Book 2023

PROFESIONAL EXPERIENCE EDUCATION

Notre Dame High School

2007 - 2013

Thuin • Belgium

Major in math, science and latin

UCL 2017 - 2019`

Louvain-la-Neuve • Belgium

MSc engineering, orientation

UCL 2013 - 2017

Louvain-la-Neuve • Belgium

BSc engineering, orientation civil architectural engineering

Languages Skills

French German Native Native

English Spanish Fluent Fluent

Dutch Upper intermediate

Software Skills

Autocad Sketchup

Photoshop Illustrator

In Design Vray

Artlantis Vectorworks

Archicad (notions)

Personal Projects

Two

01_SHELTER

The project acts as a mediator between land and river routes. It is made up of two double-height modular volumes, each volume is defined by a single slope on its roof, which rest on a bare and unwaxed structural framework that is semi-elevated. These volumes reinterpret in the language of typology in local construction and recognize its geographical elements such as mountain range, volcano and lagoon. The first volume contains; access as an intermediate space and climate regulator; the private sector of the program, such as a bathroom on the first floor with natural ventilation and bedrooms on the mezzanine with an atmosphere of shelter in the face of a climate that is mostly hostile. The second double-height volume contains the most flexible program but which is defined by the kitchen as the central element and warm meeting point, conversing with the living room with a view that expands towards the lagoon, the top is a small terrace that is flooded Due to the view towards the lagoon and the Andes mountain range, this last small space is contained by two flaps on its edges to protect from wind currents. This programmatic total contains a total of 49m2 that aims to promote ecotourism in the area and be a refuge in some violent storm, using wood as a meaning of identity, memory and tradition.

COMPETITION: WOODARCH YAKISUGI, CHILE

LOCATION: ANTÙCO, CHILE

AREA: 50 m2

YEAR: 2021

TEAM: ALEXIS SORIANO, ALICE GIER

THE LOCATION

The project is located in the rural commune of Antuco (in Mapudungun ‘water of the sun’) in th province of Los Angeles, Bio Bio Region, in Chile, exactly in the Andes mountain range at the foot of the Antuco volcano and the El Laja lagoon. The commune of Antuco was historically occupied by the Pehuenche people, as a cattle grazing area, crossing the Andes through the current Pichachén pass. This area is currently the Laguna El Laja National Park, due to its impressive landscape, in recent years its tourist exploitation has increased with, ski centers, various camping sites, Sierra Velluda trails, Los Coihues trail, Los Tatas trail and sports rivers in the lagoon.

WINTER

In winter the hut will mainly be used for searchers and as an emergency shelter. Every year, deadly blizzards (whiteout) sweep the mountainsides; like in 2005, where 45 soldiers were killed, desperately looking for a shelter. The presence of this kind of hut is a necessity in locations with such an extreme weather. As the hut is auto-sufficient for at least 3 days, it allows to make time for the rescue to arrive. A wood oven can be used even without electricity to prevent the refugees from freezing to death. A first aid kit will also be available inside the hut.

SUMMER

In summer the hut can be used as a touristic facility, allowing visitors to use various trekking routes around the volcano. The interior is small but efficiently designed, so that travelers and researcher can easily find storage space and still enjoy the hut for leaisure.

Extreme weather conditions and the particular topography make the antuco volcano a challenging area for construction, it is however a very popular, while very dangerous, trekking location, this makes a shelter essential. To build this safe space, light materials and an easy execution are essential. This project is a model shelter, concieved to be built easily in extreme places, with the capacity to withstand extreme weather, such as snow, wind, earthquakes, flood,... Besides of the foundations who need to be solidly anchored in the soil with concrete, the structure is wholly made by wood. The density of the structure allows to build with small sections and lenghts, that can be easily transported. The structure itself is designed to support high charges and to dissipate dynamic forces such as wind and earthquakes. The slope of the roof allows the snow to slowly fall off, preventing it from causing too much overweight on the structure. The whole project is also tought to be auto-sufficient. Solar pannels and an additional battery make sure that the hut has power, even in the event of a snow storm for at least 3 days, so that rescue could arrive in time. The shelter has also a wood oven, so that even without electricity the hut could be heated. Thanks to the small volume and the thourough isolation, the shelter need little energy to maintain its temperature, making it perfect for the Andes winter. In summer, a natural ventilation allows it to cool the inside, just by the air flow created by the windows. The water falling on the roof will be collected and stocked in a water tank.

