Architecture Portfolio Design

RAUL CRUZ

MIAMI, FLORIDA (786) 738-7895

rcruzespinosa@gmail.com

WORK EXPERIENCE

JANUARY 2018— PRESENT

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER, V3 ARCHITECTURAL GROUP, INC

• RESEARCHED BUILDING CODES SO THEY COULD BE PROPERLY APPLIED TO THE DESIGN PLANNING STAGE.

• RESEARCHED ZONING CODES AND APPLIED TO MANY RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS, AS WELL AS MANAGE APPLICATION PROCESSES AND VARIANCES THROUGH ZONING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENTS.

• COLLABORATED WITH A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAM TO DESIGN RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROJECTS IN FLORIDA.

• INTERACTED WITH CLIENTS TO ASCERTAIN THEIR NEEDS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR CUSTOM HOMES.

• MONITORED THE DESIGN PROCESS FROM CONCEPTUAL PHASE THROUGH CONSTRUCTION.

• CREATED 3D SKETCHES, MODELS AND RENDERINGS USING REVIT, SKETCHUP AND LUMION.

• PROVIDED INSIGHT TO CLIENTS ON ISSUES AND OPTIONS THAT WOULD AFFECT COMPLETION DATES AND

• MAINTAINED THE ARCHITECTURAL CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTATION AND DRAWINGS FOR EACH PHASE OF FAST-TRACK PROJECTS USING BIM SOFTWARE

JANUARY 2017 —JANUARY 2018

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER, TRELLES CABARROCAS ARCHITECTS

• COMPLETED FORMAL DESIGN INTENT AND CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTATION.

• DRAFTED DETAILED DRAWINGS OF STRUCTURES, SPECIFYING DIMENSIONS AND MATERIALS NEEDED.

• DEFINED ORGANIZATIONAL PROCEDURES FOR INCORPORATING INFORMATION INTO A BUILDING INFORMATION MODEL (BIM).

EDUCATION

SEPTEMBER 2009— JULY 2014

• BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE, UNIVERSIDAD DE ORIENTE, CUBA.

SKILLS

OCTOBER 2013 —DECEMBER 2016

ARCHITECTURAL INTERN /DESIGNER, CHOY LEON ARCHITECTS

• I WORKED IN THIS HAVANA BASED OFFICE FIRST AS AN ARCHITECTURAL INTERN IN MY LAST COLLEGE YEAR AND AFTER GRADUATED AS AN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER BEING PART AND LEADING A CREATIVE TEAM DEVELOPING FIRST SKETCHES, 3D MODELS, RENDERINGS, SCHEMATIC DESIGNS DRAWINGS, URBAN PLANNING CONCEPTS AND DESIGNS, PROGRAMMING AND PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS.

• SKILLED AND PROFICIENT IN REVIT, ARCHICAD, AUTOCAD, SKETCHUP, LUMION, ADOBE PHOTOSHOP, ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR, ADOBE INDESIGN, COREL DRAW.

• ARCHITECTURAL AND INTERIOR DESIGN.

• DEVELOPMENT OF SCHEMATIC DESIGN, DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS.

• BILINGUAL (ENGLISH AND SPANISH).

• ORAL AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATION SKILLS.

• CODE AND ZONING SEARCHES.

• MICROSOFT OFFICE.

• PROJECT MANAGEMENT.

TARARA INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTER

TARARA, CUBA

FINAL THESIS PROJECT. JULY 2014 CONVENTION CENTER MULTIUSE COMERCIAL

THE ORIGIN OF THE NAME OF TARARÁ, DERIVED FROM THE COPPER SHIPMENT PROCESS EXTRACTED IN THE MINES OF THE AREA IN COLONIAL TIMES, IT IS THE STARTING POINT IN THE CONCEPTION OF THE PROPOSAL. THE BUILDING APPEARS AS THE ESSENTIAL PIECE IN THE NEW URBAN PLANNING, ITS MEANING IS INTENDED TO BE LINKED TO THE ENTIRE DISTRIBUTION, AS AN ELEMENT OF IDENTIFICATION AND CONJUNCTION OF ITS PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE. IT ALSO STARTS FROM THE IDEA OF RESCUING THE MEMORY OF A MINE WHERE THEY HAVE CEASED EXPLOITATION WORKS AND THE VEGETATION GROWS INSIDE, IN WHICH THE PEOPLE COME NO LONGER IN SEARCH OF MINERALS BUT OF CULTURE, KNOWLEDGE, EXCHANGES AND DIALOGUES.

