Portfolio Amélie Chauvin

A FEW BY AMELIE CHAUVIN

PORTFOLIO ARCHITECTURE

ÂŤThe details are not the details. They make the design.Âť Charles Eames

EDUCATION

WORK EXPERIENCES

From 2012 to 2014.

Master’s degree in Architecture, speciality "Design for Sustainable Environment". 120 ECTS Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden

From December 2013 to June 2016.

Research architect & Urban designer Urban, architectural and socio-cultural analysis, urban planning, participative workshops and conference co-organizer.

Active team member of NGT project in urban design (pilot project for the heritage-based urban regeneration of the city center of Zanzibar’s capital) At AA Matters, Amsterdam/ Netherlands, Zanzibar/ Tanzania

From 2010 to 2012.

Bachelor’s degree in Architecture. 180 ECTS ENSAB, Brittany National College of Architecture, Rennes, France From 2005 to 2008.

Bachelor’s degree in Space Design.

Ecole d’Arts Appliqués Bellecour, Design and Art school Bellecour, Lyon, France From 2004 to 2005.

First year of bachelor in History & Art History.

UAPV, University of Avignon, Avignon, France

From January 2014 to January 2016.

Architect & Space designer Architecture, design, technical drawings & construction site supervision At AforA Architects, Co-founder, Tanzania, France, Greece

AWARDS Master thesis «The Other Side» Winner of the travel scholarship award 2014 from the NAI (Nordic Africa Institute). Project selected among all Nordic countries. http://www.nai.uu.se/scholarships/travel/travel-reports/ Göteborg, Sweden

From September 2013 to January 2016.

Research architect & Graphic designer Architect consultant for DoURP (Department of Urban & Rural Planning), Ministry of lands, Zanzibar.

Active team member of HUL project (Historic Urban Landscape) in urban research ( first framework for the NGT project) leaded

by UNESCO & DoURP. Graphic designer for the national planning documents.

At Department of Urban and Rural Planning, Zanzibar/ Tanzania

Diploma project «Le Gralet» Distinction «Young Designer» 2008 delivered by ARDI (Agence Régionale du Développement et de l’Innovation), Rhône-Alpes Regional Council and the French State Lyon, France

From 2010 to 2012 episodically (6 months).

Architect & Interior architect First level drawer architect in charge of technical drawings and architectural details for various projects At Arch’Eco, Nyons/ France

SKILLS

CURRICULUM VITAE

AMEL E CHAUVIN

BAA INTERIOR DESIGN BSc ARCHITECTURE MSc DESIGN FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT BORN ON THE 15TH OF AUGUST 1986 NATIONALITY: FRENCH

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: ameliechauvin1@yahoo.fr : +33(0)6 24 393 140 (fr) +255(0)7 79 028 560 (tz) : 98, Route du Chef Lieu, 74 330, Nonglard, FRANCE

From February 2016 to April 2016.

Architect freelance Competition Saint-Malo medical center & feasibility studies in collaboration with François Chenon, architect Annecy/ France

Languages French (native speaker) English (full working proficiency) Swahili (limited working proficiency) Softwares AutoCad ArchiCad SketchUp Adobe Photoshop Adobe InDesign Adobe Illustrator Personal skills Creativity Teamwork Autonomy Communication Graphic design Technical drawing Sketching Physical model building Laser cutting Image processing

From January 2008 to June 2010.

Freelance architect & Construction worker Self-build housing project, in charge of the project’s design, the supervision of the building site and the construction itself.

Buis-les-Baronnies/ France From November 2009 to December 2009.

Intern Interior architect In charge of various interior design’s projects, partnership working with Poggenpohl & Leicht At Ambiance meuble, Gex/ France From September 2008 to October 2008.

Intern architect With the goal of acquiring building site’s knowledge, in charge of the graphic communication towards the public and professional stakeholders for various projects.

At Arch’Eco, Nyons/ France From September 2007 to October 2007.

Intern Interior architect In charge of various interior design’s projects At Arts et Images, Valréas/ France References available on request Master thesis publication: http://publications.lib.chalmers.se/ records/fulltext/202545/202545.pdf Blog thesis: http://tosmasterthesis.tumblr.com/ AforA Architects: http://aforaarchitects.wix.com/afora

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2008/2010. Gîte du Rocher Rond. Housing project. Buis-les-Baronnies. France.

2010. Residential block. Saint Jacques de la Lande. Rennes. France.

2011. ‘Longue-vue’ exhibition hall. Indre. France.

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2012. Concert Hall. Belleville district. Paris. France.

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2012. ‘Bananahuset’. Social housing project. Hammarkullen. Göteborg. Sweden.

2013. ‘Ku-jenga’. Promotion center for local handicrafts & entrepreneurship. Stone Town. Zanzibar. Tanzania.

