Francisco Castellanos Architecture Portfolio by Francisco Castellanos

ARCHITECTURE FRANCISCO CASTELLANOS

ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO

FRANCISCO CASTELLANOS

.CV .PERSONAL INFORMATION NAME DATE OF BIRTH NATIONALITY HOMETOWN PHONE NUMBER EMAIL

Francisco Alberto Castellanos Martinez March 23, 1988 Mexican, Spanish Cancun, Mexico (00-52) 99 81 47 67 03 franciscocastellanos@outlook.com

.PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 2013

January - Present

ESTUDIO AM - CANCUN, MEXICO

Worked as Project Leader, mainly involved in residential projects

PW HOUSE - IN PROGRESS

Cancun, Mexico - 220 m² Private Residence

2012

January - June

DIETMAR FEICHTINGER ARCHITECTS - PARIS, FRANCE

Worked as a trainee, involved in various projects and competitions, of different typologies and scales:

VEOLIA HEADQUARTES. INVITED COMPETITION - WINNING PROPOSAL Porte de Aubervilliers, Paris, France - 80 000 m² Office Building.

FOOTBRIDGE. COMPETITION - WINNING PROPOSAL

Mantes-la-Jolie, France - New Bridge 190 m length, rebuilt part of Old Bridge 24 m length, Promenade 500 m length.

FOOTBRIDGE. COMPETITION - WINNING PROPOSAL Cherbourg, France - 127 m length.

ECOLE CENTRAL

Saclay, France - 28 800 m² University Building, 150 000 m² Urban Project.

SUZA HIGHSPEED TRAIN STATION [TGV] Suza, Italy - 17 400 m² Train Station.

CHARTRES CITYHALL AND ADMINISTRATION BUILDING Chartres, France - 9 700 m² Office Building.

2011

January - June

OFICIO TALLER DE ARQUITECTURA - MONTERREY, MEXICO

Worked as a trainee, mainly involved in the production of presentation documents and construcction plans of an apartment building.

SAN JERONIMO APARTMENT BUILDING - BUILT Monterrey, Mexico - 1 800 m² Apartment Building.

2010

August - December

TECNOLOGICO DE MONTERREY

Worked as tutor for architecture students in the use of specialized software. AutoCad, AutoCad 3D, Revit Architecture, 3D Max and Photoshop.

.EDUCATION UNIVERISTY 2007 - 2012

BA - TECNOLOGICO DE MONTERREY [ITESM] . CAMPUS MONTERREY Graduated with Honors.

SPECIAL COURSES AND WORKSHOPS 2012

SPECIAL GROUP OF DESIGN . ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL, TECNOLOGICO DE MONTERREY

2011

SPECIAL ARCHITECURAL WORKSHOP “CATEDRA LEGORRETA + TAGLIABUE”

2010

SPECIAL ARCHITECURAL WORKSHOP “CATEDRA BLANCA CEMEX”

January - June August - December

January - May

Consists in working full-time, for a six months period, in an international architecture office. Architectural Workshop under the guidance of two major architecture firms: Legorreta+Legorreta [Mexico] and EMBT [Barcelona].

Architectural Workshop sponsored by CEMEX, leaded by the Mexican architect Agustin Landa.

.LANGUAGES SPANISH ENGLISH FRENCH

.SOFTWARE Mother tongue 100% [TOEFL 620 pts.] 80%

AutoCad Revit Architecture 3D Max [+VRay] Sketch Up Rhino

Photoshop Illustrator InDesign Flash

.INDEX

– THE QUARRY - CEMEX COMMUNITY CENTER

– J. R. MUSEUM AND ART CENTER

– SCHOOL OF ART, ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN

– PUBLIC LIBRARY

– CC HOUSE

– PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE PROJECTS

THE QUARRY - CEMEX COMMUNITY CENTER

THE QUARRY

CEMEX COMMUNITY CENTER EARLY DESIGN PHASE IN COLLABORATION

The project's main objective is to create a place where people can gathered together. The site located within the grounds of CEMEX's concrete plant and quarry in Monterrey, is characterized by the presence of large factories, warehouses, traffic and high levels of noise. So in order to create an appropriate space, the project is placed below the level of the street. At the center, a circular plaza is created, which works as an entrance lobby to the workshops that surround it, achieving a more private and intimate space. Being intended as a community center focused on teaching people self-employments, an urban farm and recycling program are proposed, helping make the project more ecological and

social sustainable. .SITE

.PROCESS

The surrounding environment of the site is characterized by high levels of noise and visual pollution, due to its closeness to the concrete quarry and street. 12

The very same site, the quarry, is the one that incite the design of the project.

