Loore Van Laethem
1st Semester: Erasmus - Paris Sous les jupes de la metropole
2th Semester: Patrimonium Patrimonium
SECOND MASTER ISTT: Managua - Nicaragua
WORK EXPERIENCE Home Van Roy
Antwerpen
Daniël Herreynslaan
Antwerpen
24 de Julho
Lisboa
Ficalho Lisboa
oiloftroP
FIRST MASTER
Loore Van Laethem Female 6 mei 1992 - Edegem - Belgium loore_vanlaethem@hotmail.com +32474710598 Jaak Embrechtsstraat 55, 2100 Deurne
Languages Dutch
English
French
Portuguese
Mother tongue
Fluent
Good understanding speaking writing skills
Basic understanding speaking writing skills
Work experience 2019 - heden
Architect - FRIDAYoffice, Antwerpen
2019
Architect - Nnof, Vilvoorde
2019
Architect - Jonckx, Antwerpen
2017 - 2019
Architect - AZ architecture, Lisboa
2016 - 2017
Architect - ARVS architecture, Antwerpen
2016
Internship - Stramien, Antwerpen
Designing and organizing the building permit for several projects Managing the project Deerns in Den Haag Designing the restauration project of a protected building Designing and creating the execution plans of several projects
Following up the construction of several projects
Skills Adobe
Photoshop - InDesign - Illustrator
Drawing
Vectorworks - AutoCad - Revit - SketchUp - Artlantis
Office
Word - Excel - Powerpoint
Travels 2019
Australia - New Zealand Japan
2018
Iceland Portugal
2017
Finland - Lapland
2015
Tanzania and Zanzibar Romania Nicaragua
2014
France Switserland Brasil Canada
2013
Germany - Berlin
Education Master in Architecture (Second Year) - University of Antwerp
2015 - 2016
I chose de subject ISTT (International Studies of Territories in Transition) The project took place in Managua, Nicaragua.
Master in Architecture (First Year) - University of Antwerp
2014 - 2015
I participated in an Erasmus programme in Paris (Malaquais, ĂŠcole des beaux arts). Project subject was the undergrounds of the city and its suroundings. Second semester I studied in Antwerp. The project subject was restoring and reprogramming a buidling that was build between 1950 and 1980.
Bachelor in Architecture - University of Antwerp
2011 - 2014
First year - Desiging a home with a designstudio. Second year - Perceptual space, co-housingproject and markethall. Third year - Reconstructionproject and multifunctional building.
Secondary School - St-Lucas KSO - School of Arts Antwerp
2007 - 2011
Things I Enjoy
Travel
Organizing
Food
Books
Spots
Photography
Series
Coffee
Snow
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Photo taken by me
Sous les jupes de la métropole The content of this title is the underground spaces in Paris and its surroundings. We analyzed four districts of Paris in group where an underground network of spaces was located. These districts were often disadvantaged neighbourhoods. The subject of this project was more philosophical. After finishing the first part, we’ve gotten instructions to work individually on the undergrounds of one of the designated spots. I chose Evry because this place is a maze of underground areas with a wide variety of functions. Evry can be seen as a large underground area or as a collection of smaller ones connected by roads, bridges and buildings. There is an area that serves as an entry and exit for a lot of builings and public functions. It’s also a part of a larger structure for pedestrians. So it’s reachable in many different ways but it is not used to it’s fullest potential. Evry is a growing city and this is largely due to the opening of a big shopping center in 1975. Since the advent of the center, Evry has experienced a tremendous growth in population and importance. But that’s just for the commercial part. Despite this progress, there is still a place missing where young people can gather. The ‘entrance area’ is an interesting spot to work with for a cultural and social intervention because it has a central position and very accessible from different directions and levels. Evry isn’t a rich city, but it is rich in a variety of cultures. The new design should be a place where everyone feels at home. On the lower level is already La Maison du Monde and Populairs Relief located. These are companies with a social content that organize debates, exhibitions, street markets .... They are committed to charity but don’t have the space for it now. The people of Evry can make this place alive. Day and night, summer and winter. The place can be used for gigs, exhibitions, concerts, festivals, ... It would be a place for the people in Evry, created by the people of Evry.