COMPETITION: HAPPY HOMES FRANCE

LOCATION: FAY-LES-ETANGS, FRANCE

AREA: 500 m2

YEAR: 2020

TEAM: A. SORIANO, A. ROMO, A. GIER

AWARD: FINALIST OF THE 2020 HAPPY HOMES COMPETITON

PUBLISHED BY ARCHDAILY AS BEST UNBUILT PROJECT 2021

Our first instinct when we discovered the stunning landscape was to celebrate its beauty by designing the building in the simplest way.

The building interacts with the landscape through a visual tension. The great roof through, its elegant shape, is disposed above the horizon allowing it to be a pause in the middle of the infinite trajectory of the horizontal line. The spacial qualities and the natural light are elemen- tal for the project. The openness of the building al- lows it to

interact with its direct environment and the fluidity and succession of spaces enhance this quality. The way the building is placed in the territory en- courages the contact with nature by connecting pro- menade paths. This specific location is designed to connect the villages in a more instinctive way. Laying along major village routes, the building invites the villagers to stop and enter.

These rural regions of France are poorly connected. The village life is concentrated in the market place or the school, but in general there is little exchange between the villages. The location of the project gives a unique oppor- tunity to connect two or mor villages. The axis that is induced by the orientation of the project connects directly the hearts of Fay-les- Etangs and Fleury, and creates a connection path following the side of the building. The two poles of the program can further unify the villages. On one side the shared living between seniors and abandoned dogs gives the place purpose and new life. On the other side the event center rallies the villages and give the seniors opportunities to stay active and meet people.

The roof is composed of two volumes. The first vo- lume receives a doghouse and an integration cen- ter for elderly isolated people. The interactions between the community are meant to strengthen so- cial connections. The second volume will be a more flexible space. A civic center in which the modulable and polyvalent spaces will allow various activities to take place. The two volumes are articulated through a void, the great patio, which will allow the overall usage of the building during all seasons of the year. The circulation is continuous in the building and meets various resting spaces throughout it. The patio will function as a junction between the different programs, generating the interaction of the different users, the ones living there and the ones from the surroundings, simply visiting the building.

The great inner patio enrichens the project with a versatility of multi-usage, which will unite various activities such as markets, musical activities, theatre, citizen debates, sportive activities, ect, for men and dogs. The façade adapts itself in function of the activities the building receives and the weather. A line of occulting panels is placed along the façade which can be moved to suit the inner activities.

This simple but well thought project is meant to considerably improve the standards of living and the perception of the environment of the inhabitants of the surroundings and the participants of the pro- gram.

COMPETITION: REUSE ITALY

LOCATION: NAPOLI, ITALY

AREA: 500 m2

YEAR: 2020

TEAM: ALEXIS SORIANO, ADOLFO ROMO, ALICE GIER

AWARD: FINALIST OF THE 2020 HAPPY HOMES COMPETITON

PUBLISHED BY ARCHDAILY AS BEST UNBUILT PROJECT 2021

Our intervention seeks to ascertain a piece of architecture with great historical value, putting it in the position of an active element of the city of Miseno. This is achieved through recognition and reinterpretation of the existing ruins, embracing the value of the most simple and basic components of the building. Among those, the structural raster stood out. The structure is raised above the surface, visible for all, as a simple and light building, supported by the ruins. This raises the imprint of the ruins to the light, giving life to a building that by its simplicity and lightness is loaded with historic value, resulting in an interpretation of the composition of past centuries. The building acquires a new scale and converting it into an urban landmark, il-

luminated by night and visible from various places of the bay. The massive and hermetic ruins gain a new character thanks to the lightweighted pavilion. The rules of composition are adaptaded to the present with a contemporary vocabulary which in its materiality and geometries seeks a contrast between centuries: “smooth vs. rough”; “rounded archs vs. straight beam”.

The fist step was to recognize the paths at the sides of the existing building, placing two volumes of double height which uphold a relation with the entrance space and the circulation. These volumes contain the administration, library, study room and storage space. The great central space will host the main exhibition space, while the bathrooms are placed at opposite sides at the edge.

