T S R A CHEK
ROQUE GONZALEZ STARCHEK
roquegonzalezstarchek@gmail.com +1 (786) 246-5989
To my family and friends, your unwavering love, patience, and encouragement have been my greatest source of strength. Thank you for believing in me and standing by my side every step of the way. Your presence has been a constant reminder that I am never alone on this journey,
To FIU, I am immensely grateful for the knowledge, guidance, and opportunities that have shaped me as an architect. Above all, I am profoundly grateful for the incredible and inspiring individuals I have met along the way. Together, these connections have made this journey an unforgettable chapter of my life.
EDUCATION
Florida International University
Masters in Architecture
Study Abroad Genova, Italy
Masters in Architecture
2020 - Present August 2024 - December 2024
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Tamara Feldman Interior Design
Architecture Intern
January 2024 - April 2024
• Partner with clients and creative teams to conceptualize and refine unique interior design solutions.
• Contribute to the development of detailed design plans, including furniture layouts, material palettes, and lighting schemes.
• Produce and organize project deliverables such as concept boards, 3D visualizations, and comprehensive design documentation.
• Manage and streamline project files, ensuring efficient workflow and clear communication among team members.
Carnival Cruise Line
Architecture Intern
August 2023 - December 2023
• Collaborate with architects and design teams to create and develop architectural concepts.
• Assist in the preparation of architectural drawings, plans, and specifications.
• Prepare and maintain project documentation, including drawings, reports, and presentations.
• Assist in the organization and management of architectural project files.
LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
MDC Student Government Association
General Member
• Ensure that students’ concerns are addressed in governance and policy development of Miami Dade College at all levels
• Developed effective communication skills while attending the meetings. Managed the order and proper use of time.
• Supervised and engaged the student’s participation, to provide official voice and action on behalf of the student body.
SKILLS AND ACTIVITIES
• Languages: English – Professional Proficiency, Spanish – Native, Portuguese - Intermediate , Italian - Intermediate
• Technical Skills: AutoCAD, Rhinoceros 3D, Sketchup, Revit, Blue beam, V-ray, Lumion, Enscape, Procore, Arc GIS Software, Google Suite, Microsoft Suite, Adobe Suites.
• Relevant Coursework: Engineering Drawing (AutoCAD), Structures (I and II), Materials and methods.
DESIGN 8 FALL 2023 SHIBUMI CULTURAL
DESIGN 7 SUMMER 2023 SAXUM EDUCATIONAL
DESIGN 10 FALL 2024
CARRARA HOUSE
HOUSE
JAZZ HUB EDUCATIONAL
COMPRENSHENSIVE DESIGN SUMMER 2024
DESIGN 5 FALL 2022
POINCIANA CULTURAL
SHIBUMI
CULTURAL
TOKYO, JAPAN
DESIGN 8
SUMMER 2023
Shibumi is a transformative architectural project in Shinjuku, Tokyo, redefining an unused overpass into a serene urban sanctuary. The design integrates abundant vegetation, creating a lush green corridor that offers a refreshing contrast to the city’s highenergy atmosphere. A rhythmical frame shapes a shell-like structure, providing users with a calming and protective environment amidst Tokyo’s chaotic urban context.
Shibumi exemplifies the power of adaptive reuse by breathing new life into an underutilized pedestrian overpass in Shinjuku, Tokyo. This once-neglected structure has been reimagined as a vibrant, multifunctional space that serves the community in innovative ways. By integrating lush vegetation and a striking rhythmical frame, the project transforms the overpass into a serene and inviting environment that contrasts beautifully with Tokyo’s bustling urban landscape.
The architecture of Shibumi is defined by its elegant shell-like structures, which integrate skylights punctuate these shells, flooding the interior with natural light and creating a greenhouse-like design choice blurs the boundary between indoor and outdoor spaces, immersing users
integrate seamlessly with the urban environment while fostering a sense of tranquility. Large greenhouse-like atmosphere brimming with lush plants and vegetation. This intentional users in a serene, nature-infused environment.
Shibumi is not only a restorative project but a strategic response to Tokyo’s dense urban environment. Recognizing the city’s high population density and intense pedestrian and traffic flows, we conducted extensive analyses of circulation patterns. The design of Shibumi enhances connectivity, streamlining both vehicular and pedestrian movement. By transforming the overpass into an inviting, multifunctional space, Shibumi alleviates congestion and promotes efficient mobility while offering users a tranquil retreat within the bustling city. This integration of functionality and serenity makes Shibumi a vital addition to Tokyo’s urban fabric.