Patrimonium The excercise included the restoration and reprograming of a building built in the 50’s, 60’s or 70’s which is located in Antwerp. By analyzing the position of the building in Antwerp, the program of hostels, student rooms for exchange students and studios has come out. These will be located in the big building at the Frankrijklei. The smaller building on the Tabakvest includes areas where Start-Ups could settle. The combination of these various functions provides a variety of areas and will bring a certain liveliness in the whole building. The facade on the Frankrijklei has a clear plinth, a body and a top by using different materials and differences in the depth. The entire facade consists of prefabricated concrete elements. The body and the top are ribbed and have a dark gray colour, the plinth is plain and kept in a lighter shade of gray. The windows form a pattern on the facade that becomes vissible when the blinds are shut. The blinds ensure that the facade exudes a certain calm. The panels are made of perforated steel so light still comes but it keeps out the heat of the sun. When opening the windows, the windowframe can be slid behind the blinds so there occures a small sun terrace within the rooms itself. This facade has served as the basis for the other three facades. Because the building has neighbors along two sides, there is only light obtained at the front and back side of the patio. Logically, the main functions are located at these facades. This creates a central area that includes both a social and circulating roller.
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Photo taken by me
ISTT: Territories in Transition As a final project I chose the topic: “What can architecture do for countries undergoing social changes.� Architecture is a tool that can help when social, economic and political changes are needed in countries affected by unrest. In the long term architecture can contribute to greater social equality. Architecture can easily connect both social and practical aspects. It can get people who have never been in contact with architecture involved in the design, this on both a small and large scale. The architect can provoke an interaction between the existing context and the new design. The project takes place in the capital of Nicaragua, Managua. The city is a puzzle whose pieces have very clear edges. There is no uniformity present making Managua difficult to understand. The city has endured twice an earthquake, in a short time, that destroyd almost everything so the city knows a huge poverty. Our task is to offer the city a new architectural vision that works with the existing climate, social and economic problems and current residents. The groupstudy on the existing problems and potential of Managua is contained in one book. This analysis is used for the further individual project.
Map of Managua
Ciudad Sandino and it’s Cauces Connectors of landscapes, places and people Ciudad Sandino is a municipal in Managua, located 12,5 km Northwest of the city. The city is the result of a great migration in 1969. This move took place because of the flooding of lake Xolothan, next to Managua. There was a lot of uncertainty, lack of drinking water, lighting, electricity,... In 1971 there was still no public transportation to Managua what made that Ciudad Sandino was closed of the capital. In the years between 1972 and 1998 there were more natural disasters which meant that even more people lost their houses and had to start over in Ciudad Sandino. A new district arose because of the overpopulation in Ciudad sandino: ‘Nueva Vida’. Nueva Vida is characterized by extreme poverty. The inhabitants were hoping for a new beginning (“new life”), but that has not happened yet. The lack of basic infrastructure and work shows that this is one of the poorest neighborhoods. The district does contain the greatest number of nongovernmental organizations who set up various projects dealing with health, education, nursing and technical training. Ciudad Sandino continues to have many defects such as decent roads and cultural infrastructures but the city has also a lot to offer (schools, work, hospitals,...). As a result, Ciudad Sandino and Nueva Vida are inseparably linked.
Ciudad Sandino
Nueva Vida
There is a network of open channels available for the drainage of the rain water in Managua. These are called cauces. Many are formed naturally, caused by the drainage of rainwater towards the lake. But today, we can also find constructed cauces. Almost everywhere in the city cauces have lost their original function. The inhabitants throw their waste into the streams, which get clogged and are therefore a lot of the time the dirtiest parts of the city. Several cauces were also transformed into roads. The overflow of the channels is a huge threat to Managua and its inhabitants. Ciudad Sandino has four large cauces running through the city. Three cauces run alongside each other, from South to North. One cauce runs perpendicular to the others. The people started building in, next and over the channels so waterways get interupted often. On this areas you mainly find the informal houses. These belong to the poorest of the district. Some pieces of the cauces that remain still have a good depth so that they can keep their original function. Nonetheless, the water is contaminated in many places. Ciudad Sandino does not have a working system of collection, disposal and treatment of wastewater. The population uses the cauces for disposal of their wastewater. Nueva Vida originally had three cauces. One of the cauces is still intact. North of the barrio is a cauce that over the years is transformed into a road. The road still has a gutter on both sides that drains rainwater. In the east of Nueva Vida the original cauce is paved. This project includes two problems into one plan. The first problem contains the fact that the residents of Nueva Vida are actually stuck in their own municipality. It is mainly the poor population of Managua who lives there. This implies that there are not a lot of facilities and almost no job opportunities. The residents of Nueva Vida travel either on foot, by bike, a kind of scooter or by bus. Money for a car is not there which results in an almost car free district. One bustrip costs about $0.35 and is too expensive for the locals. Especially when you know that 89% of the inhabitants of Nueva Vida earn less than $1,88 per day. The second problem is the use of the cauces. The cauces swarm through the city, thereby creating many dirty places between the building blocks. There is a need for a change on a social level. The Inhabitants need to be aware of the importance of these cauces in the city. The places next to the cauces are now seen as rest areas and are not used. These areas contain many opportunities and are in need of a new life. So, on the one hand I searched for a safe way for the residents of Nueva Vida to go, free of charge, to Ciudad Sandino. On the other hand, there is a quest for a way to revive the cauces so that people will treat them with respect and with a result that the dirty unhealthy spots will disappear from the city.