The second step consists in projecting a structure that leaves its sides empty to allow the public space to exist all around. This public space will maintain a relation with its direct surroundings and allow a magnificent vue of the Lago Miseno. The central space converts itself in multi purpose space which can host conferences as well as exhibitions. The holes in the former roof of the buidling are covered with water, so that the water reflections evoke the former purpose of the ruins. The cafeteria is placed at the side of the building, with terraces that project towards the bay and its immediate context.

The two parts of the building are linked together by the light flowing through the openings of the former ceiling. These openings are respected and highlighted as traces of the time gone by. The building is meant to be a landmark of the city of Miseno, allowing the contemplation of art and the environment in which it is immersed.

Our built inheritance has to be conserved. But conservation alone isn’t enough if the building cannot be used. The transformation and adaptation of an ancient building has to be done with respect and knowledge. Only understanding the rules of the ancient composition makes a transformation possible. In this projects, we chose to leave the existing exactly as it is, even its defects, so that the pass of time can be made visible. All our interventions are reversible and light weighted.

NAME: ACHILLEE

LOCATION: ACHET, BELGIUM

AREA: 2200 m2

YEAR: 2021

OFFICE: LRArchitectes

The collective «Achillée» chose a peacefull living project. They aim to live a sustainable dings aswell as the surroundings have to respect only wanted the project to be sustainable, but houses are meeting the belgian standarts of are also built with eco-friendly materials, from jects treats every aspext of sustainable living, ment to mobility. Although the collectif is sible, the project aims at the maximum capacity

ACHILLÉE

and deconnected parcel for their collective sustainable live, in a healthy environment. The builrespect the nature and land. The collective not but also to be able to built it them-self. The «low energy houses», but furthermore, they from local and sustainable resources. The proliving, from energy resources, over water treataware that total self-sufficiency is not poscapacity of self-sufficiency for a working family.

The project is located at the exit of the village of Achet along rue de Scoville leading to Mohiville. Along the bottom of the valley where the Bocq flows, the rue de Scoville offers the traveler a landscape quite typical of the Condroz where ridges and depressions alternate. Thus, the site going up from the bottom of the valley, will offer future inhabitants this remarkable landscape overlooking the Bocq ponds.

As the project aims to preserve the rural environment, it was important that the volume of the project didn’t exceed the local «templates». The orientation of the buildings was carefully studied to garantee that every house has enough natural light, that the gardens face the open field, to minimise the impact on the natural soil, to create intimacy and leave some views to the field from the street. A private road is also created, allowing the collectif to momentaly access the dwelling by car. This road has the common building on one side, and the «little square» (as the collective calls it) on the other. This way, a private space is created for the collective to gather, in the center of the whole system, without being seen from the street. lowing the meeting of all the inhabitants. The orientation of the buildings creates an entrance sequence for each housing building (parking lot - common building - little square - semi-private garden - housing)

Living together gave the collective a lot of advantages : they could build affordable 2 or 3 bedroom houses with a private garden. They get a shared building, allowing them to have shared activities, but also to host the village events and have profesionnal activities. The shared greenhouse aswell as the semi-private gardens allows them to grow their own food. This for of shared living offers them a big playgroung for their sustainable experiment without compromising their own comfort and intimacy.

Nevertheless, The project had numerous challenges along the way. Of course every individual had his own opinion on living, shared living and building. The project looked for a way to unify while also celebrate the differences. Every house was individually designed with the families, the facades maintain the harmony of the project, so that every house can choose their features, without compromising the design of the whole.

Regarding the facades, each building is characterized by square bays, which can be partitioned, partially closed, or not. The bays in the living rooms are significantly larger than the bays in the bedrooms. On the rear facade there is a large bay window giving a view of the land and allowing the illumination of the living areas on the ground floor. The dialogue of the different openings gives the whole a balance between the masses and the voids and gives a homogeneity to the blocks of houses. Some rules had to be respected, but some general choices had to be the same. The multiple choices for the exterior openings (divisions of the windows, some parts full, some parts translucent, a little roof for protection of the sun/rain, a frame to keep some wood,...)gave every inhabitant the disered individuality, and as it is all answering to the same design laws, it only added value to the project.

Regarding the insulation of these houses, three systems have been favored. The wooden structure makes it possible to diversify the techniques of insulation, allowing each inhabitant to make the most judicious choice according to the budget and the desires of self-construction. The insulators are: straw, a local material, allowing self-construction and optimal insulation; a mixture of clay and wood chips, local, allowing self-construction and lime-hemp blocks from isohemp, local and sustainable materials.