An excavation is made, to lower the building level below the street. Around 5,000 sq. meters of raw material are extracted, and will be used to produce the concrete for the project.

A surro isolate a space. Beneath for the w

ounding talus is raised, to and protect more the central

h the talus, is placed the area workshops and classrooms.

A cut is made to the talus, to create the main entrance from the street to the center.

On top of the talus, are located the orchards for the urban farm program. Two different volumes intersect the circular space, the auditorium and the cafeteria, emphasizing the entrance and the presence of the community center on a urban scale.

A walkway goes through between the orchards, letting people walk around the whole center.

48 dB

70 dB

.NOISE REDUCTION AND VISUAL FRAMING

.WATER HARVESTING AND RECYCLE 35째C

24째C

.THERMAL ISOLATION AND MICROCLIMATE .SECTION A

The program of the community center is separated into different volumes, the cafeteria is at the right of the entrance, the workshops beneath the talus, the orchards over them, and the auditorium at front, facing the entrance. Although the program is separated, a central plaza articulates the different buildings.

.SPRING HARVEST

.SITE PLAN

.FALL HARVEST Addressed to instruct and promote self-employment, the community center will offer a variety of course and classes like carpentry, blacksmithing, mechanics, computer classes, hair styling, cooking lessons, dressmaking, recycling, between others. So, in addition to this base curriculum, an urban farming program is proposed, using the workshops roofs as harvesting area, the program is aimed to help and teach the community how to grow their own food. Also as result of the program, the harvested products can be used in the cooking classes, and the meals, can be later sell on the cafeteria. And finally the organic waste of the cafeteria can be turn into organic compost to fertilize the orchards, closing by this a complete sustainable cycle. .MULTIFUNCTIONAL SPACE

.COMMUNITY MARKET

.OUTDOOR MOVIE THEATER

.SECTION B

.FLOOR PLAN

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The circular scheme of the project works on multiple levels. On one hand, the central plaza functions as an entrance lobby articulating the buildings of the auditorium, workshops and cafeteria. On the other hand, it emphasize the main purpose of the center, to create unity between the people. First, it gathers the community in one central place. Second, it makes them face each other, as like the workshop spaces, encouraging their interaction. And third, it offers them an appropriate public space for their leisure and recreation, the central plaza and green areas.

J.R. MUSEUM AND ART CENTER

J.R. MUSEUM

AND ART CENTER The J.R. Museum and Art Center seeks to become a link between people and art. Entirely dedicated to the artist and antiquarian Jesus Reyes, the museum and art center is intended to be a place to appreciate art and a place to create it. For this, besides holding the exhibition of Reyes' paintings, it offers various workshops and art courses. Located nearby the “Bosque de Chapultepec” (Mexico City's most important and biggest park), the museum site has a very sloped terrain, which its perception is more emphasized by the difference of scale between the buildings at the top and bottom ends of the inclination. On the high ground, small buildings around two or three stories are found, and on the low ground, high buildings are raised up to twelve stories. So in order to connect this two nearby areas, the project uses a gradient of scales in its own buildings, improving the relation among them as well as with the museum. Also the museum aims to be a point of reference in a bigger urban scale, because aside of the “Bosque de Chapultepec”, there's no other landmark that can be used as a milestone in the area. Regarding the museum's main building, the tower, it works as a huge art container. Giving the impression from the outside, of being a big solid volume, but in its inside it reveals itself as an empty shell that guards the art work of the artist. By entering, people will be bathed with the light that passes through the entire museum, from the roof terrace, all the way down to the parking at the basement. This contrast is achieve thanks to a central void that goes through the entire building, filling up every space with light and connecting the different levels with each other, all for the intention to let the visitor have a smooth and fluid experience.

.PROCESS The keynote to reach the right integration of the project within its context is to know and understand the site, its existing relations, and achieving the conditions to enhance them.

