Academic Portfolio Christian Rovers by C Rovers

CHRISTIAN ROVERS PORTFOLIO

CONTACT Telephone: (+31) 646260579 E-mail: c-rovers@hotmail.com Address: Orteliusstraat 102 iii 1057 BE Amsterdam, NL Website: http://www.crovers.com http://issuu.com/crovers/docs/portfolio_crovers_hq

01 CONTENTS

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY..... 05 CURRICULUM VITAE..... 06

ACADEMIC WORK

01 PRADA SHOES..... 08 02 MYGUIDE TOURIST OFFICE..... 16 03 WDW/TENT CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ARTS..... 24

04 BOYMANS VAN BEUNINGEN ART DEPOSITORY..... 38 05 UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS OF SUSTAINABILITY..... 50

COMPETITIONS

06 EUROPAN 12: DYNAMIC URBAN PLATFORMS..... 66

â&#x20AC;&#x153;A sometimes indefinable but undeniable beauty is what, for me, sets fine architecture apart from the average building. Although beauty is largely based on culturally accepted standards, it is primarily a matter of taste. In my understanding, architectonic beauty is not merely reflected in shape and texture but above all lies in the conception of inspiring environments for others. For those who use the building and roam its surroundings. In my

design philosophy, a beautiful building

can not be conceived without a strong and concise idea, founded on analysis and ambition. An architectural ambition not driven by a selfish desire to build a monument, a legacy, but by a more humane desire to understand and respect the requirements, qualities and challenges the brief and context put forward, leaving no place for signature architecture or dogmatic principles. An ambition that transcends the whole design, infuses every detail of the design with the same clear principles, and lends both building and place a fitting atmosphere and identity rather than some fashionable looks and empty symbolism. Without this overarching concept, a building would become an accumulation of individual design solutions, each possibly beautiful on its own, but lacking coherence and clarity altogether.

As people and times change, so do the requirements our designs need to meet, making it meaningful to learn from but

meaningless to adopt the architecture of typological predecessors or neighboring buildings, in an anxious attempt to fit into the context. Context is ever-changing, never fully developed or self-contained. Cities would not be half as fascinating without the multilayeredness of consecutive time frames and their different insights, coexistence of many subcultures and conflicting influences. They bring the liveliness, the social interaction and unpredictability that prosper our metropolitan lives. A projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s context may need provocation to regain energy or make a fresh start. With every design, I look at what a project needs, what it should sustain and what it can bring the community, to progress. I strive to push the envelope, innovate conceptually and technologically, but also recognize when a more modest and humble approach is in place. I see every project as an opportunity to rethink entrenched typologies, revitalize deprived places, to accommodate contemporary needs while encouraging initiatives to reconstruct the physical and social context those very needs have arisen from. And so, I aspire to design buildings and environments that engage people and initiatives, and that are able to endure content and time.

My creative satisfaction is independent of size or prestige of a project, it lies in liberating its full potential and the ap-

preciation of its users, whether one or many. A simple sketch or diagram to articulate my architectural ambition often stand at the base of my design. They evolve through mass studies into physical and virtual models and technical drawings as complexity increases. Space, material and light are the instruments with which to create atmosphere and fulfil that ambition. To promote coherence and clarity, I often switch between form and space and between design scales. The doorknob, the way the sunlight penetrates a church, the moving sound of an orchestra in a concert hall, the silhouet of a factory building against a dark winter sky, they are all part of the same story, that if well-written, never bores. Good design combines atmosphere with functionality, gives a building character and engages its environment. It appeals to our senses, whilst leaving space for individual interpretation and appropriation. It lets a house become a home.â&#x20AC;?

CHRISTIAN ROVERS MSc (Arch. + Build. Tech.)