The cauces are an important element for the functioning and appearance of the city. As mentioned earlier, there are several parts of the original cauces paved in to a road. You can clearly see the interruptions of waterways on the map. With the route, the waterways will be connected again in a visual manner. The chosen route along the current and former cauces connects Nueva Vida in a quick and easy way with the core and many public functions of Ciudad Sandino. Because the route follows the cauces and not regular roads, it swarms between the building blocks. It passes several types of zones each with a different sight. I virtually walked the route and at certain spots made sections to analyse the relationship between the cauces, housing and roads. Most of the houses were built with their backs to the cauce. Only when there is a road between the cauce and the house, the house will face its facade to the cauce. The cauces are literally out of sight, out of hart. There occures the problem, the people can throw their waste in the streams without anyone noticing. On these images it clearly shows how abruptly the cauce can transform into a paved or dirt road.
Cauces
Route
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I have connected a second story to the rout, so it would not only exist for passengers. Namely providing an alternation of different kind of public functions. The public and social climate of Nicaragua is very different from those we are familiar with. The elements to make a public place work are often different than the ones we are used to. During our stay in Managua we visited several public places: squares, playgrounds and markets. Most of the public areas were built out of concrete and without any shadow. The places were almost always abandoned. I have compiled a list of factors that make sure a public square in Ciudad Sandino and Nueva Vida works. Sense of Security: social control, public lightning and a public character. Shadow for: people walking, playing and waiting. Presence of Functions Managua is composed of a fairly tight grid of streets. All the streets have their own name but they are not very different from each other. The inhabitants don’t work with the streetnames. They orient themselves based on significant places and spots in the city. They rely on the presence of lakes, parks, hospitals, schools,... In order to create that kind of landmarks along the way, I provided moments at certain places where users of the route can rest. The landmark will also be connected to a public function. Because people will regular pass along those public functions, there will occure social control. If you walk from Nueva Vida to Ciudad Sandino you will find the first orientationpoint when leaving Nueva Vida’s borders. A second point is where two cauces intersect. A third point is at the cemetery, where you go into the housingpart. The last point on the route is between the housing blocks at the same level of a college and a big plaza.
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Ciudad Sandino is divided into 13 zones which Nueva Vida is one of. The zones are spread out and are connected by roads. Ciudad Sandino is a heterogeneous city and lacks visual connections. To create visual connections along the path so that users know immediately where they have to go, I made use of a toolbox. This toolbox includes elements to ensure that the path that passes through different kinds of places, still forms unity. I have divided the toolbox into three main instruments: Greenery, Surface and Objects. Every tree and plant species already grows in Managua and its surroundings. These trees and plants provide shading for the passengers and are selected based on the fruit they grow and their size. The Surface represents the pavement being used. In Ciudad Sandino, there are already some streets paved with a particular tile. The tiles are concrete bricks placed in sand. The tiles are very inexpensive and resistant to earthquakes. The tool Object expresses the use of architectural elements that can be found along the route. There has to be lighting for the people to feel safe in a public square. Another architectural feature I worked with is the use of pavilions. These are places on the site of the orientationpoints. The four pavilions are adapted to their surroundings but cause another visual connection along the path. The architectural features reappear in benches along the route. In order to maintain the unity along the route, I worked in the pavilions with three recurring elements. The first element is the manner of stacking the wooden beams. These are placed in a way that you can see into the pavilions. By doing this, the people approaching the pavilions can see from afar if anyone is already inside. If a building is completely closed, people are not going to enter because they do not know if it is safe. The stacking of the beams is done in a very simple way. At certain places, the beams are slightly wider to creat seats and canopies. This method of stacking is also to be found in benches along the route. A second element is based on the already existing public places in Managua. Any public place, old or new, is provided with color. I have also worked with color, in a more subtle way. This by providing the benches of a cheerful color. A third element I use in all four pavilions is a water tap. Only 40% of the population has access to potable water while there is enough water supply. The taps at the pavilions give the users of the route the chance to rest and have a drink. All four pavilions are connected to a new public function. The first one is connected to a sportspark, the second one holds an outdoor theater, the third one is placed inside the cemetery and can be used as a place to meditate. The last one is connected to a playground for the inhabitants and the school.
