Portfolio. Javier Castro Alba

jca A R C H I T E C T AND GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Javier Castro Alba jcapuerto@gmail.com 0754 4127741 (m)

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Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

curriculum vitae

Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

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academic education [2003-2005]

HIGH SCHOOL Natural and Health Science track.

Guadalete School, El Puerto de Santa María.

[2005-2014]

ARCHITECT Higher Technical School of Architecture in Seville.

Degree Final Project: “Sport Centre” in El Puerto de Santa María.

additional education [2006]

IV International Workshop of Architecture “IMITATION AND EXPERIENCE”

[2006-2010]

IX, X, XI, y XII Season of Architecture Meetings in Hernando Colon Residence Hall.

[2012]

Workshop: “Infographic Developement of Architecture Render” Ability to generate models by utilizing Autodesk 3ds Max and AutoCAD, rendering by V-ray and post-production of the picture by Adobe Photoshop.

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[2012]

Wooden class season: “RESTORATION AND SUSTAINABILITY”.

[2012-2013]

Architetural Design of Wooden Structure and Digital Manufacturing.

[2012-2013]

Practice course: ENGLISH FOR ARCHITECTS. Organized by Fidas society.

Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

skills _PERSONAL QUALITIES Untiring, creative, hard-worker with positive attitude at all times with the ability of work as part of a team or working independently. Organized, flexible, punctual and with great qualities of graphics expression.

_SOFTWARE High level High level Medium level High level High level High level High level Medium level Medium level

OFFICE AutoCAD Revit CorelDRAW 3D Studio Max + V-ray PHOTOSHOP CYPECAD SAP 2000 CE3X

_LANGUAGES Spanish English

Nationality High Level

work experience _BARRAMEDA ARQUITECTOS

January - March 2014

Planning and development of a residential and business building graphic designs in Brazzelia, Congo.

Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

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Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

projects

Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

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fold seat

The initial idea started with the construction of a seat that can be folded in a single plane.

In order to optimize the material and the production efficiency, I decided to generate the seat through cuts in the board base. This allows three folds of alternating directions to conform the seat, getting a hundred percent advantage of the material.

When the seat is not being used, it can be stored by hanging it on the wall in a decorative manner, much like a picture.

The opening and closing of the furniture is performed by a simple maneuver, exerting pressure on its edges. This quirky opening action adds an extra design aesthetic to the seat.

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Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

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house as a museum: The house without owner

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Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

The project consisted of making a house with 6x6 meters of horizontal surface area by 12 meters of height, in a undefined location.

Immediately thoughts began to come to me; conceptual ideas of how I could distribute the interior, all of which had been inspired by the same pattern in my childhood. When I used to visited my grandfather, I loved climbing the trees that he had in his orchard, to take to the fruits and eat them seated in the highest possible part of the tree.

When I used to go hiking in the mountains, I always accelerated past the group and rose to the most complicated site of the rocks, in search of a good vantage point, to sites where only I could climb and sit there awaiting them to reach me.

That was what I tried to obtain with this project; a house in which, by entering the ground floor, you are rising step by step, discovering new levels of elevated sites to sit, rest and enjoy.

The elevation of the house brings a dynamical aspect. A part of the volume arrangement is made with displacement of planes and small volumes, as it is the case of the corbel, which is a plane that moves, leaving the “vertical limit� that forms the opened facade of the house.

The conceptual idea was as if the stairs had slowely propagated over time from there orginal location vertically up, to create a downstairs doorway into the building.

Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

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As we elevate from level to level, we find different ways to take. We can keep walking by a footbridge that leaves the facade of the house, forming a projection; or we can go downstairs by the floating stairs aforementioned, stairs that lead to nowhere. In this part of the explanation of the project I am going to take a breather to explain the reasoning behind the stairs.

Recalling a book which I worked in my first year of university, titled House collage: a test on the architecture of the house, I remain with the titled chapter “the valid ambiguity”. This chapter taught how to consider the spaces like the corridors, or in this case the stairs differing from the habitual purpose. It would be more useful to consider them as a common structure that allow other uses in addition to the one of transit.

I consider the stairs as a zone destined to something more than elevational reasons. I removed the stereotype of the stairs being a traffic zone, because they do not embark in another level of the house, and do not take you anywhere.

The user will be able to descend utilizing each of the steps as a place to sit and observe the landscape.

The highest and intimate part of the house is destined to be the bedroom; a room where the bed is located within the floor cavity, and by lifting the floorspace, the bed can be revealed. Designing the room in such a manner allows the floor to be “closed”, while the room is not being used to sleep, granting extra space with spectacular views from the top.

This space however can only be accessed by more difficult means of climbing. Once the angles of the views have been studied, it becomes apparent that the building can be appreciated for all its glory unseen from lower levels.