PERSONAL INFORMATION

CONTACT

Date of Birth: 10 October 1983

Telephone: (+31) 646260579

Place of Birth: Heemskerk

E-mail: c-rovers@hotmail.com

Nationality: Dutch

Website: http://www.crovers.com

Place of Residence: Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Address: Orteliusstraat 102 iii 1057 BE Amsterdam, NL

EDUCATION

RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE

2008 - 2012

Technical University of Delft, NL 2013 - Faculty of Architecture Level: Master (Architecture & Building Technology) / Graduate

Self-employed Working on designs for: Holiday home, Texel, NL Renovation of apartment, Amsterdam, NL

2003 - 2007

Technical University of Delft, NL Faculty of Architecture Level: Bachelor / Undergraduate

2009

Technical University of Delft, NL Faculty of Architecture CSI Workhop Sao Paulo, BR Organisator & Participant

1996 - 2002

Johan van Oldenbarnevelt Gymnasium Amersfoort, NL (Highschool)

2005 - 2007

INBO Architecten Amsterdam Architectural Assistant

SOFTWARE SKILLS

LINGUAL SKILLS

CAD

Post-production

Autocad

Adobe Photoshop

Dutch

VectorWorks

Adobe Illustrator

English

Maya

Adobe Indesign

German

SketchUp

Spanish

Rhino

Other

Portuguese

Revit

MS Office Suite

French

3Ds MAX

Prezi

Renderers V-Ray

COMPETITIONS

2013

Europan 12: Dynamic Urban Platforms

2009

Boymans van Beuningen Art Depository

Result: under review till Dec 2013 Type: Open Competition for Architects under 40 Host: Europan Europe

Result: 1st prize Type: Student competition Host: Technical University of Delft

Summary: The project comprehended an urban study of the conurbation of Gjilan (Kosovo) and redevelopment of its city centre including architectural implementations of a new city hall, cultural centre and hotel w/ shopping, leisure and congress centre. We redeveloped the existing infrastructural node as a car-free recreation-oriented city centre and upgraded the little stream running right through the centre to an open urban boulevard, connecting distinctive neighbourhoods.

Summary: Our class was invited to propose a design for an art depository for the Boymans van Beuningen Museum on a former storage port in Rotterdam, now a hotbed of smaller creative industries housing in empty warehouses, to enlarge its storage space and improve its conditions. So to say, this art depository found its natural home and I found it quite meaningful to retain its industrial spirit, steeped with history, but expressed in a contemporary fashion.

PRADA SHOES new york

client | Prada floor space | 100 m2 year | 2007

introduction On the corner of Madison Ave and 55th St, New York, a new Prada outlet is proposed. This store exclusively sells high-end fashion shoes for women and is occasionally used for small fashion shows. The project required 120 m2 of floor space. The design challenge lay within the design restrictions the site put forward. The store is eight meters wide and twelve long, its clearance of 5,5 meters not quite high enough to create two full floors and keep it spatial, while a single floor would not provide sufficient floor space. Moreover, four concrete columns, supporting the block above, penetrate the space. Prada is fashion. And fashion is catwalk. A catwalk swirls through the store, curls around the columns, leading clients passed the exhibited shoes, making them feel like a model. Occasionally the tables are turned, when models are hired to lead their shoes passed the audience. Soft curves and a completely white interior set an ideal background on which to show the exclusive shoes and express its variety and colour. At night, the interior oozes light through the curvy perforated metal sheet facades, perforated again by bigger holes that exhibit the shoes to passers-by and offer them a glimpse into the white world inside.

fashion show | shop

floor plans | elevations

MYGUIDE TOURIST OFFICE rotterdam

client | municipality of rotterdam floor space | 100 m2 year | 2007

introduction To abandon the ready-made touristic walks and create your personal customized walk formed the idea behind this tourist office. After addressing your preferences and time schedule, a computer system – supported by the conventional helpdesk and city scale model – will propose a personalized route, upload it on a GPS navigation device and send you on your way. The pavilion is located on the intersection of the main tourism, shopping and business axes, a good place to have a break and determine your next destination. People can walk up the roof and look out over the Eendrachtsplein. The project also offers basic urban facilities – lockers, toilets and internet – that are genuinely public and free of charge, something quite rare in our consumer society. A space where you can still bring your own sandwich and one is not looked upon suspiciously if one hangs around without consuming.

floor plans | birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye view, interior, night