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Photo taken by me
ARVS
Antwerpen
Home Van Roy The original building was designed by the Belgian architect Renaat Braem and is part of the ‘Kiel’ district with 9 residential blocks. With its pioneering design, Renaat Braem introduced a new way of living after World War II. The residential complex ‘Home Van Roy’ consisted of 40 one-bedroom apartments, distributed evenly across two floors. Because of the architectural and cultural-historical qualities of the complex, we chose not to demolish the building, but instead give it a thorough makeover. The most important aspect of this renovation was respecting the initial architecture to avoid creating a style break with the original design. In this project, sustainable renovation was chosen: energetically, technically and functionally. The restauration of ‘Home Van Roy went further than the imposed ‘Energy Performance and Indoor Climate’ requirements. The superimposed apartments were designed into one single apartment. This resulted in a total of 20 residential units for four people instead of 40 residential units for one person. The project was commissioned by Woonhaven.
Photos taken by MaitĂŠ Thijssen
DaniĂŤl Herreynslaan The urban plan of Antwerp is composed of irregular building blocks. Due to the uncontrolled and spontaneous building of houses in the 19th century, many residual spaces appeared. Spaces that were not used and often difficult to reach. There is now a tendency in the city to make optimal use of these residual spaces (aka inner areas), giving them a new purpose. This housing project is located in an enclosed areas close to Antwerp. It includes a building facing the street with 3 rental apartments and 10 owneroccupied houses in the inner area. Car parking spaces and bicycle storage facilities are arranged at the entrance of the site to ensure that green areas are maximised. This way, the inner area is car free and a nice space to enjoy. The project was commissioned by ARRO.
My contribution to the projects When I started working on the projects, they were already at the start of the construction. I worked myself into the projects and took over from a colleague. From that point I was responsible for the site meetings, contact with the contractor and the client as well as all the work that comes with a construction.
Photos taken by MaitĂŠ Thijssen
AZ architecture Lisboa
24de Julho The building was built in the 1960s and is located at Avenida 24 de Julho in Lisbon with a view of the river Tejo. It consists of 6 floors that have been converted into a total of 9 apartments, each with a garage and a storage room in the basement. AZ’s vision with 24 Julho was to create modern, clean living space for urban dwellers and small families. In the bright Santos district of Lisbon, 24 Julho reflects its environment: creative, modern, active and gregarious. AZ decided to not take the original look of the building into account, only the concrete structure, the location of the staircase and the orientation of the apartments remain. Keeping the concrete structure and the slabs as they are, we stayed in harmony with the neighbouring buildings. The first floor contains a large apartment over the entire surface with a large garden at the back. The other floors consist of two apartments each with a new terrace on the façade. On the roof is a common gym with a shared terrace on both sides. From this vantage point, residents can enjoy a view of the port, the 25 de Abril Bridge, the Cristo Rei statue and the Santos Palaces.
Ficalho The old palace is located in the heart of the vibrant district of Lisbon, Bairro Alto. Like all old buildings in Lisbon, it showed us her hidden treasures that we could implement into the new design. The building itself was a true inspiration for the new project. The vision of AZ was to offer beautiful, high-end living spaces in an historically important Palace. The new Ficalho combines Lisbon’s architectural tradition with the clean aesthetics and functionality of modern living. Preserving the palatial dimensions of this XVIII Century property and the beauty of the original façade, Ficalho offers 11 apartments with areas ranging from 68 to 224 m2. The apartments showcase the palaces old warm charm, transformed into modern dwellings respectful of its venerable stones.
My contribution to the projects I was involved in both projects from the start. With a team of architects, the buildings were figuratively dismantled to search for valuable elements to preserve and to incorporate into the design. My work here involved co-designing the project, producing the execution plans, searching for materials and ensuring that the two projects were ready to start construction.