Experience
2012
“On Foot” GROUP (Madrid)
Urban solutions Masterplanning. Sustainable Strategies.
2013 (Internship)
Gary Johnson Studio (Gdansk)
Design competition for the rehabilitation and repurposing of The Imperial Shipyard and the Old Docks of Gdansk.
2014
Pietro Lipari Studio (Alcamo)
Residential development in the Old Town. Heritage rehabilitation. New Construction.
2015
Dierulan Technical Solutions (Madrid) Site visits. Technical documentation. Concept design.
2016
Arditécnica (Madrid)
Active member of the Architectural Team. Participation throughout all stages of the projects. Concept design. Construction ocumentation.
2017—2019
Marchese Partners International (Auckland)
2019—2020
Marchese Partners International (London)
2020—Present
Marchese Partners/Life3A (European branch) (Madrid)
Education
2009—2016
Masters Degree in Architecture
ETSAM (Madrid)
2022—2023
MeDIP
Masters in Project Management
ETSAM (Madrid)
Languages
Spanish (Native Tongue)
English (Proficient)
Italian (Intermediate)
French (Basic)
Skills
Revit
AutoCad
Rhinoceros
SketchUp
Enscape
Twinmotion
Photoshop
As an architect, I firmly believe people’s lives can be improved through design. Every decision made throughout a project can be seen as an opportunity to determine how space is going to be utilised - better make good use of such a responsibility.
Being part of a team or a collaborative environment is one of the aspects I enjoy the most about working in architecture. However, I’ve also proven capable of taking on important tasks on my own; from assessing and establishing hierarchies within a new design, in order to delegate and get the project up and running, to understanding and getting a package over the line to completion, all whilst dealing with the various parties involved in the process.
When presented with a challenge, analysis and special attention to detail are key elements in my process. Through hard work and consistency I tend to find solutions within the design, whilst learning from the experience to apply this knowledge to future projects.
+34 654 125 846
m.olivan.aroca@gmail.com
Looking to reactivate an underutilised space at the edge of the urban fabric, the project intends to be a new landmark of the city. Its location, at the very entrance of the main marine routes into the finnish capital, gives a new façade to the port area and ultimately to the whole city that intends to live up to the standards set by the rest of the historical buildings.
The length of the piece and its situation, acting as a retaining wall between the park and the harbour, create a new relation between the city and this vast green surface, not only in a visual way but also on the urbanistic approach. On the other hand, the former space of the docks is not a simple concrete slab that outlines the border between the city and the bay anymore. It has become a new lookout for the city which, enhanced by the museum greets visitors upon arrival.
Barcelona, Spain
2016 Amazon Logistics Centre
Amazon Logistics Centre Barcelona, Spain
The american corporation was in need of a logistics centre that allowed them to distribute their products from this key port of Barcelona to the main cities of the country and the rest of Southern Europe. Really demanding timeframes for submission and the very stringent requirements quickly turned this project into a major challenge.
The accuracy when detailing the main distribution systems and conveyor belts destined to move and sort the packages would determine its financial viability and whether the project would simply go ahead or not. The whole team’s performance under pressure allowed us to submit the documentation in time after having passed several strict quality controls during the process.
Madrid, Spain
2017 Hotel RIU Plaza España
One of the most iconic hotels of the Spanish Capital and the 8th tallest building in Madrid, Hotel RIU Plaza España stands before the Square which is named after at the very end of the emblematic Gran Vía. It first opened its doors in 1953 and by the time RIU acquired it and decided to remodel it and reopen to the public, it had become a well known piece of history to all the people from Madrid and its numerous visitors.
Our proposal quickly drew the attention of the committee due to its innovative usage of the common areas, one of the most neglected parts of the building to that date, without relying on an intrusive intervention. We understood from the beginning that such an historical building needed of a subtle but efficient renovation that not only conservated but also showcased its character.
The International Auckland, New Zealand
Located in the very heart of the city, this high end residential building aspires to be a recognizable piece of the intriguing collage that is Auckland’s chaotic skyline.
One of its main features is the usage of open and semi-open spaces that intertwine at the edges of the floorplate, producing a groundbreaking idea of interior-exterior that responds directly to the sometimes rough Auckland weather and to the necessity of apartments as luxurious as these to still provide exterior areas that can be used throughout the whole year.
Its magnificient amenities and interior layouts are however the main selling point of the apartments that in many cases had to be customized to accommodate purchaser’s desires with a cohesive and thoughtful design.
2018-2019
AUT Accommodation
Auckland, New Zealand
Located in a very central area of the city, this AUT student accommodation will house up to 697 students at a time distributed into two 16 and 18 storey towers connected by a podium link building.
The glass-podium will be leased back to AUT and will include a full-sized basketball court, a two storey fitness centre, three levels of commercial spaces, health and well being facilities for students and a wide range of communal spaces on the topmost floor of the podium.
Constrained by a very stringent building programme, attention to detail and a thoughtful design helped us to layout an efficient building sequence that proved to be crucial when dealing with a great number of staggered consents and numerous of external consultants.
Our role as architects and main consultant was instrumental when coordinating all other parties and providing a thorough site assistance
2019-2020
Epsom Seniors Living Development London United Kingdom
The1.47hectaressiteissituatedwithinthecontextofEpsom&StHelierUniversityhospital,southwestofGreaterLondon.Thesite isboundedbyopengreenspacesontwoofitssidesandithasbeenouraimfromtheverybeginningtohighlightandenhancethe relationshipofthedevelopmentwiththesegreensurroundingsanditscontextingeneral.
Astheleaderoftheenvelopepackageofthedevelopment,itwasmyresponsibilityandaspirationtoensurethatourdesignintent forthefacadewasinlinewiththelocalenvironmentandwasnotperceivedbythepeopleofEpsomasaforeignelementthatwas alientotheir heavilycultivatedwayoflife.Thisstrongrelationshipismanifestedthroughlocalmaterialspresentonallelevations,adirect responsetothevariationsinheightsofthedifferentboundingsitesandanintentiontooffertheproposedpublicspacesnotonlytothe GuildLivingresidentsbutalsotothepeopleofEpsom,encouragingaconstantconnectionbetweenthelocalsandthenewresidents ofthedevelopment.
TheschemeistobedevelopedandoperatedbyGuildLiving,whohavebeenestablishedtocreatehigh-qualitylaterliving communitiesintownsandcitiesacrosstheUKandtocombineinnovativearchitectureandinteriorswithbest-in-practicewellness programmestoenableenrichedandactivelifestyles.
Residentsareprovidedwiththeopportunitiestoliveindependently,butwithinasafe,purpose-builtenvironmentofferingadiverse rangeofcommunalamenitiesandwiththeassurancethatthereis24-hourcaresupportavailablewheneverrequired.
Envelope Study
Typical Bay Study and Materiality
External Visualisations
2021
Bishops Avenue Residential London United Kingdom
Tasked withthe re-designofapreviouslyapproved applicationthattheclient deemed unsuccessful,wefocused primarilyonthe facade,whichwasofcapitalimportancefromthebeginning.
Located ina prominent Londonborough,we tried to maintainthe renownedArts and Crafts style,whichisverypresent throughout theneighbourhood,whileofferinga mixofmodernandtraditionalarchitecture, speciallyonthemain Eastern Elevation.
Aided byaseriesofsketchesand3Dstudies,theclientwaspresentedwitha numberofoptions whose mainobjectivewasto getthe Herigate inspectorinfavourofthedevelopment,this being suchadelicate contexttobepreserved.
London, United Kingdom
Other
Sketches & Models
Other Sketches & Modelling
