P O R T F O L I O OF SELECTED ARCHITECTURE AND ART WORKS BY MAZEN M. SHAKWEER
2018
“ I PREFER DRAWING TO TALKING. DRAWING IS ” FASTER AND LEAVES LESS ROOM FOR LIES. - LE CORBUISER -
ABOUT ME BEING BROUGHT UP IN A FAMILY OF ARTISTS, I GREW TO BE AN ASPIRING DESIGNER AND ARTIST MYSELF THAT AIMS TO MASTER HIS CRAFT AND SHARPEN HIS SKILLS IN ALL THEIR ASPECTS. I DO NOT ONLY RELY ON MY TALENTS AND IMAGINATION BUT ON MY UNQUENCHABLE THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE AND SELF IMPROVEMENT AS WELL AS MY PASSION FOR THE ART, WHICH ARE A CONSTANT MOTIVATION FOR ME TO WORK MY WAY TO BE BETTER AT EVERYTHING I DO.
TECHNICAL SKILLS
PERSONAL SKILLS
HOBBIES LANGUAGE SKILLS
ARCHITECTURE
OCTOBER PLAZA 6TH OF OCTOBER, EGYPT
In 2016 ECG was commissioned by SODIC with the concept and schematic design for its newest compound “October Plaza”. As such i was tasked with leading a team to design the architectural plans for the buildings and apartments prototypes as well as their architectural elevations according to the client’s marketing team analysis and vision for this compound. Due too the project type, scale, and urgent circumstance the concept and design development phase was overlaped with the process of the urban and landscape team as well as the detailed design team (Architecture, Structure, and M.E.P diciplines) and that required a constant amount of technical coordination and included a extra level of details and refinements in the work process. The project‘s architectural package included the plans and elevations design of five apartment building prototypes including underground parkings and roof annexes.
ROLE
FLOOR PLAN DESIGNS. ELEVATIONS DESIGNS. DESIGN DEVELOPMENT. TECHNICAL COORDINATION.
LA FONTAINE COMPOUND NEW CAIRO, EGYPT
In 2015 ECG was commissioned by ARCO/CITY STARS with the concept and schematic design for its newest compound in the 5th settlement “LA FONTAINE”. The project compromised of two apartment building prototypes with shared basements and one town house prototype as well as some service buildings like a small clubhouse and a compound management building ..etc. The project went through several trials with the client where i was part of a two man team working on developing the plans and elevations of the project. Amongst the challenges that were met was adapting the apartments design and areas to the client’s marketing criteria, achieving an elevation theme or style that met the client’s taste and vision, and developing these elevations and providing a schematic plan for their installation and maintenance as a guide for the detailed design team to minimize the alterations in design during the schematic phase.
ROLE - FLOOR PLAN DESIGNS AND PRESENTATION. - ELEVATION DESIGN AND MODELING. - CONCEPT REPORT PREPARATION. - DESIGN DEVELOPMENT. - TECHNICAL COORDINATION.
AL MASA PARK NEW CAPITAL CITY, EGYPT
In 2015 ECG was commissioned by The Armed Forces Finance Authority to layout the concept and detailed designs for the New “Masa Park” in the New Capital City. The paroject was set under extreme conditions due to the client’s financial and political agenda, as such it was considered to be a flash track project, in addition the number of involved decesion making parties and stakeholders as well as the level of conflict between these competing chain of commandswas very high which lead in major alterations from the early design guidelines and concept and up to the on site alterations and deviations from the set concepts and drawings. During my work on the project i was tasked with laying out the plan and elevation designs for the presidential villas that were designated for the accomodation of the arabian summit leader’s. I was also behind the concept of the mosque’s minaret, however i was not involved in its development into it’s final executed form.
ROLE - FLOOR PLAN DESIGNS AND PRESENTATION. - ELEVATION DESIGN AND MODELING. - CONCEPT REPORT PREPARATION. - TECHNICAL COORDINATION.
PRESIDENTIAL PALACE NEW CAPITAL CITY, EGYPT
In 2016 ECG was asked to deliver several ideas and conceptual alternatives for the new Presidential Palace in the New Capital City. During the time i worked under the supervision of a principal architect along with another fellow design architect to produce the elevation designs and model of one of these alternatives designated as a Post-modern Arabian-Egyptian Themed Alternative. The Ideas behind the design were to emphasize the authoritative nature of the project by inspirations from the physical grandeur and order of ancient egyptian architecture, but to introduce the arabian-islamic tough in the form of the details as a tribute to the relatively more recent history of egypt, but to introduce both in a more contemporary fashion that is still conservative enough to suit hte client’s taste and character as an important symbol of governemental authority. Unfortunately, later during the process and after these alternatives were previewed and met with approval, the project was decided to be handeled internally within the governenemt due to its sensitive nature.
ROLE - ELEVATION DESIGN AND MODELING. - CONCEPT REPORT PREPARATION.