THE THREE PROPOSED BLOCKS WILL BE OCCUPIED, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE INTEGRATION OF BUILDINGS THROUGH FORMAL RESOURCES, TO ACHIEVE THE UNITY OF THE IMAGE OF THE WHOLE AND THE BURYING OF PART OF ITS SPACES.

IN THE MAIN BUILDING, TO BE LOCATED IN THE LARGEST BLOCK, THERE IS IT CONCEIVES THE MAIN AUDITORIUM AND MOST OF THE MULTIPURPOSE ROOMS.

THE OTHER TWO BUILDINGS WILL BE DEDICATED ONE TO THE EXHIBITION HALLS AND THE OTHER, IN THE SMALLER BLOCK, WILL BE USED AS A PARKING BUILDING.

THE MAIN BUILDING AND THE EXHIBITION BUILDING WILL HAVE A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP UNDERGROUND: ONE FOR SERVICE AND ONE FOR PUBLIC, INDEPENDENT OF EACH OTHER.

THERE WILL BE A STRONG RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE MAIN BUILDING AND THE CENTRAL PLAZA OF IT WILL TAKE THROUGH A LARGE STAIRCASE, WHICH AT THE SAME TIME FUNCTIONS AS A PUBLIC AMPHITHEATER THAT TAKES OVER THE URBAN SPACE.

THE INTERIOR DESIGN WILL TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE IDEA OF RECREATING A CRATER INSIDE THE MOUNTAIN THE COMPLEX IS STRUCTURED BY SEGREGATING THE FUNCTIONS IN THE THREE BUILDINGS: THE MAIN GROUPS THE MAIN MULTIPURPOSE ROOMS AND THE AUDITORIUM, AS WELL AS THE FUNCTIONS ADMINISTRATIVE AND TECHNICAL; THE EXHIBITION HALL HOUSES THE LARGE SPACES EXHIBITIONS AND PARKING AREAS. HOWEVER, THERE IS A DIRECT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THESE BUILDINGS IN A BURIED WAY, THROUGH HALLWAYS OF ACCESS AND CIRCULATION CORRIDORS, DIFFERENTIATING THE SERVICE, THE PUBLIC AND THE OF ARTISTS IN THE CASE OF THE AUDITORIUM.

THE WORK WITH THE COMBINATION OF WHITE AND SMOOTH SURFACES WITH STONE WALLS LIKE THE EXTERIORS OF THE AUDITORIUM THAT MAKE UP A LARGE PLANE BROKEN, USIG DOUBLE STRUTS, INTERIOR ATRIA THAT VISUALLY COMMUNICATE THE DIFFERENT LEVELS AND ALLOW TO APPRECIATE THE ROOF WITH THE SKYLIGHTS, THE PROPOSING FLOORING MATERIAL IS POLISHED CONCRETE. THE COMBINATION OF SLOPING AND STRAIGHT WALLS, GIVES A CERTAIN IRREGULAR CHARACTER TO THE INTERIORS AND THE CIRCULATION LIKE IN A COOPER MINE, WHERE THE IRREGULARITY OF THE NATURAL FORMS INTERACTS WITH THE ACTION OF THE MINDKIND.

THE WHOLE IS SEEN AS A MONUMENTAL, UNIFIED WORK OF ORGANIC FORMS WHICH TRIES TO BE PART OF THE LANDSCAPE BY TILTING THE OUTER WALLS AS A GESTURE OF FOLLOWING THE SLOPE OF THE HILL, THE VEGETATION IS USED TO COVER SOME OF THESE WALLS SO THAT THEY ARE LIKE A CONTINUATION OF THE ELEVATION.

THE TEXTURES USED ARE BASED ON RECREATING THE ENVIRONMENT OF A MINE, A CRATER, THEY ARE GRAY STONES FROM QUARRIES, THE GREEN OF VEGETATION, GLASS CURTAIN WALLS IN HALLWAYS, MAIN ENTRANCES, AND WALL OPENINGS DISPLACED FROM THE FACADES IN SKYLIGHTS, LIGHT COLORS AND THE USE OF SHEETS OF COPPER ON SOME WALLS.

MARIANA GRAJALES MEMORIAL

SANTIAGO DE CUBA, CUBA ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER WITH CHOY LEON ARCHITECTS, MARCH 2015 PUBLIC MEMORIAL

THE MARIANA GRAJALES MEMORIAL PARK CONSISTS OF THREE FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS:

THE PARK ITSELF, WITH AN AREA OF 1 HECTARE, IS A GREEN SPACE FOR CONTEMPLATION AND TRANSITION BETWEEN THE PLAZA DE LA REVOLUCIÓN ANTONIO MACEO AND THE MEMORIAL. THROUGHOUT THE PARK, EMPHASIS IS PLACED ON THE STUDY OF THE LANDSCAPE AND THE GREEN AREA, TAKING PALM TREES AS THE MAIN ELEMENTS OF THE VEGETATION, ESPECIALLY THE ROYAL PALM.