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Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

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museum in the Guadalquivir river bank (Seville)

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Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

Museum of Contemporany Art in Helsinky, Steven Holl.

This project consisted of developing a museum dedicated to the Guadalquivir river (Seville) that would be built on the river bank, which is currently scattered with local vegetation.

During the development of the project, a key aspect of importance was to consider the surroundings, as much of the local woodland makes up the characteristics of that part of Seville.

Therefore the building is “surrounded” by the nature, which can be appreciated from every angle of the perimeter thanks to glass walls. An artificial water surface “raises from the river” interlacing itself with the building.

From the main volume of the building extrudes viewing galleries, that give the best visuals of the river allowing it to be appreciated for all its worth.

Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

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+31.00

+1.20

+- 0.00

+5.00

+1.20

+-0.00

+8.80

+- 0.00

+1.20

+8.00

+8.00

+5.00

+5.00

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Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

+8.80

+8.80 +5.00

+5.00 +1.20

+1.20

+- 0.00

+- 0.00

+36.20 +31.00 +25.80

+20.60

+15.40

+10.20 +8.80

+8.80

+5.00 +1.20

Javier Castro Alba

+8.00 +5.00 +1.20

+- 0.00

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

+- 0.00

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Sport Centre in El Puerto de Santa María (Cádiz) Degree Final Project

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Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

The election of the subject of the Degree Final Project is a reflection and maturation process, something to which we are going to dedicate a considerable time to him of the degree before finish it, is an opportunity to develop something with which to enjoy in the process, and something that, if possible, helps to grow and to advance of correct form to my city.

The objective of the intervention is the advantage of the left margin from the Guadalete river to its pass by El Puerto de Santa Maria, so that spaces of interest are created near the historical city centre and give back to this area the life that always has had.

Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

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The nature and free spaces surround to the building, always with the presence of the water, as the main and more important element of the project.

One put special well-taken care in the control of the routes when I was designing the inside spaces, playing with the intuition of the user and its experience with the building, and always differentiating the zones between dirty feet and clean feet.

The northeast oriented facade, opened to the outer green zone of the parcel, has a horizontals wooden system as a pergola that filters the direct solar light.

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Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

A series of volumes is arising one from the other, as a matrioska or Russian doll, to gather to the user in the stroll and to take it, crossing the different spaces, until the main volume that lodges the swimming pool.

A smaller height on one of the borders of the swimming pool creates a warm rest area for the swimmer. Lodging in its interior the necessary machinery for the air conditioning of the building.

The design of the roof responds to a logical structural system that it contains the necessary facilities for the swimming pool and obtains an entrance of diffuse light in it.

Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

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Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

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When I began to design the roof, I wanted to integrate in it all the necessary functions. With that objective, I started to study Miguel Fisac´s works. In his life, Miguel Fisac tried to design a precast concrete element which works as an structural element, covering the desired surface, filtering the light making it diffuse and canalising the rainwater.

Keeping in mind that it is very difficult to use concrete over long spans and, in addition, with the original idea of developing a light structure which hosts sporting facilities, it lead me to a design made wholey of wood.

Initially I incorporated a solid-web beam, with 2,5 metres-skylights, forming a drawer under the beams in alternate hollows to insert the air ducts in it. By doing this I integrated the air filtration in side the roof in a hiden manner.

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Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

This design provides an excess of direct light on the swimming pool surface, so I tried to light it up using a skylight with a closed top and opened vertical sides. This causes the light to be reflected down to the pool as indirect lighting, to avoid the glaze of direct sunlight. In addition, I tried to optimize the integration of the wood, as using solid-web beam, each 2,5 metres with suports each 5 metres was excessive. To achieve this I decided to use a roof truss system, keeping the air duct drawer.

Finally, I decided to spin the top of the skylight to add solar panels to the roof which are needed to provide the sport centre with hot water. By doing this, the solar panels do not appear as some elements simply based on the roof. The only problem is that the solar panels now are not facing the south, but with the current orientation it fits more solar panels than facing the south, which, evidently solves the issue of lost energy that occurs in a south facing configuration.

Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

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3D model of a wooden structure.

Modeled by AutoCAD

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Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

3D model of a wooden structure and steel gutter.

Modeled by AutoCAD

Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

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Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

graphic desings

Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

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winehouse in Ronda, Mรกlaga (Spain)

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Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

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Residential and bussines building in Brazzelia, Congo

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Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

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Museum in Trujillo, Badajoz (Spain)

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Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

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museum in Guadalquivir river bank (Seville)

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Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

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Sport Centre in El Puerto de Santa MarĂ­a Degree Final Project

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Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

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Javier Castro Alba

jcapuerto@gmail.com

0754 4127741 (m)

Javier Castro Alba jcapuerto@gmail.com 0754 4127741 (m)