CITY STARS KATAMEYA NEW CAIRO, EGYPT
In 2016 i worked on producing the floor plans and elevation designs for the Swissotel hotel in ARCO/CITY STARS Newest mixed use project of City Stars Katameya . As a part of the design team working on the project i was completely responsible for designing the hotel floor plans and it’s elevations within the pre-composed layout of the project. My work included reviewing the Swissotel brand hotel design guidelines and requirements for this specific plot and project programming as per the clients and operator marketing requirements, as well as developing these plans up to a standard that was fit enough as a foundation for the detailed design team to start on which was achieved due to an extended process of technical coordination between my team and the detailed design team as well as several other disciplines/departments.
ROLE - FLOOR PLAN DESIGNS AND PRESENTATION. - ELEVATION DESIGN AND MODELING. - CONCEPT REPORT PREPARATION. - DESIGN DEVELOPMENT. - TECHNICAL COORDINATION.
LA VANDE COMPOUND 6TH OF OCTOBER, EGYPT
In 2016 ECG was commissioned by ARCO/CITY STARS with the concept and schematic design for its newest compound “October Plaza”. The Client’s vision for the project was to give the compound a theme and feel of french countryside hence the naming : La Vande. As such i was tasked along with a fellow design architect to come up with a concept for the elevations design and color scheme for several preset villa and townhouse plan prototypes that were provided by the client. The Concept was to to give the compound the look of the french countryside and to also feature some more well known or familiar features from french architecture, but without making it look like worn off old dwellings rather a contemporary rendition of these simple serene environments with a more elegant look and feel.
ROLE - ELEVATIONS DESIGNS AND MODELING. - MATCHING THE FLOOR PLANS DESIGN WITH THE NEW ELEVATIONS STYLE CHANGES. - CONCEPT REPORT PREPARATION.
AL MASA HOTEL NEW ALAMIEN, EGYPT
In 2017 after an architectural theme and urban concept have been set and approved by the client: The Armed Forces Finance Authority, I was tasked with working on designing and presenting the plans for the Hotel section of the Project that included two of the six towers connected by a seperate deck, as well as the entire perimeter of the architecture situated on the inner landscape ( designated as day use challettes). The design presented a large number of challenges due to the physical difficulties of implementing its concept as the preset floor plan area and tower dimensions and gaping between the towers as well as the floating deck made it quite a structural challenge which required alot of effort in terms of technically coordinating the design with the structural design team, it also posed a number of design difficulties due to the constricted area of the project that was tightened by project budget reductions, all of which where alleviated after the joint efforts of the involved teams.
ROLE - FLOOR PLAN DESIGNS AND PRESENTATION FOR THE HOTEL TOWERS. - CONCEPT REPORT PREPARATION. - DESIGN DEVELOPMENT. - TECHNICAL COORDINATION.
ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL AUTHORITY NEW CAPITAL CITY, EGYPT
Between 2016-2017 and in two different intervals ECG was commissioned by the Administrative Control Authority to work on it’s new Headquarters in the New Capital City governemental District. During the first interval i was part of the design team tasked with producing a conceptual vision for the project in terms of concept, urban configuration and form, architectural theme ...etc, during which a preliminary area estimate was set as per the authority’s number of employees and project budget. During the second Interval I was tasked with designing the architectural plans for the four the project as well as their shared basement, their maintenance workshops and conference hall and presenting them in addittion to the preparation of the concept report and meeting up with the client for technical reviewing. my role also included the design development of said plans and the technical coordination with theuUrban design, the detailed design and the structural design teams.
ROLE - PARTICIPATION IN THE URBAN CONFIGURATION AND ELEVATIONS CONCEPT BRAINSTORMING. - FLOOR PLAN DESIGNS AND PRESENTATION. - CONCEPT REPORT PREPARATION. - DESIGN DEVELOPMENT. - TECHNICAL COORDINATION.
NATIONAL AUTHORITY FOR TUNNELS CAIRO, EGYPT
In 2017-2018 The National Authority for Tunnels commissioned ECG with the designs of their new Headquarters in a plot located on the Cairo Ring Road near al Salam bridge. Subsequently, as a senior design architect and under the supervision of the Design studio head i was tasked with the design of the floor plans and Elevations of the Building as well as setting up a future extension strategy for the plot. The Client was very inconclusive when it came to the project Elevations theme and design and as such he was presented with a number of elevation alternatives that have different pros and cons based on their aesthetical value, estimated costs, ease of maintenance, energy effeciency ...etc.
ROLE - FLOOR PLAN DESIGNS AND PRESENTAION. - ELEVATIONS DESIGNS AND MODELING FOR ALL ALTERNATIVES. - CONCEPT REPORT PREPARATION.