SAXUM
CULTURAL
GENOVA, ITALY
DESIGN 10
FALL 2024
Inspired by Liguria’s rocky hills, where cliffs meet the sea and coastline towns rise at varied elevations, creating a dynamic and harmonious landscape. The design incorporates multi-level structures, terraced forms, and flowing elements that blend with the rugged terrain, reflecting the region’s natural verticality. This interplay of elevation, light, and shadow enhances the connection between *Saxum* and its dramatic surroundings, much like the Ligurian towns seamlessly integrated into their environment.
Located at Genoa’s Porto Antico, Saxum is poised to revitalize this historic waterfront through its educational and cultural programs. Porto Antico, once a bustling maritime hub, has transformed into a vibrant area blending history with modernity. By introducing spaces for learning and cultural exchange, *Saxum* will reimagine this iconic site as a center for community engagement.
The interior space amplifies the rock-inspired design through sharply defined cuts transparent glass creates a striking contrast—concrete emphasizing the solidity and through and between spaces.
At the heart of the design is a breathtaking central space, where a large skylight serves natural light but also enhances the perception of depth and texture, as light plays reaches every corner, creating a dynamic and ever-changing interior atmosphere.
and edges, mimicking natural rock formations. The interplay of raw concrete and ruggedness of the rock, while glass adds lightness and openness, allowing glimpses
serves as the primary source of illumination. This skylight not only floods the area with across the angular surfaces. The diffused glow from the skylight ensures that light
The project’s design invites both locals and visitors to connect with Genoa’s rich heritage while fostering innovation and creativity. Public spaces, cultural exhibitions, and educational facilities are seamlessly integrated, creating a dynamic environment that brings new energy to the port. WAntico’s visual identity but also solidifies its role as a cultural and educational epicenter for Genoa.
*Saxum* enhances Genoa’s Porto Antico by integrating community spaces, learning environments, and gallery areas that foster cultural enrichment and education. The community spaces encourage interaction and collaboration, strengthening social ties and making the site a vibrant gathering point. Learning facilities provide opportunities for workshops, lectures, and programs that inspire innovation and empower individuals with knowledge.
CARRARA HOUSE
RESIDENTIAL
ARENALES, COSTA RICA
DESIGN 8
FALL 2023
Carrara House is a striking architectural project on the coast of Costa Rica, where a minimalist cube exterior contrasts with an organic, dynamic interior. At its heart lies a central atrium filled with lush vegetation, dividing the house into distinct spaces while fostering a seamless connection with nature. This atrium not only serves as a visual and spatial anchor but also brings natural light and ventilation deep into the home, blurring the boundaries between indoor and outdoor environments. The design elegantly balances simplicity and complexity, offering a tranquil yet modern living experience.
The interior of Carrara House is designed to embrace its lush Costa Rican surroundings, with expansive floor-to-ceiling windows that seamlessly connect the organic spaces to the vibrant selvatic environment. These large openings flood the interior with natural light, creating a harmonious flow between the inside and the outside. The atrium’s vegetation complements the greenery beyond, making the house feel like an extension of the landscape.
The windows not only frame breathtaking views of the coastal jungle but also allow for natural ventilation, enhancing the tropical living experience. The interplay of light, shadow, and greenery creates an immersive atmosphere, making the interior feel alive and deeply connected to its stunning natural context. This integration turns *Carrara House* into a serene retreat, where the architecture celebrates and amplifies the beauty of its surroundings.
A bold, organic void that splits the minimalist cube form, revealing an interior world space teeming with vegetation, acting as the house’s heart. It not only divides the home the line between architecture and nature.
The crack’s organic geometry contrasts sharply with the cube’s clean lines, symbolizing opening, casting intricate shadows and creating a serene atmosphere, while the vegetation also serves a functional role, promoting natural ventilation and offering a tranquil retreat
world that contrasts with the structured exterior. This crack forms the atrium, a dynamic home into distinct functional areas but also becomes a sculptural element, blurring
symbolizing the coexistence of order and spontaneity. Natural light floods through this vegetation enhances the home’s connection to its coastal environment. This feature retreat that grounds the design in sustainability and harmony with its surroundings.
The designwas heavily influenced by the site’s wind and sun patterns, ensuring optimal comfort and energy efficiency throughout the year. Costa Rica’s coastal climate, with its warm temperatures and regular breeze from the Pacific, played a key role in shaping the layout and orientation of the home. The house is strategically positioned to capture the natural trade winds, allowing for crossventilation that cools the interior and reduces the need for artificial cooling systems. The central atrium acts as a natural chimney, drawing cool air through the house while expelling warm air, enhancing airflow and creating a comfortable environment.