The program is divided and separated in pieces, so it can be placed and adapted better to the site topography. The workshops pieces establish a dialogue with the high ground buildings, meanwhile the tower relates to the downhill buildings and the main avenue. In addition, the tower platform serves to relate the museum to a smaller pedestrian scale. The space for the workshops is configured by three elements: the interior space, the patio and the green area. As consequence, the space hold between these elements becomes more private and intimate, creating the proper atmosphere to encourage creativity. Also, the repetition of these elements along the way through the complex, gives the visitor a more interesting experience.

A central void is opened, that goes The museum tour is carried by Also, an exterior elliptical The exterior lattice facade reduces through the entire building, letting a constant elliptical circulation, circulation is placed, enhancing the the heaviness of the tower volume. the light fill it up. giving it a smoother flow. museum relation to its context.

Jesus Reyes was known to paint pictures in the tissue paper he used to wrap the items sold in his antiquary, and give them away for free. For the museum, this wrapping is made by an exterior facade, which design was accomplish by the exercise of using one of his pictures, the famous cock painting, and overlaying it a diagonals grid, for structural purposes, to finally cutout from the wall what was left from the painting.

.SITE PLAN

WORKSHOPS .FLOOR PLAN

MUSEUM 23

.SECTION

.STRUCTURAL SCHEME The main structure is composed by concrete columns, that stand still thanks to two concrete rings that work as connecting beams.

To maintain the appearance of the interior space more freely, the use of interior columns is avoided, and the floor slabs are only supported by the exterior columns.

To help supporting the floor slabs, steel wires fixed to the inner concrete ring will also carry them. As well, the exterior facade works as an anchor element, helping balance the slabs.

SCHOOL OF ART, ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN COMPETITION - JURY SELECTION PROJECT

SCHOOL OF ART, ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN EARLY DESIGN PHASE IN COLLABORATION

With the recent creation of the School of Art, Architecture and Design of the Tecnologico de Monterrey University, the faculty of architecture launched the competition to design the building for the new school. The two main guidelines of the competitions were: A. - to design a new building within the area of the campus, or B. - to use the current building of the architecture faculty. The reasons option B was chosen, were specially to preserve the identity and unity of the campus, the sense of belonging by the students of architecture, as well to have the opportunity of facing the challenge to work with an existing old building. Built in 1947, the current building of the faculty of architecture was designed by the Mexican architect Enrique de la Mora along with other buildings as part of the first master plan for the university campus. Although this building has been subject of different reconfigurations, it still keeps its original facades, as also other buildings in the campus. So in a matter of honor to the architect De la Mora, it was decided for the proposal to preserve the original facades. Nevertheless this conservation spirit, the actual configuration of the building is characterized by dark, narrow hallways, and the lack of spaces where students can get together and interact with each other. Having in mind these points, and after analyzing the building current structure, a new distribution came up in order to create a wider perception of the space. 28

A void is created between the main facade and the classrooms, bringing more light into the building. Also, by extracting some classroom modules other voids are created but now in the horizontal axis, leaving clear space for the students to gather.

The stairs and hallways are placed inside the void with the purpose to provide them with as much light as possible. The classrooms of the three schools are randomly array to encourage the interaction between the students of the different careers.

.PROCESS

EXISTING BUILDING

MODULES EXTRACTION

ATRIUM AND INNER VOIDS

CUTOUT FOR MAIN VOID

ADDITION OF HALLWAYS

In this same manner, the location of the stairs varies from one level to other, promoting more these encounters.

ORIGINAL FACADE ATTACHMENT 29

.SECTION

.NEW CONFIGURATION

.ORIGINAL STRUCTURE

.ACTUAL CONFIGURATION

At the center of the building, aligned with the hall that connects the building with the rest of the campus, an atrium is created also with the intention to bring more light to the interior, Besides the established program and area requirements, the projects includes an auditorium, four computer labs, and learning commons areas in each level.