We took a strong interest in water management when designing the project.

Runoff water from the land is collected in vegetated valleys, protecting the gardens and buildings. From the valleys, the water will then be taken to a small collective basin before joining a time-delay cistern, gradually discharging the water from the ground into the ditch at the bottom of

the ground. The low permeability characteristics as well as the slope of the land do not allow us to infiltrate the water within the land itself.

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Rainwater is collected in individual cisterns, before passing into a collective cistern which takes up the overflows and is finally discharged into the ditch via a time delay cistern.

Wastewater is treated on the ground itself thanks to lagooning. The water thus filtered will be partly used for market gardening and partly discharged into the ditch.

Every building is equipped with solar pannels, the electricity that is generated by the runs in a common cuircuit, so that the energy waste is limited.

The heating is also managed in a common ciurcuit. The heat is produiced by a geothermal heat pump. This pump heats water that runs in a common circuit. The excess heat of the wood ovens is also take into the circuit.

For the simplicity of the construction, a wooden structure was chosen, also allowing self-construction. The simplicity of the construction will make it possible to reduce costs and on-site intervention times as much as possible and consequently to limit nuisances for local residents. It also creates lighter buildings that will harm less the existing soil.

A post and beam structure would allow every family to use the filling material of their choice. This allowes the carpinter to work the same system on each house, no matter what the isulation will be. Furthermore, this gives the inside of the houses the flexibility to change along with its inhabitants.

Every family has their own capacities in terms of construction, so that they can work together and limit the costs of the construction. For the more technical works, the constuction companies offered an accompanied self-construction, to make sure that everything is built following the standards.

The common building is the first building to be made. It serves the collective as an example and it makes sure that this precious shared space will be built and used from the very beginning of this shared living experience. The experience gained during this process will be applied in the individual houses.

LIME- HEMP BLOCKS

One of the three isolation technique used is the lime-hemp bloc. This biobased bloc can be used like a tradictional masonry , making it easy to build with. It allows self-construction if guided by a profesonnal. The fairly good thermic isolation gives a satisfying result with relatively thin walls. It can be used as wall isolation as well as floor isolation. Therefor, it will be used in every house, no matter what wall isolatoin they chose.

CLAY AND WOOD CHIPS

This is the most extraordinary isolation method. The clients read about the idea and were immediatly fond of it. The mix of clay and wood chips would allow their wall to breathe, although it doesn’t give enough isolation and has to be lined with fibreboard. To build the walls, a reed casing is necessary, in which the mix is poured. It is worked in layers, just as an adobe wall. When the clay has dried, an exterior clay layer can be applied direcly on the reed.

CLAY AND WOOD CHIPS

This is the most extraordinary isolation method. The clients read about the idea and were immediatly fond of it. The mix of clay and wood chips would allow their wall to breathe, although it doesn’t give enough isolation and has to be lined with fibreboard. To build the walls, a reed casing is necessary, in which the mix is poured. It is worked in layers, just as an adobe wall. When the clay has dried, an exterior clay layer can be applied direcly on the reed.

LOCATION: PLOMBIÈRES, BELGIQUE

AREA: 960 m2

YEAR: ONGOING

TEAM: ALEXIS SORIANO, ALICE GIER

CLIENTS: PRIVATE

Two brothers bought a farm together, planning to make a home out of the two buildings. The renovation of the buildings will partly be made by themself. Reusing local materials and reducing the costs. As the farms are located in an agricultural area, the final design had to be as respectful as possible of the built environment.

D10

1 - tuiles plates gris anthracite - lattage -contre-lattage

toiture en panneaux de fibre de bois 60 mm - ouate de cellulose entre les chevrons 280mm

1 - tuiles plates gris anthracite - lattage -contre-lattage -sous toiture en panneaux de fibre de bois 60 mm - ouate de cellulose entre les chevrons 280mm (dimensions des chevrons à confirmer par STAB)

Extérieur 2 - maçonnerie de brique de parement - coulisse 30mm

Toiture 1 - tuiles plates gris anthracite - lattage -contre-lattage -sous toiture en panneaux de fibre de bois 60 mm - ouate de cellulose entre les chevrons 280mm (dimensions des chevrons à confirmer par STAB)