QATARI EMIRI NAVAL FORCES BASE AL DOHA, QATAR
In 2013-2014 ECG had already been working on the detailed design phase of the Qatari Emiri Naval Forces Base project under designs submitted by Rosser International and as a part of the detailed design team back then i worked on the detailed design for several sports bildings from the preliminary phase to the final submissions. Then in 2017 a ECG-QATAR was tasked with the Re-Design of the project, as such i was sent on a mission to work on the resdeisgn of several buildings in the project where my worked was set from designing to the early phases of the detailed design phase due to the tight timeline set for the project.
ROLE - FLOOR PLAN DESIGNS. - ELEVATIONS DESIGNS AND MODELING. - DESIGN DEVELOPMENT. - DETAILED DESIGN. - TECHNICAL COORDINATION.
ADEC SCHOOLS ABU DHABI, U.A.E
In 2015 i was tasked with presenting a concept design report for a competition held by the Abu Dhabi Educational Council ADEC for a schoold design prototype meant to be flexible enough to be applied in different plots across the country as a part of the council’s school development program. Under the supervision of a principle architect i was appointed to lead a small team to design and deliver a concept design report for the competition entry. The concept revolved around the council’s new educational system strategy as detailed in their provided manuals. which encouraged education as a non-linear process. instead as a communal process, and in such each class zone was designed as a learning community. The Project included buildings for kindergarten, three different cycles, buildings for activities, a gymnasium building with indoor sport courts as well as other outdoor sport fields, and a school administration building.
ROLE - CONCEPT FORMATION. - FLOOR PLAN DESIGNS AND PRESENTAION - ELEVATIONS DESIGNS AND MODELING. - CONCEPT REPORT PREPARATION.
HYATT ALEX PARK ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT
In 2013-2014 ECG offered Marsellia Group for real estate development to present it with an alternative architectural design for one of its newest investment plans for an empty plot in alexandia. As such i was part of a team tasked with the design of a mixed use project that consited mainly of residential, commercial, hospitality, and office space functions. The Concept brainstorming and idea pitching phase of the project was a team effort, in which several key ideas were established such as the overlaping horseshoe for of the layout that was used as a strategy to create private yet open pleasant views in a project where there were none,due to the nature of the location of the plot - as it was 2.5 kilometers away from the coastline and into the underdeveloped zones of the city. As well as concept for the location and elevation of the hotel as a key feature of the project, the division of this superblock into several private contained apartment blocks with their own welcoming entrance lobbies, and the seperation of the circulation of said residential lobbies from the circulation and heart of the commercial podium.
ROLE - FLOOR PLAN DESIGN FOR THE RESIDENTIAL, THE HOTEL FLOORS, AND THE COURTYARDS FLOORS. - BRAIN STORMING THE CONCEPT FOR THE HOTEL ELEVATIONS ( CENTER OF THE MAIN ELEVATION). - CONCEPT REPORT PREPARATION. - DESIGN DEVELOPMENT. - TECHNICAL COORDINATION.
MADINATY B9 & B13 NEW CAIRO, EGYPT
In 2016 i worked on a competiton by Taalat Mostafa Group to submit a concept design report as well as a technical and a financial proposal for their upcoming developments in Madinaty; namely Sector B9 & B13. As such i was part of an architectural team tasked with the design of several unit prototypes for the new sectors. After holding a research and idea pitching phase several concept, design strategies & criterias were established through team efforts as design guidelines for the team which included the theme for the elevations, guidelines for spacial transition and relationships as an extension to the existing character of the development, and area requirements for unit design and variety within the new sectors, and work on the plan and elevations designs was then commenced. The Company was announced as the best design and technical submission, however the financial report was rejected.
ROLE - CONCEPT BRAINSTORMING. - FLOOR PLAN DESIGN & PRESENTATION FOR SEVERAL PROTOTYPES. - ELEVATIONS DESIGNS AND MODELING FOR SEVERAL PROTOTYPES.
PRIVATE VILLA NEW CAIRO, EGYPT
In 2015 as a part of a larger commission i was asked to handle the design of a Private villa for a plot in the 5th settlement area for a client that was meant to be a residence for a Joint family. the villa consisted of a ground floor plus two additional floors and a basement, where: - The Ground and First floor were meant as a unit for one family, with the ground floor as a place for hosting guests, holding gatherings, and engaging in business - while the first floor was a place of rest and family. - The third floor was an apartment for the second part of the joint family with a roof terrace and that was directly connected to the house, yet had it’s own direct access through the rear staircase from the side garden. - The Basement contained several utility and storage rooms, guards and porter rooms as well as 4 parking spots. In addition to the plans, the elevation designs were requested to abide by a neo-classical theme due to the nature of the client’s preferences, as well as the nature of the location.
ROLE - FLOOR PLAN DESIGNS AND PRESENTAION. - ELEVATIONS DESIGNS AND MODELING. - CONCEPT REPORT PREPARATION.
GROUND FLOOR
FIRST FLOOR
SECOND FLOOR
BASEMENT
ARTWORK
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BY MAZEN M. SHAKWEER