.THERMAL GAIN REDUCTION

What enriches a school is the exchange of thoughts and ideas of its students. But in order for this exchange to happens, students need to be provided with the space that allows them do so. And if the opportunity to interact with people of other careers appears, the dialogue between them would be more diverse and interesting. For that, the project seeks to generate more visual connections between the different levels of the building, and also between the interior and the exterior areas. Likewise, by relocating and aligning the hallways closer to the exterior, the building will be perceived more lively thanks to the constant come and go of the students.

.CROSS VENTILATION

PUBLIC LIBRARY

missing spaces emerged. So now beyond only inserting a library into a city block, we are giving a library, a plaza and a park.

MTY - PROTOTYPES

The task was to design the prototype of a small public library that the government can build in different places of the city. These small scale libraries should contain around ten thousand books, and most be able to fit inside a site no bigger than five hundred square meters. After analyzing the actual conditions of the city of Monterrey with its lack of green areas and public space, and having in consideration these libraries are intended to be built repeatedly all around the city, the idea of using this prototype of library for having the opportunity to creat these

After that, two kinds of prototypes came up, the first one from the idea of the library containing a small park, and the second from turning around this first conception, a park containing a library. On other thoughts, the sequence of events when someone goes to a library was brought to the table, from getting to the library, looking and grabbing a book, and finally finding the right spot for reading it, all of this with the purpose of creating someway these transitions flow more smoothly from one to another, making the whole experience more pleasant.

PROTOTYPE - L The Prototype-L Library encloses a small park inside of it, from which the whole library works around. The L shape configuration helps containing the green area separating it from the exterior, making it a more private and quite space. As a book does, you can't know what is inside of the building until you enter. The reading areas are confined in the inverted L shape element, helping enclose the green area, and give the visitor the chance to get more in touch with nature. The visitor will experience a variety of atmosphere, as he goes through the library he can find an interior cozy space overflowing its view towards the trees, an open outdoor space shared by local plants and trees, and also an area which lays in the border line of interior-exterior space.

On the exterior of the library, another L shape element surrounds the building, the plaza. The plaza has a few steps that reach the platform which raise the building from ground level, giving the library a more monumental treatment. This plaza gives the visitor the chance to take a pause before entering or leaving the library, and also makes room within the city for people to get together as is supposed to be in every public space. 34

.SITE PLAN

.PROTOTYPE - A PARK INSIDE A LIBRARY .LIBRARY PROTOTYPE AND ITS PLACEMENT AROUND THE CITY OF MONTERREY

Getting to the library .SEQUENCE OF EVENTS

Taking a book

Reading the book .PROTOTYPE - A LIBRARY INSIDE A PARK

.FIRST LEVEL PLAN

.SECOND LEVEL PLAN

The transition from the exterior into the interior of the library has a dramatic change in atmospheres. By entering the building, the visitor will pass through a short narrow hallway with a reduce amount of light, to finally encounter how this hallway opens up to a wide lighted space. The L shaped building holds in its interior on the first level the access, an information stand and reading areas. On the second level, the books' storage area is found, as well as another information stand and reading areas. The places where the two L shapes intersect are the spot where the stairs and services are placed. and in consequence of being a little stepped away from this main L shapes, a more defined and clear circulation is achieve.

.SECTION

PROTOTYPE - S PUBLIC LIBRARY

From turning around the idea of a library containing a park inside, the Prototype-S Library propose that the library is contained by the park. Then, an idea to make a more interesting and rich interaction between the park and the library appears, as what if the library building wanders around the park and between the trees.

For this purpose a serpentine scheme is introduced, and with the intention of making the progression of the sequence more fluid, the limits between its elements are deleted, and now they merged with each other. First the plaza goes into the library thanks to stairway, then the user finds the book storage area which will lead him to a ramp that passes between the trees and the building, walking him through a change between interior and exterior spaces.

Finally, all the reading areas are disposed in different configuration, having ones that are interiors other that are exteriors, and also another ones that lingers between these two.

.MAIN FACADE

.FIRST LEVEL PLAN

.LATERAL FACADE

.SECOND LEVEL PLAN

.SECTION

The different elements and levels of the library let the users interact more closely with the trees at different distance and heights, changing the way they perceive and relate to them.