IT IS IN THE TRANSITION BETWEEN THE PARK AND THE EXHIBITION PAVILION

WHERE THE CENTRAL PIECE OF THE COMPLEX IS LOCATED: THE SCULPTURE OF MARIANA GRAJALES, WITH A HEIGHT OF 10 METERS AND CAST IN BRONZE, WILL FACE THE EQUESTRIAN SCULPTURE OF ANTONIO MACEO. AT ITS BASE, THE STREAM THAT FLOWS FROM INSIDE THE BUILDING OVERFLOWS AND CONTINUES THROUGH THE PARK AMONG STONES, RECALLING THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE FOREST AND HER AS A CEIBA, A SACRED TREE OF CUBA, AS MOTHER OF THE NATION.

EXHIBITION PAVILION, COMPOSED OF TWO VOLUMES OF TWO LEVELS, EACH ONE SYMMETRICALLY ORGANIZED, SEPARATED BY A CROSS-SECTIONAL SPACE OF 8 METERS WIDE, WHICH CREATES THE APPROPRIATE SPACE FOR THE LOCATION OF THE MONUMENT IN HOMAGE TO MARIANA GRAJALES. THE BUILDING IS EXPRESSED AS TWO VOLUMES THAT ARE CONNECTED ON THE UPPER FLOOR BY TWO TRAFFIC BRIDGES. IT IS CROWNED BY A COVERED GARDEN WITH ABUNDANT TREES AND TWO LARGE PERGOLAS THAT CONSTITUTE THE UPPER END OF THE BUILDING, WHICH REACHES 16.4 S HIGH ABOVE CURB LEVEL.

PLAZA HOTEL

SANTIAGO DE CUBA, CUBA

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER, CHOY LEON ARCHITECTS

MAY, 2015

MIXED USE, HOSPITALITY

PLAZA HOTEL IS A DEVELOPMENT WITH A MIXED-USE BASED WITH A GREAT URBAN VOCATION. IT IS MADE UP OF TWO LEVELS OF 6 METERS EACH, AND TWO UNDERGROUND LEVELS DEDICATED TO PARKING AND HOTEL TECHNICAL SERVICES. RECTANGULAR IN SHAPE, 283 METERS LONG AND 60 METERS WIDE, IT IS SURROUNDED BY A PORTAL ON THE GROUND FLOOR THAT FUNCTIONS AS A PEDESTRIAN GALLERY THAT ALLOWS ACCESS TO THE FUNCTIONS THAT ARE ORGANIZED INSIDE THE BUILDING, NAMELY: SHOPPING CENTER AND HOTEL FIVE STARS.

THE LARGE SURFACE OF THE ROOF OF THIS BASEMENT IS USED AS A LARGE GARDEN, WHERE THE RECREATION AND PUBLIC AREAS OF THE HOTEL ARE LOCATED: SWIMMING POOLS, SPORTS AREAS, CAFETERIAS AND PARKS.

THREE TOWERS OF ROOMS, OF 11 FLOORS DEDICATED TO THIS FUNCTION LEAVE THE BASEMENT WITH A LEVEL OF 6 METERS DEDICATED TO SUPPORT SERVICES TO THE POOL AREA AND THE RECREATIONAL SUBSYSTEM OF THE GARDEN DECK. THEY CONSIST OF 10 ROOMS PER FLOOR EACH, FOR A TOTAL OF 330 ROOMS. ON EACH FLOOR THERE ARE 8 STANDARD DUPLEX AND DOUBLE ROOMS AND A TWO-ROOM SUITE.

THE FACADES OF THESE TOWERS HAVE SLIDING SOLAR PROTECTION ELEMENTS ON THE TERRACES OF THE ROOMS, A RESOURCE THAT BECOMES A CHARACTERISTIC ELEMENT OF THE IMAGE OF THE BUILDING.

TOP FLOOR OF THE TOWERS, TOPPED OFF WITH A 6-METER PROP. THEY ARE LOCATED: A RESTAURANT, A BAR AND A HEALTH CENTER, ONE IN EACH TOWER, WHICH ARE CONNECTED BY BRIDGES OF METAL AND GLASS. THEY ARE PLANNED AS A GARDEN WITH A SWIMMING POOL AND ABUNDANT VEGETATION, AS A VIEWPOINT TOWARDS FROM THE CITY AT A HEIGHT OF 66 METERS FROM THE LEVEL OF THE SIDEWALK.