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2013/2014. Master thesis ‘The Other Side’. Pilot project. National housing program. Zanzibar. Tanzania.

2014/2015. Sunset bungalows Kendwa. Restaurant & Bar. Zanzibar. Tanzania.

2014/2015. ‘Luukman’. Restaurant. Stone Town. Zanzibar. Tanzania 2015. ‘Bloc Trotters’. Outdoor spaces & terrace design. Annecy. France 2016. ‘Maison des Fontenelles’. Medical center. Saint-Malo. France

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GÎTE DU ROCHER ROND ‘LE ROCHER ROND’ COTTAGE

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A landscape nuanced in grey made with intense lights and vibrant colors, lashed by Mistral-winds, with harsh climate during winter and dry during summer. In the heart of what we call the rural hinterland of Provence, still preserved from the all too often disfigured and ostentatious sightseeing Provence, Buis-les Baronnies village becomes the backdrop of this project.

Seeking to promote their organic farming activities and supplement their incomes, the owners started this adventure years ago when they first transformed a horse stable into a small cottage not exceeding 40 m². As the number of guests kept increasing, they decided to renovate and construct an extension to the existing building. A modest budget implied a real care of each step of the process, from the design to the construction itself. Committed to consider the project as a built reflection of the owners’ ethical values, a self-made construction appeared as the compromise to combine design’s expectations with the required ecological approach.

I worked on the project from November 2008 up to June 2010 and considered it as a real opportunity to understand the transition from conceptual design works (on papers) to the reality of a building site. I chose to be more than just a follower and observer of the process, as I really wanted to be play an active part in each of the steps of the construction, as any other worker, convinced by the idea that the success and beauty of a project are based on the respect, collaboration and understanding of each construction trades.

Extension

Renovation

PHASE I EXTENSION The 50 m² of extension were realised from November 2008 to May 2009.

PHASE II RENOVATION After the summer peak tourist season, the second phase started, lasting until May 2010.

Existing situation

Timeline worksite

Far from the mimicry of Provencal style or a pastiche, the design of the indoor spaces creates, with simplicity, a serie of different smooth shapes and colours so that guests can softly take over their ephemeral home and immerse in the breathtaking landscape.

From this apparent neutrality, the indoor spaces develop a new identity inspired by the agricultural past of the building. The old stable is not erased but underlined. The references are not anec-

dotal but based on the very first construction’s principles of any agricultural building: simplicity, efficiency, sobriety. The rough roofing framework, the fluent circulation between each space and the ceiling height meant for hay storage back in time are hints of the past and as for design, the absence of any extravagance echoes and respects these roots.

Living room

‘LA BELLE’ SALLE DE CONCERT ‘LA BELLE’ CONCERT HALL

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3rd year bachelor diploma project.

Studio leaded by Paul Gresham, Stéphane Zimmerli & Ruth Oldman.

Paris, a growing city. A territory has kept shedding, being wether built, destroyed and rebuilt and where the remnants of past remain among its new urban fabric. The district of Belleville is at the core of this urban mutation,perfectly illustrating the frictions and cohabitations between past and future that make the present of this palimpsest city. The Petite ceinture, an abandoned but still preserved railway crossing the district, offers its inhabitants a privileged shelter to develop an underground culture, street arts and counterculture. It is from these prolific cultural ground and community sense that the idea of a concert hall project emerged.

«Music is liquid architecture; Architecture is frozen music» once said Goethe. The project intended to musically experiment the conception of space in architecture ; a project that approaches its substance through the transformation of music into spaces.

The concert hall is dedicated to reggae music, a meaningful musical expression, often defined through stereotypes but conveying the history for an entire people, that found a particular resonance in a district where the culture in all its different forms finds refuge.

The concert hall is rooted under the ground and emerges progressively at the surface by sculpting the landscape into its own image. An archeological approach where the rational structure becomes the reflection of the existing railway‘s arches as an echo of the deep and repetitive drum rhythms.

Model overview 1:200

SECOND FLOOR PLAN

FIRST FLOOR PLAN

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

BASEMENT PLAN

Model project 1:500

Model section 1:20

‘THE OTHER SIDE’ MASTER THESIS ‘THE OTHER SIDE’ PROJET DE FIN D’ÉTUDE

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5th year master thesis project in collaboration with Alexandra Papadaki.

Supervisors: Inger-Lise Syversen, Maria Niström The metropolitan development of Zanzibar Town, capital of Zanzibar, Tanzania, has been an ongoing process increasing at rapid pace since the past decade, threatening the balance between historical heritage in need of preservation and the inescapable and essential urban development.

