_CONTENTS
Master’s in Architecture and Sustainability
Thesis: CIRAOM _Madrid, Spain
pages 2 - 3
Professional Experience
Internship: Casas hermanas _Lugo, Spain
pages 4 - 5
Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture
5th Year: San Isidro Sugar Factory _Granada, Spain
pages 6 - 7
5th Year: Tasdorf Oasis master plan _Berlin, Germany
pages 8 - 9
5th Year: Hybrid city block _Berlin, Germany pages 10 - 11
4th Year: Campus center _Pamplona, Spain pages 12 - 13
4th Year: Sports center _Vitoria, Spain pages 14 - 15
4th Year: Tómbola de Cáritas _Pamplona, Spain
pages 16 - 17
4th Year: Hotel boutique _Lisbon, Portugal pages 18 - 19
CIRAOM
_Madrid, Spain
Master’s Thesis: Architecture + Sustainability
As part of the Dual Master of Architecture and Sustainability, my final project encompasses precise constructive technicisms and sustainable design considerations.
The project accompanies part of the archeological ruins of the Muslim walls of Madrid. At one point in history, this wall marked the birth of the city and its main entrance. The project aims to recover this idea of a monumental entrance to the pedestrian trailing towards Madrid.
The idea is to execute an interpretative center of archeological remains to accompany these Muslim wall ruins. The CIRAOM protects the ruins and allows uninterruped, clearer paths towards the remains. The objective is to make the ruins part of the monumental buildings next to it, giving it the same prestigious respect.
With a mute appearance, the building resonates with the accompanied ruins, although with a smoother finish. It uses sustainable materials from Madrid’s own natural resources with responsible extraction; a CLT structural cavern wrapped in rammed earth panels. The building keeps a low profile when approached by the pedestrian leaving Madrid. When neared from the other side, it morphs into a larger monumental entrance to the city.
CASAS HERMANAS _Lugo, Spain
Internship: ARROKABE Arquitectos
As part of the Dual Master of Architecture and Sustainability, I took an internship at ARROKABE Arquitectos. I was responsible for developing a dynamic 3D model for a housing rehabilitation project.
This project aims to bring new life to a home with rescuable foundations and walls, using new construction to extend the current area, fitting two residences with a singular shared access space. The project mixes rehabilitated stone walls with finely detailed timber constructions, taking great care in the orientation of each of their various facade walls.
For this reason, it was necessary to explore the exterior materiality, which uses lacquered timber with striking splashes of color. The surrounding vegetation was just as important, playing a significant role in the exterior’s composition.
Since two families are co-living on the same site, there was an inherent responsibility to carefully design each of the views around the parcel, marking a clear distinction between the two properties, visually separating them both.
Using BIM software (ARCHICAD), the rendered images were developed by mixing two render engines, CineRender and Twinmotion.
SAN ISIDRO SUGAR FACTORY _Granada, Spain
5th Year
w/ Pablo García, Marc Ribert, Alberto Rodríguez & María ZufiaurThe project emerges from the idea of the limit as well as the enclosure. Programmatically, it is intended to generate a place for both development and culture, from the coexistence between different doctrines such as Fine Arts, “circular” Hospitality, Co-working and Research, all balanced by a dynamic housing proposal. Urbanistically, there are some original vestiges of the factory in the site that carry the concept of the perimeter, such as the fence that originally enclosed it or even the Acequia Gorda that runs along one of its contours. Additionally, the gradual urban development that surrounds the area has in turn become a new limit for the factory.
The proposed strategy, therefore, comprises different scales, from the urban perimeter in its response to the city and ending with the particular intervention. By following a movement from the outside to the inside, a new contour is generated of horizontal platforms that follow the pre-existing elements, generating new enclosures. The platforms will obtain different permeabilities at strategic points, through a modular system of wooden “bands”. These generate a unique enclosure within the Sugar Factory and delimit multiple spaces with new geometries and qualities.
The intervention is proposed through a combination of concrete and CLT wood materials, with a high industrialized component.
TASDORF OASIS MASTER PLAN _Berlin, Germany
5th Year
w/ Pablo García, Elina Kanzafarova, Doreen Khin Zaw, Victoria Zarayskaya & Yiyue Zhang
We were tasked to regenerate the Tasforf Triangle, a residential area of Berlin that is limited by elevated railroads. Our site, located in the Berlin district of Lichtenberg, is the meeting point of three distinct localities.
To the west, lies the district of Friedrichshain. The dominant typology here is the 22m-tall Berlin courtyard block. To the northeast and as part of Lichtenberg, various long, narrow public housing buildings built during the Socialist era border our site. Lastly, the district of Rummelsberg lies to the south. The residential area to the south, Victoriastadt, was a historic worker’s settlement with some beautifully preserved streets.
With the intention to create an urban oasis, we’ve established various rules to follow. In order to reduce the impact of noise caused by the railways, all the buildings have distanced themselves from them. A green cushion is used to further shield the noise and mark the limits of the site. In this clear spacing, the vehicular roads appear, which allows us to clear the main square from vehicles.
In order to adapt to the volumetric rules that surrounds us, we’ve opted to reinterpret the Berlin courtyard block in a way that could shield us without overwhelming the users. By following a rotational stepping, the buildings designed keep a controlled low height facing the main central square.