LOFT HAVANA SUITE 18

HAVANA, CUBA

AUGUST, 2015

RESIDENTIAL, REMODELING IN A HISTORIC BUILDING

FROM AN APARTMENT IN A NEOCLASSICAL BUILDING FROM THE COLONIAL PERIOD OF OLD HAVANA AN INDUSTRIAL-TYPE LOFT WITH A MEZZANINE IS PROPOSED, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE HIGH PROP TO CREATE TWO LEVELS CONNECTED BY AN INTERIOR STAIRCASE MADE OF METAL AND WOOD. ON THE ROOFTOP THERE WILL BE A TERRACE WITH A PERGOLA, SHOWERS, SUN LOUNGERS AND VEGETATION FOR OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. THIS IS ACCESSED FROM INSIDE THE APARTMENT BY A METAL WALKWAY THAT CONNECTS WITH THE COMMON STAIRCASE THAT LEADS TO THE TERRACE.

IT IS THE MAIN IDEA THAT IN THE FINISHES AND DESIGN OF THIS LOFT AN ATMOSPHERE IS APPRECIATED INDUSTRIAL RECOVERY AND RESPECT FOR THE ESSENCE OF THE BUILDING, RETAKING ELEMENTS IDENTITIES OF CONSTRUCTIONS OF THIS TYPE IN OLD HAVANA SUCH AS BALCONIES, USE OF WOOD, EXPOSED WALLS, STONES, POLISHED CONCRETE FLOORS. LIKEWISE, THE DESIGN OF THE SPACES PART OF THE CONCEPT OF A SINGLE VISUAL SPACE INTERCONNECTED BETWEEN THE LEVELS BY DOUBLE STRUT SPACES THAT TOGETHER WITH THE LARGE SPANS ALLOW AN OPTIMAL USE OF NATURAL LIGHTING.

ON THE GROUND FLOOR WE HAVE AS PART OF THE UNIQUE SPACE A STUDY THAT IS IN THE AREA OF DOUBLE PROP WHERE IS THE INTERIOR STAIRCASE AND THE METAL AND WOODEN WALKWAY THAT CONNECTS WITH THE UPPER FLOOR, A PANTRY AND A LIVING ROOM WITH A DOUBLE PROP THAT GIVES WAY THROUGH TWO LARGE DOORS TO THE BALCONY TOWARDS LUZ STREET. ALSO ON THIS LEVEL THERE IS A BATHROOM AND A CLOSET FOR SUITCASES. THE BACK WALL SHOWS THE MASONRY OF THE ORIGINAL WALL OF THE BUILDING THAT HAS BEEN DISCOVERED TO REVEAL THE MATERIAL OF WHICH IT IS MADE.

UPSTAIRS WHEN ACCESSED BY THE STAIRCASE AND THE WALKWAY IS THE EXIT TO THE STAIRCASE THAT GOES TO THE ROOF AND COMES FROM THE COMMON HALL ON THE LOWER FLOOR. ON THE OTHER HAND WE HAVE A BALCONY THAT LOOKS OUT ONTO THE INNER COURTYARD OF THE BUILDING AND IS A CONTINUATION OF THE WALKWAY THAT ENDS IN A CORRIDOR WITH THE CLOSETS THAT LEADS TO THE BACK TO THE ROOM THAT IT HAS AS A BACKDROP THE WIDE GATES THAT FACE LUZ STREET THAT ARE EXPRESSED IN ITS ENTIRELY BY THE DOUBLE PROP BEHIND THE METAL RAILING THAT SERVES AS THE LIMIT OF THISLEVEL. ON THIS FLOOR IS THE MAIN BATHROOM DESIGNED AS A BATHROOM WITH A CABIN FOR TOILET AND SHOWER CUBICLE THAT ALLOWS LIGHTING TO ENTER THROUGH GLASS TOWARDS THE BATHROOM.