On the edges of the historical city center, Stone Town, a World Heritage site, the original Ng’ambo, “the Other Side”, part of which is considered as buffer zone, has already moulted under the action of private initiatives and absorbs this radical mutation with an astonishing ease. Yet the integration and preservation of the cultural identity in an area that has always deeply reflected the Swahili culture is oddly absent along the process.

Urban, architectural, social and cultural features were methodically observed and indexed leading to an exhaustive analysis of the spirit of Ng’ambo.

In addition, relevant tools of participative methods were implemented during public events and a constant interaction with the inhabitants was daily prioritized.

On the backbone of this valuable background, a housing project initiated the introduction of a new architectural figure in the existing urban fabric while respecting and preserving the values of this rich culture. In a larger perspective, initiated by the authorities and UNESCO and intended as a pilot project, it aims at an Heritage-Based Urban Regeneration of Ng’ambo, highlighting another approach for stakeholders to link heritage with the notion of development in historical cities, underlining the creation of a paradigm of participatory design process adressing urban challenges in the regeneration of our cities.

PROJECT LOCATION: IN THE EDGE OF RADICALITY Ng’ambo, an area shaped by the natives and the outsiders, where architecture, public spaces and social, cultural and economic structures deeply reflect the Swahili culture. During the post-colonial period, in 1964, with assistance from the German Democratic Republic, the authorities planned to rebuild the entire area as a modern city, Reflection of a political

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ideology for some, will to create a new urban centre, or just an humanistic expression of modernist architecture’s precepts for others, Michenzani blocks remain the expression of a radical modernity originated elsewhere, symbolic witness of the breach with the spontaneous urban fabric deemed as too invasive or unhealthy.

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Step 1: Urban scale: analysis relation World Heritage site & its buffer zone

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Step 2: District scale: analysis focused on one district: Kisimamajongo

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Step 3: Project scale including 6 different private plots

During a couple or years, several visionary events were conducted in collaboration with, among others, the government of Zanzibar, the local authorities, UNESCO and the city of Amsterdam. With an emphasis on implementing new urban design process’ strategies and aiming at reinforcing local dynamics, the main objective was to support and empower the inhabitants themselves to launch individual or common initiatives in order to enhance the community.

With the different workshops as a backdrop, for they were real public arenas, the pilot project was constantly questioned and discussed through public debates between authorities and the inhabitants. International expert’s conferences, a stakeholders’ conference and an international expert workshop strenghtened the process. Official recommendations and evaluation were edited and are now available on the UNESCO website.

Concrete model of the district

Engaging architectural-scale discussions

February 2014: Visioning event.

The large scale model representing the entire area generated a real excitement. Used as an introduction for a dialogue about development and urban-scale transformation, it helped to elevate the debate to an urban scale and create an understanding of the connection between the architectural entities composing the district.

Engaging urban-scale discussions

The house game scaled back the attention to an architectural perspective. Used in private and public sessions, it helped locals to access to essential information concerning culture, use of space, and private habits; matters that are not often discussed with outsiders in a Swahili Islamic culture.

MUSTAPHA ALI - 42 Y/O «I don’t need a lot of space nor a lot of rooms. But I want a room for my mum. [...] This room has to be closed to the room of my son. It’s always like this. The room of the grandmother is always beside the room of the boy.»

AHMAD ALI - 23 Y/O «Sometimes, if your house is looking good, people, they’re gonna think that you have money and they’re gonna respect you. Even if it’s not true, even if you don’t know what to eat today, people will respect you.»

WORKSHOP: ‘FIX YOUR OWN HOUSE’ GAME A wooden board, a grid with notches, different wooden symbols and walls. A playful activity leading to fruitful conversations regarding housing preferences.

SAMIRA AHMET - 44 Y/O «The house has to be also for the children. It’s important.

They need space to play and study. I want also a big kitchen where I can have everything but a closed one. I don’t want men coming in it everytime.

Kitchen is for women.»

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

Site location: 7 houses with mixed uses

3D perspective - Overview from the main street

Roof top view - Sun studies & Elevation

CIRCULATION: A NETWORK OF PUBLIC STREETS A vertical projection of the existing labyrinthine street network composed of various possibilities of circulation all around the facades and connections with other clusters.

DEMAND-RESPONSIVE SHARED SPACES The implantation of the two clusters in the plot creates a central public space around which a whole series of community spaces and activities revolve, playing a significant role in the daily life of its inhabitants. For instance a semi-underground playground, considered as a new architectural figure in the city, offers a shelter for the numerous children of the area.

EXTENDED THRESHOLDS: A PUBLIC AND PRIVATE TRANSITION Enhancing the concept of public circulation along the facades, the transition between public and private spaces is materialised by a semi-public threshold nurturing interactions among the community.

SKYLINE As a response to the direct surroundings, the height of each parts of the two clusters varies according to the existing tissue.