CC HOUSE

EARLY DESIGN PHASE IN COLLABORATION Located in a foothill at the southern part of the city of Monterrey, the design for the house is dictated by the understanding of the site. Its topography is characterized for having a big slope through the whole terrain. In consequence the program requirements are divided in separate pieces so they can be placed more properly in the terrain. On the other hand, to maintain the perception of the house as a whole unit, a hallway connects all the areas of the house, as it surrounds the backyard. By avoiding the use of interior walls in the public areas, a visual connection reinforces this sense of unity. Another characteristic of the site and of its surroundings is the presence of clay in the soil. So to enhance the house to harmonize with its context, it is decided to use this clay as part of the aggregates for the concrete mix. The result is that the walls of the house have a brownish tint similar to the one the hillsides have. As well as they help built a cozier atmosphere in its interior.

.TERRAIN SLOPE AND PRIMARY VOLUME

.DIVISION OF THE PRIMARY VOLUME INTO SECONDARY PIECES

.FIRST LEVEL PLAN

.SECTION

The house disposition follows an L shaped pattern, which works as a barrier between the street and the house. Additionally of giving more privacy to the house, this composition protects the interior rooms from the direct sunlight of the afternoon, thanks these areas are closed to the west, but remain open to the east, letting the morning sunlight enter to the main volume. Also the arrangement of the different spaces of the program are organized in this L shape layout. This configuration helps separate the public areas of the house from the more private rooms. The relation among these areas is articulated by the backyard, which also helps bring daylight into the interior spaces. Thanks to the slope of the terrain and its position, the bedrooms get a great view to the backyard and to the park just across the street.

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE PROJECTS

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE PROJECTS .DIETMAR FEICHTINGER ARCHITECTES - PARIS, FRANCE 80 rue Edouard Vaillant 93100 Montreuil - Tel + 33 (0) 1 43 71 15 22 www.feichtingerarchitects.com - paris@feichtingerarchitectes.com

VEOLIA HEADQUARTERS

INVITED COMPETITION - WINNING PROPOSAL 80 000 M2 OFFICE BUILDING - PORTE DE AUBERVILLIERS, PARIS, FRANCE

FOOTBRIDGE

COMPETITION - WINNING PROPOSAL NEW BRIDGE 190M, REBUILT PART OF OLD BRIDGE 24M, PREMONADE 500M MANTES-LA-JOLIE, FRANCE

FOOTBRIDGE

COMPETITION - WINNING PROPOSAL 127 M BRIDGE - CHERBOURG, FRANCE

ECOLE CENTRAL

28 800 M2 UNIVERSITY BUILDING, 150 00 M2 URBAN PROJECT SACLAY, FRANCE 50

Competition Phase: plans, elevations and sections in Autocad and Photoshop, two physical models. Project First Phase: Presentation plans, surface calculations.

Competition Phase: Model Making, plans, elevations and sectiosn in AutoCad and Photoshop, rendering post-production in Photoshop Project First Phase: Plans and details in AutoCad.

Sections, plans and details in AutoCad and Photoshop, rendering postproduction in Photoshop.

Model making, schemes, urban planning, Ecole Central plans, 3D model, presentation boards.

SUZA HIGHSPEED TRAIN STATION [TGV] INVITED COMPETITION 17 400 M2 TRAIN STATION - SUZA, ITALY

Model making, 3D model, masterplan, plans, sections, and presentation boards.

CHARTRES CITYHALL

Plans, elevations and sectiosn in AutoCad and Photoshop, presentation boards.

9 720 M2 OFFICE BUILDING - CHARTRES, FRANCE

.OFICIO TALLER DE ARQUITECTURA - MONTERREY, MEXICO Plutarco Elias Calles 625 San Pedro Garza Garcia oficiotaller.com - oficiotaller@gmail.com

SAN JERONIMO APARTMENT BUILDING - BUILT 1 800 M2 APARTMENT BUILDING MONTERREY, MEXICO

Model making, presentation plans, set of construction plans.

.ESTUDIO AM - CANCUN, MEXICO Tel +52 (998) 9 11 02 71 www.estudioam.mx - info@estudioam.mx

PW HOUSE - IN PROGRESS 220 M2 PRIVATE RESIDENCE CANCUN, MEXICO

3D model, plans, elevations and sectiosn in AutoCad, set of construction plans. 51

'Architecture is so many things at once, and yet is somehow more than all of them' Louis Kahn.