4 _Commercial base
5 _Clear pedestrian access
6 _Semi-public elevated courtyards
1 _Typical Berlin block
2 _Varied heights in volumes
HYBRID CITY BLOCK _Berlin, Germany
5th Year
w/ Pablo GarcíaFollowing the master plan previously shown, this project serves as the main building you’re faced with when entering the urban oasis we’ve designed.
This project is a large-scale building complex with a fundamental program of studios and studio-houses intended for artists living in Berlin. In every floor of the building, especially on the lower floors, there are a number of public facilities intended for commercial use.
The project, with a very complex shape, seeks to be organized and unified through modulation. These modules are longitudinal and perpendicular to the main axis of the building that folds onto itself. The structure is a fundamental point of the project that configures the spaces created.
Four connection cores extend to the highest point of the volume in which they belong, two intended for private use while the others are public. From these cores, public and private hallways appear that distribute the users along the city block, some facing the exterior of the building and the rest the interior.
The central courtyard generated is intended to be full of life, inviting the people visiting the district to explore it and cross its entrance.
CAMPUS CENTER _Lisbon, Portugal
4th Year
After we were tasked to propose a location for a new university campus in Lisbon, we decided to settle in the district of Caparica. The project then has a coastal context deeply engrained with nature.
It was of great interest to have an integration between the landscape and the project. On one side, there are views to the Atlantic Ocean and the long beaches of Caparica. The back of the building, however, finds itself in direct contact with a rocky, lush hill, that hugs the building.
By playing with filled as well as empty spaces, I force the views that each area receives. In the filled volumes, a heavy concrete facade appears; in the empty ones, glass allows the views to occur.
The project includes a large number of activity and study spaces directed towards the students of the university campus.
In the working and studying area, located in the first and second floor, all spaces face the ocean horizon. Behind these amazing views, the green barrier provides a comforting space. Shared terraces and balconies allow students to take a break.
While the raised floors are dedicated to working and studying, the ground floor is filled with spaces where cultural activities and socialization occur. A large auditorium and the university cafeteria are situated here.
The spaces destined for the student council are located in the center of the ground floor, symbolizing its importance for the university.
SPORTS CENTER _Vitoria, Spain
4th Year
I wanted to generate a quiet, pristine volume that arose from the ground; which is later given life through the uses happening within it. Large windows penetrate the white facade, revealing how fluid the interior really is. GRC plays a key role here, the obtained facade feels heavy.
The square plan is split into two, generating a clearing in the middle. An elongated staircase connects the entirety of the building. On each side of this cleared space, different districts arise.
There’s the main sports district, which is bigger in scale to accommodate its uses. The double heights present here allows the larger windows to appear. Vertical distribution is a key concept: tennis, paddle, squash, and swimming are all found here.
Large uses are located on the highest and lowest points of the building. The Olympic swimming pool is found in the basement floor, hidden under the revealed concrete structure. Tennis is played in the rooftop; its only limits are resistant glass panels that provide breathtaking views of Vitoria.
The other district is mainly used for fitness activities. Smaller rooms appear here, which are separated from the main space by glass partitions.
LA TÓMBOLA DE CÁRITAS _Pamplona, Spain
4th Year
w/ Pablo GarcíaEvery year during the Festival of San Fermín in Pamplona, thousands of people gather around the Paseo de Sarasate for the chance to win a prize at the raffle hosted by Cáritas. The tickets sold not only guarantee rewards, but all benefits obtained during the event go to charity projects.
There is a recurring issue, however. Assembling the original booths takes an abundance of time and workers, which generates additional costs. This issue stems from the booth design, which is convoluted due to its construction and number of individual parts.
Cáritas’ current booths are in desperate need of getting reconditioned, and we set out to fulfill their vision.
As a solution, we have proposed a new design that facilitates the assembly process, its transport, and subsequent storage. By creating pre-built containers that, following a set module, vary in use and appearance, it is possible to maintain the original distribution while fixing the previous issues.
We took the idea of the raffle game and translated its random nature into a playful design that resonates strongly with the festive spirit of this celebration.
We also took the materiality into consideration. Strong red steel plates bring color and protection to the module while resonating Cáritas style. Transparent sheets of alveolar polycarbonate make up the interior furnishing and windows for their light permeability and durability.
North-West Elevation
South-East Elevation
HOTEL BOUTIQUE _Lisbon, Portugal
4th Year
w/ Pablo GarcíaIn a desolate and unkempt district in Lisbon, directly faced with monumental and historical buildings, this hotel arises.
To generate a smooth transition between the two areas, the facade twists and changes character in the corners. This twisted monumental shell generates two distinct spaces.
The first space is a public plaza surrounded by transparencies and life. Bars and restaurants appear here, sharing the same pavement as the hotel’s main entrance. Inviting and brimming with life, this mini-district becomes a leisure hub for tourists and residents alike.
The second space is a private, peaceful garden that provides peace and comfort for the hotel’s clients; hidden behind the wide, monumental walls. A garden brimming with life appears, providing further protection and privacy.
These spaces shift in materiality, revealing the steel structure and large windows. Black, metallic sheets cover up the private facade, while the public one is completely transparent. Monumental rock panels cover the rest of the perimeter, maintaining consistency with the rest of the monumental buildings.
Part of the hotel is above ground, while the other hides underground. A staircase appears behind the building, providing a hidden path towards the residential neighborhood. This path is also connected to the public plaza, allowing easy connections.
East Elevation