FARM HOUSE

HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER WITH V3 ACHITECTURAL GROUP, INC

DECEMBER, 2019 RESIDENTIAL

THIS PROJECT IS IN HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA. OUR CLIENT WANTED US TO DESIGN A SMALL HOME FOR HIS FARM THAT COULD BE BUILT IN A MINIMUM AMOUNT OF TIME AND WELL UNDER THE COSTS TYPICALLY ASSOCIATED WITH STANDARD CONSTRUCTION METHODS. SINCE OUR CLIENT IS IN THE CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS, WE SUGGESTED USING SHIPPING CONTAINERS THAT ARE OFTEN USED AS TEMPORARY OFFICES ON CONSTRUCTION SITES. BEING RECEPTIVE TO THE CONCEPT, BUT CONCERNED WITH THE PROJECT AESTHETICS, OUR TEAM SET OUT TO PROVE THAT WE COULD UTILIZE THE CONTAINERS AND MODIFY THEIR INDUSTRIAL APPEARANCE BY DECONSTRUCTING CERTAIN ELEMENTS AND INCORPORATING STOREFRONTS AND DECORATIVE FEATURES SUCH AS WOODS THAT COULD BE RECLAIMED FROM OLDER STRUCTURES LOCATED IN HIS FARM. TO RAISE THE STRUCTURE, WE SUGGESTED UTILIZING PREFABRICATED BEAMS. THIS WAS DONE TO RAISE THE STRUCTURE ABOVE THE FLOOD PLAIN AND TO CREATE A SOLID FOUNDATION THAT COULD DEAL WITH THE POWERFUL HURRICANES IN SOUTH FLORIDA.

ONE OF CONTAINERS IS USED FOR THE FORMAL LIVING, DINING, AND KITCHEN AREAS. IT IS PLACED ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE PROPERTY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CANAL VIEWS THAT SURROUND THE PROPERTY AND AWAY FROM THE MAIN ROAD. THE SECOND CONTAINER HOUSES THE BEDROOMS AND PRIVATE AREAS. THE TWO 8 FEET BY 40 FEET CONTAINERS ARE LINKED BY A CENTRAL CONNECTOR TO ALLOW ADDITIONAL VIEWS TO PRESENT THEMSELVES AS YOU TRANSITION FROM ONE CONTAINER TO THE NEXT.

THE LANDSCAPING FOR THE PROJECT UTILIZES NATURAL STONES THAT WERE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE PROPERTY.

ONE OF THE GOALS THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR TEAM WAS TO UTILIZE NATURAL VENTILATION AND REUSE AS MANY OF THE EXISTING MATERIALS LOCATED IN THE FARM. TO THIS AIM, THE CONTAINERS WERE DESIGNED SO THEY COULD BE OPENED IN A VARIETY OF WAYS TO UTILIZE THE NATURAL BREEZES. TO CONTROL THE HARSH FLORIDA SUN, THE RECLAIMED WOOD WAS USED TO ENCLOSE VERTICALLY AND HORIZONTALLY THE EXTERIOR TERRACES.

FLOOR PLAN

3D VIEW

LOYNAZ HOTEL BOUTIQUE

HAVANA, CUBA

NOVEMBER, 2016 HOSPITALITY

FROM AN APARTMENT IN A NEOCLASSICAL BUILDING FROM THE COLONIAL PERIOD OF OLD HAVANA AN INDUSTRIAL-TYPE LOFT WITH A MEZZANINE IS PROPOSED, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE HIGH PROP TO CREATE TWO LEVELS CONNECTED BY AN INTERIOR STAIRCASE MADE OF METAL AND WOOD. ON THE ROOFTOP THERE WILL BE A TERRACE WITH A PERGOLA, SHOWERS, SUN LOUNGERS AND VEGETATION FOR OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES.

THIS IS ACCESSED FROM INSIDE THE APARTMENT BY A METAL WALKWAY THAT IT CONNECTS WITH THE COMMON STAIRCASE THAT LEADS TO THE TERRACE. IT IS THE MAIN IDEA THAT IN THE FINISHES AND DESIGN OF THIS LOFT AN ATMOSPHERE IS APPRECIATED INDUSTRIAL RECOVERY AND RESPECT FOR THE ESSENCE OF THE BUILDING, RETAKING ELEMENTS IDENTITIES OF CONSTRUCTIONS OF THIS TYPE IN OLD HAVANA SUCH AS BALCONIES, USE OF WOOD, EXPOSED WALLS, STONES, POLISHED CONCRETE FLOORS. LIKEWISE, THE DESIGN OF THE DOUBLE STRUT SPACES TOGETHER WITH THE LARGE SPANS ALLOW AN OPTIMAL USE OF NATURAL LIGHTING.

ZAFIR RESIDENCE

MIAMI, FLORIDA

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER WITH V3 ARCHITECTURAL GROUP, INC

FEBRUARY, 2020 RESIDENCIAL

THE DESIGN OF THIS RESIDENCE IS BASED ON THE STRONG RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE AND THE BUILDING, THE GLASS CURTAIN WALLS, THE INTERSECTION OF VOLUMES, AND THE COURTYARD AS A CENTRAL FEATURE OF THE LAYOUT, MAKE THIS PURPOSE STRONGER.