NE-SW elevation | SW-NE section

WITTE DE WITH / TENT CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ARTS rotterdam

clients | Witte de With Museum, TENT floor space | 1000 m2 year | 2009

introduction This contemporary arts centre is the home of the Witte de With Museum and TENT, two museums focused on local artists, the first showing all kinds of artwork, the latter only video graphic art. The complexity of the project brief was twofold. First, the arts centre is located at one of few remaining places in the city centre of Rotterdam that was not [wiped] by the WWII bombings. Nowadays, it is a popular place for locals and tourists in the midst of the cultural quarter, [housing] also many bars and restaurants. This arts centre replaces the current home of the Witte de With museum and TENT, its required floor surface slightly oversizing their neighboring 19th century mansions, as is the case in its current state. The first challenge lies in the implementation of a center for contemporary arts within such a historically delicate context. Second, besides the two museums the centre houses some public facilities (shop, library and independent bar/restaurant), a back office (work places, loading, storage, archive), and a multifunctional space to be used both as auditorium and for special installations. They serve different user groups with different opening hours. This logistic independency increases the complexity of accessibility and circulation of users and goods within the same system. The program is naturally divided in these four components, each given its own bold volume, a quite straightforward approach, something Rotterdam is known for. These volumes are put on a plinth that contains the public facilities, forming the cement between these blocks. The atrium of the shop is the central space around which the program revolves. From here, all spaces can be reached. The main entrance and bar/restaurant form a transparent variety on the clean white slices and are placed directly on the Witte de Withstraat, adding to the liveliness of this street, both day and night. All facades are clad in white metal sheets, [sterk afstekend tegen] from its context, but a pleasant neutral background against between the more refined red brick facades, and confirming its contemporary nature. The contours of the blocks are perfectly aligned with their neighboring building blocks. These subtle references make the contemporary design appear to fit naturally within its historically delicate context. 24

Witte de With museum back office multifunctional space TENT public facilities

NW-SE elevation | SE-NW section

floor plans

shop | bar/restaurant, multifunctional space

east-west elevation | east-west section

north-south elevation | north-south section

BOYMANS VAN BEUNINGEN ART DEPOSITORY rotterdam

client | boymans van beuningen museum floor space | 2000 m2 year | 2010

introduction The art collection of the Boymans van Beuningen Museum is in need of extra storage space that meets modern standards. An art depository, providing 1500 m2 of storage space with very differentiated climate requirements, combined with work spaces for restoration and research, exposition spaces and a restaurant, is proposed on a location that has always been dedicated to storage and handling, the Maashaven. A century ago one of the city’s main ports, but since port functions moved seawards, the Maashaven gradually transformed into a hotbed of smaller creative industries housing in empty warehouses, mixed with residential and recreational functions. With the striking Maassilo at the entrance of the harbour – and neighboring the site – the Maashaven is still infused with its port history. So to say, this art depository found its natural home and I found it quite meaningful to express this industrial spirit, steeped with history, in a contemporary fashion. The design is composed of big, bold concrete blocks, smoothly materialized at first but allowed to weather over the years. They are accommodated with industrial attirbutes such as exterior staircases and walkways and octagonal mushroomheaded columns that remind of the old silos and warehouses. The program is divided over four distinctive interlocking volumes: processing, research, storage and public facilities. Separation of public and storage facilities is crucial to the building’s functionality, each having its own entrance on opposite sides – the quay traditionally used for docking. All public facilities are clustered in the central volume, lifted from the ground, the restaurant and sculptural garden overlooking the harbour. The combination of distinct almost graceless concrete blocks, one wing hovering over the other, and constructional elements in the contemporary give the whole a feel of modern monumentality that suits the location and nature of the project well.

ROUGH

ROBUST

UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS OF SUSTAINABILITY new york

