puer to Rico Pecha Kucha #40 series. Ricardo talked about being active in the community and making a positive impact on the public sector from the private sector.
4 AD&V founders, Cristina Villalón and Ricardo Álvarez-Díaz were invited guests on Kohler Latin America’s Instagram Live. Our founders had an inspiring conversation in which they shared their passion for architecture and design through some of the firm’s projects.
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IN THE SPOTLIGHT In recent months, AD&V has been featured in numerous publications including:
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OFFICE CULTURE AD&V WELCOMES
NEW TEAM MEMBERS! AD&V is pleased to announce that Architectural Associate Illian Pérez, Project Manager Isis Murillo, Architectural Staff Maria Emilia Escudero and Architectural Staff Ricky Jiménez have joined our team. We are happy to have them as our new team members and as par t of the AD&V Family!
AD&V BIRTHDAYS! Nirmaliz Rodríguez March 21 Jocelyn Torres April 1
TWIN DAYS This Fall twinning was taken to the next level. Matching shir ts! This was the first time that two AD&V team members showed up wearing a dark blue fruity (bananas and watermelon) top to the office. Obviously, this is the new normal for twinning pics, 6 feet distanced, with masks and face shields! But that does not hold our team back from having fun.
Ricky Jiménez May 15 Wilfredo Carlo May 22 Ricardo Álvarez-Díaz July 26 Neydin Alvarado August 10 Gina Tormos August 13 Ariela Rivera & Michelle Valldejuli August 15 Mariana Alvelo August 26 11
OFFICE CULTURE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY For International Women’s Day, the AD&V Team chose to join in challenging stereotypes, fighting bias, broadening perceptions, improving situations, and celebrating women’s achievements. With this powerful equality gesture, we hope to spark the conversation and raise awareness so that each one of us can help create an equal world and be #EachforEqual.
WORK FROM HOME HAPPY HOUR Since we could not personally say our goodbyes to our former AD&V Par tner and Senior Project Architect, Antonio Gárate, we made sure to do it vir tually. We had a vir tual farewell and happy hour where our Team enjoyed their favorite drinks from the comfor t of their homes while sharing their fondest memories of Antonio.
MOTHER’S DAY Even though we could not properly celebrate Mother’s Day at the office as we usually do, we gave our AD&V superhero moms a gift of life changing skincare to make them feel special.
THE NEW NORMAL After working from home for several months, we finally went back to the office! Following official safety guidelines, we embraced our “new normal”. This means having a socially distanced work environment and following all the necessary health and safety guidelines at the office.
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FATHER’S DAY We wanted to make the lives of our awesome AD&V dads a little sweeter, so we gave them some tasty Double Cake treats for Father’s Day.
WE SAY GOODBYE Unfor tunately, we had to say goodbye to another Team member this year. We said our farewells to our former Senior Project Architect and Manager, Gilber to Ibarra. We showed Gilber to our appreciation for his dedication at AD&V with a special video about his time at the firm.
URBAN GARDEN UPDATE Our urban garden surprised us when went back to the office and it felt like we never left! Plants and flowers grew, while plantains were picked and ready to be enjoyed.
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SAN JUAN
MIAMI
1509 Ponce de Leรณn Avenue,
2100 Ponce de Leon Blvd.,
Ste. 4, 2nd Floor San Juan, Puer to Rico 00909
Suite 1260 Miami, Florida 33134
t: 787. 754 1381
t: 786. 703 5737
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