Juna 2014: Public presentation of the pilot project

SUNSET KENDWA BUNGALOWS HOTEL RESTAURANT & BAR

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Project realised in collaboration with Alexandra Papadaki.

The island of Zanzibar is often pictured by outsiders as a tropical paradise. Coconut trees, powdery white sand beaches, azure waters and glowing sunset are part of archipelago’s identity.

My daily work used to occur on the reverse side of the postcard. Sunset bungalows’ project offered a thrilling architectural parenthesis, a creative challenge sculpted under the shadow of the traditional palm tree leaves umbrellas as well as an unexpected opportunity to observe and experience the paradox of a multi-faceted island.

Located in one of the most coveted part of the island, Sunset bungalows is a well-known hotel where outsiders, daytrip visitors and locals get a chance to co-habitate, sharing a lighter moment.

Attending to redesign the beachside area, the master plan comprised three distinctive spaces all dedicated to leisure activities - restaurant, lounge bar and beach bar - around which gravitate series of functional spaces - kitchen, staff room, offices, storage room - essential to the proper functionning of the activities.

The spatial openness and visual perspective are privileged in a location where all eyes turn to the ocean. The movement from the hotel towards the beach is staged theatrically by a major axis dividing the different spaces into two main areas, a “boulevard” creating a preserved perspective on the blue horizon of the Indian ocean. The distinct lines of the design are not entirely giving way to the landscape but play with it, creating a game of built and unbuilt, framing the view, thus asserting its presence.

Restaurant

Bar Lounge

Beach Bar

Thatch, concrete and wood stage the lounge area

PHASE II BEACH BAR Within less than 4 months, the second phase of the project raised from the ground.

The construction of the beach bar was from March 2015 to the end of May 2015.

Overview by night

PHASE I BAR LOUNGE The construction of the main area started early April 2014 and ended by mid-December 2014. A worksite’s schedule that in fact lasted only 6 months tied to the requirements of the peak tourist seasons.

PHASE III RESTAURANT The last phase’s construction overlapped with that of phase 2. Starting in April 2015, this essential phase is still not completed due to external challenges and should be ending in late 2016.

PHASE I A touch of European design in an African mold. The overall concept blends into one project different influences modelled on the history of the island, built upon the mix of African, Arabic and Indian civilizations. Traditional encounters modernist and contemporary; resulting in a combination of challenging elements to build.

Timeline worksite

PHASE I Symbolic elements of the traditional Swahili architecture evolved into contemporary forms.

The barazza, architectural transcription of the palaver tree, place for social interractions becomes an inspiring element, carrying the essence of the Swahili culture.

PHASE II Local hard wood was selected for the structural skeleton based on its strength and on its resistance to humidity.

Wood elements were manipulated and assembled manually on site in a process that took 2 months to complete. The central crisscross structure casts aside the constraints of having structural pillars on the borders of the platform. Once again, the view, free from any obstacles, is empowered.

Timeline worksite

Double layers of the terrace roof

Atmosphere by night - Cloud of light bulbs

The three distinctive areas of the project, lounge bar, restaurant and beach bar, were designed as a modern interpretation of archetypal waterfront architecture. Partly inspired by traditional building techniques and local architectural patterns, the concept itself and the use of local materials intentionally create unusual geometric shapes as

well as delicate challenges to face in terms of building techniques and practical application on site by a local workforce.

A pedagogical approach was prioritized during the construction that promoted knowledge-sharing among the team of workers and enhancement of professional ethics.

PHASE III Despite contemporary lines, the overall appearance remains deeply attached to a more ÂŤtraditionalÂť tropical image which, with the help of the surrounding landscape, enhances the relaxed atmosphere required for a leisure project.

Timeline worksite

PHASE III The high ceiling offers the opportunity to create a series of mezzanines, small huts, where guests can enjoy panoramical view on the ocean and find some privacy, while on the ground floor it divides the space into intimate smaller zones creating semi-private areas. If the lounge bar and the beach bar are designed to highlight social interactions, the restaurant offers resting areas that may be privatised.

Stormwater management concrete gutter

Construction management in an occupied site

«I don’t want to bring Africa into modernity but rather to use modernity with what is profoundly African in order to create a kind of symbiosis, or metissage, in architecture.»

Pierre Goudiaby Atepa, Senegalese architect-engineer

A FEW MORE OF...

2011. ‘Longue-vue’ exhibition hall. Indre. France.

2012. ‘Bananahuset’. Social housing project. Hammarkullen. Göteborg. Sweden.

2015. ‘Bloc Trotters’. Outdoor spaces & terrace design. Annecy. France

2016. ‘Maison des Fontenelles’. Medical center. Saint-Malo. France

AMELIE CHAUVIN ameliechauvin1@yahoo.fr Tel: +33 6 24 39 31 40