client | united nations floor space | 6000 m2 year | 2012

introduction The indecisiveness demonstrated at the yearly climate summits clearly reflect the inertia of United Nationsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; sustainable program. The physical absence of a headquarters that serves as an organizational umbrella devoted to this subject perfectly shows this lack of momentum and priority awareness. This United Nations Headquarters of Sustainability will fill in that blind spot. The project called for a design statement towards sustainable architecture: powerful in its architecture and sustainable in its performance, not the other way around. Similar to its UN neighbors on the extraterritorial lot on the East River bank of Manhattan, a straightforward volume arises from the ground. Its slenderness leaves most of the park untouched and is ideal for cross-ventilation. Its horizontal orientation sets it apart from Manhattanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skyscrapers and unites the UN ensemble. Its high transparency breaches the closed nature of the UN organization and architecture, renders interior processes visible and provides the employees with a pleasant work environment and fantastic views. The program is divided in two parts: a conference centre on top of a transparent office section also housing the public knowledge centre. The transparent section has an open office landscape layout interspersed with private workplaces, meeting rooms and voids that make the stacked rectangular floor plans surprisingly spatial and connect adjoining floors. Brisesoleils prevent overheating in summer and lends the whole a rather timeless expression. The conference centre contains mostly long-span auditoria and therefore requires a different column grid and the full width of the building, which is provided for by putting it on top of a table construction that crowns the restaurant/ lobby. . The rigidity of the substructure is set aside in this box structure to allow for a dynamic organization of stand-alone spaces surrounded by informal spaces where one can take a walk and groundbreaking decisions can be made. A combination of natural ventilation and daylighting, concrete core activation, double glass facades with smart inand outlets achieves a high degree of sustainability, a pleasant work environment and a building worthy the name: United Nations Headquarters of Sustainability. 50

1 express the spirit of the United Nations: unity, vigor, solidarity + transparency (what it lacks)

2 concentrate whole program in one building (to enforce its instutionality)

3 look like a building, act like a tree (not the other way around)

obtain independency through deviating horizontal orientation obtain through small footprint to independency save the scarce green horizontal orientation space & makedeviating it a central UN place slender slabsmall perpendicular footprint to to main save wind the scarce green direction ideal cross-ventilation spacefor & make it a central UN place slender slab perpendicular to main wind direction ideal for cross-ventilation

SUSTAINABILITY AND TECHNIQUE

table construction use full width of building for large conference spaces

brises-soleil sunshading in summer use solar gain in winter

heat recovery heat exchangers recycle warm air for concrete core activation loop

concrete core activation climatizes through convection of inlet air & radiation able to use structural & night cooling

stack effect use of stack effect to support cross-ventilation when wind is low

acoustic lamellas allows for use of concrete core activ fits well in architectural concept

natural cross-ventilation slender building enlarges wind pressure differ strongly reduces mechanic ventilation, but also heating & cooling demand (only required during peak demands)

geothermal heat pump pumps hot (winter) & cool (summer) water through concrete floors 62 is high uses ground sources to store thermal energy when supply

vation

rence

s to support concrete core activation 63 is low (season bridging) h but demand

double skin facade thermal buffering stack ventilation smart in- & outlets

natural daylighting highly transparent facades to reduce need for artificial lighting

EUROPAN 12: DYNAMIC URBAN PLATFORMS gjilan, kosovo

introduction Kosovo aims to become EU member state. Expanding collaboration between EU nations makes it fair to make some assumptions. Economical development of the region. As a result of increasing income people will have opportunities to be involved in culture, and spend more of their time in leisure (shopping, cycling, picnic, etc.). Intensification of (cross-border) exchange results in growth of traffic, not only through increasing trade but also as a result of rising tourism. These effects have also occurred, or are still in progress, in other eastern european nations so it is fair to consider they will also follow in Kosovo. Until now the city of Gjilan has grown mainly organic, along existing paths and negotiating geographical features, with little governmental interference. Today the city is challenged to grow through densification, with a guiding role for the city government. The urban tissue needs to convert from a village typology towards an urban one. Analysing the exercise for Europan 12 we have concluded that the following goals must be met: - Developing a strategy that is able to incorporate the urban growth in terms of densification and sustainable growth. (strategic site) - Creating a representative urban space for recreation, leisure, city festivities etc. (project site)

strategic site Prishtine

Bujanovac (SRB) Vranje (SRB)

Ferizaj Skopje (MKD)

Presevo (SRB) Kumanovo (MKD) Skopje (MKD)

These measures imply that the city can grow in a sustainable scheme.

existing urban structure

- Densification through adaptation of the existing urban structure: in the horizontal plane the city is already quite dense. To increase its density, and minimising its horizontal expansion, we have to incorporate the vertical: stacked housing (apartments) with public plinths along boulevards and streets. With specific pedestrian zones, free of cars. Vertical densification makes more economical use of supporting networks such as electricity, sewage, transportation. The densification process is one of many decades (20-50-100 years). Therefore, using the existing urban structure for as much as possible has several advantages to a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;tabula rasaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; approach. - The urban structure is able to adjust through time: diversification in block and plot sizes provides space for different building types. - Since it is a low scale intervention it is able to develop in its own pace, plot by plot - Opportunities for corporate urban developers as well as for individual citizens to developed their own piece of land (family houses on existing plots) - Better integrated connection to public services (sewage, heating, electricity) and existing network of roads and public spaces - Creating a more straight-forward urban structure: growing from village to city. Urban blocks with a clear alignment on its outside, the public realm. Collective space on the inner side of the block can be used by the inhabitants of the block: playground, vegetable garden. - Combination of functions: increases liveliness of the neighbourhood, mixed urban areas are less vulnerable to changing economic conditions since they are less dependent of one singular building use. - No fixed architectural expression: variety in elevations make for a lively street-scape - Connecting public parks: spaces valuable to urban life. The green areas in Gjilan are well used by its inhabitants. They are connected by a series of public spaces, for example along the river.

intermediate

end situation

stream public space public green collective green main visual axis strategic site border pedestrian zone automotive traffic bicycle route

project site - The cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main institutions will be placed at its main square, its place on the crossing of Gjilanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main axis and the river provides an instinctive location for the cities main square, city hall and culture centre. - Ring road for efficient transit traffic: station, centres for commerce are easily accessible without pressuring the bystreets. - Car-free urban square: no exhaust-fumes. With small modifications and some new roads the inner city traffic layout is deviated around the central square. - East-west axis is connected south of the new hotel to allow for better traffic flow. New north-south connections are established by extending existing roads. - Vegetation to tie polluting particles, large underground parking to sustain accessibility of city centre.

- The public buildings along the main square are legible: they express their functions through organisation, elevation, materiality - Adaptable phasing: hotel and city hall can stay in business while their successors are being built. - Enclosement of the main square grants it the civic grandeur it is entitled to, at the same time the block opens up to connect the mosque visually to the main square. - Placing the hotel on top of the shopping/business/leisure centre provides great views on the surroundings. It also functions as a landmark from afar that signals/advertises the heart of the city. - Connection and extension of public spaces with varying atmospheres along existing axis - Reclaiming waterways for leisure purposes: upgrading the river from waste water backside to leisure boulevard frontside. The terraced design allows for fluctuating water levels to be accommodated.

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CITY HALL

CULTURE CENTRE

HOTEL

The new city hall houses all municipal departments in one block. Being the most formal civic institution of the region, it finds its natural place in the heart of the town, with a central position on the main square. A stately architectural expression with a and a clear organization of the building reinforce its formal nature. Weighty columns on ground level and subtly more refined copper yellow faĂ§ade elements above give the whole a strong sense of order, uniformity and clarity. All public services are processed on the ground floor, parted from the civil services above by a balcony available for ceremonial events. The assembly hall and press center are located on top where bigger spans are achieved more easily.

The position of the culture centre straight across the city hall creates a strong visual tension. The elevation differs from its surrounding buildings. It is quite quirky as a result of its playful function as a centre for the arts (visual and performing). Big openings in the facade contrast with triangulated planes and panels. They are the window on the arts, through them the art exhibits itself towards the citizens of Gjilan, like a living painting or a stage for performance. The theatre is the heart of the building. All other spaces are organised around it. The most public program is located towards the square and the stream, with large windows providing stunning views. A telling stairway connects the different floors from entrance to sky-restaurant. More private spaces such as studios, rehearsal rooms and offices are placed on the other side of the theatre â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the backstage side. They have smaller framed windows, more suited to the scale of the adjacent buildings they face.

In our design the hotel swaps position with the city hall. This intervention centralizes the city hall and formalizes the square but its corner position also offers the opportunity to elevate the hotel above its neighbors, providing the hotel guests unique views over the whole region. Its height emphasizes the town centre from afar while its triangular shape make it a landmark, visually interesting from every angle. A large variety of rooms, for short and long stay, with balconies and without, single rooms that can be connected to make doubles. make it a very adaptable place. The lower floors are publicly accessible and let hotel guests dine, dance and recreate together with other visitors. The tail of the complex contains the shopping and congress centre framed around an atrium, resulting in brighter interior areas and a more communal sense of space and activity.

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