The site is nestled on the stunning coast of Costa Rica, a location known for its lush tropical landscapes, vibrant biodiversity, and dramatic coastal views. Surrounded by dense vegetation and the natural beauty of the Pacific coastline, the site offers an ideal setting for a home that integrates seamlessly with its environment. The tropical climate, with its warm temperatures and occasional rainfall, creates a unique challenge and opportunity for design, particularly in terms of ensuring natural ventilation and controlling solar heat gain.
The site’s topography features gentle slopes that allow for expansive views of the coastline, inviting the architecture to embrace both the surrounding vegetation and the distant ocean. The natural surroundings are rich with native flora, creating an immersive environment that the design seeks to celebrate. By focusing on sustainability and a connection to the landscape, *Carrara House* takes full advantage of the site’s features, using large windows and a central atrium to bring the outdoors in and foster a continuous connection between the home and the surrounding tropical wilderness.
THE BEAT HUB
CULTURAL MANHATTAN, NEW YORK
COMPRENHENSIVE DESIGN SUMMER 2024
This architectural project in Harlem, New York, surrounded by Columbia University buildings, boldly defies modernity with its symmetrical and rhythmic facade, reflecting timeless elegance and balance. The design focuses on a grand central atrium that intensifies the building’s interior program, turning functional elements into art by prominently displaying chilling pipes as a striking visual centerpiece. This central space serves as a communal hub, promoting social interaction. As a jazz cultural center, the building includes mixed-use spaces such as retail areas, galleries, and classrooms, harmonizing with Harlem’s cultural vibrancy and Columbia’s academic environment, creating a functional and artistic landmark.
Situated in the vibrant cultural hub of Harlem, this jazz cultural center is designed to honor the neighborhood’s rich artistic and musical heritage while providing spaces for education, creativity, and community engagement. Located near Columbia University, the project serves as a bridge between the academic and local communities, fostering collaboration and cultural exchange. Harlem benefits from the building’s mixed-use program, which includes retail, galleries, and classrooms, offering opportunities for local artists, entrepreneurs, and educators to thrive. By hosting jazz performances, art exhibitions, and educational programs, the center revitalizes the area, becoming a cultural landmark that celebrates Harlem’s legacy while contributing to its future growth and prosperity.
In section, the building’s central atrium becomes a dramatic showcase for its mechanical cooling towers. These elements intersect the heart of the structure, emphasizing the raw journey of these pipes not only highlights the project’s technical sophistication but also creates part of its architectural identity. This bold integration underscores the project’s innovative
systems, with exposed tubes running vertically from the basement boilers to the rooftop raw functionality of the design while transforming utilitarian features into art. The visible creates a unique spatial experience, where the building’s inner workings are celebrated as innovative approach, blending technical systems with cultural and communal functions.
The facade of the jazz cultural center exudes elegance through its rhythmical composition of vertical and horizontal elements, forming a meticulously crafted grid. This grid creates a harmonious balance, blending classic architectural order with contemporary sophistication. At its center, a striking glass portion disrupts the uniformity, revealing the building’s mechanical tubes that run through the central atrium.
At night, the central atrium and its intersecting Carefully designed lighting highlights the exposed illuminated facade and atrium create an inviting This vibrant nighttime presence transforms the
intersecting mechanical tubes become a beacon of light, glowing warmly to welcome visitors to the jazz cultural center. exposed pipes, turning them into dynamic visual elements that evoke the rhythm and energy of jazz. The inviting atmosphere, drawing people in for evening performances, gallery exhibitions, and community gatherings. the building into a cultural landmark, embodying the spirit of Harlem and its deep connection to music and art.
POINCIANA
COMMUNITY
MIAMI
DESIGN 5
FALL 2022
Poinciana celebrates the interplay between nature, learning, and community. Inspired by the shape of an abstracted flower, the design symbolizes growth, resilience, and the nurturing of knowledge within the Coconut Grove community. Each “petal” of the structure serves as a functional space—gallery, library, or classroom—radiating outward from a central courtyard that acts as the heart of the project.
Miami’s climate, characterized by intense sunlight and high heat levels, poses significant challenges for comfort and energy efficiency. Poinciana’s design addresses these conditions with an undulating metal mesh that envelops the building. This mesh acts as both a functional and aesthetic element, diffusing harsh sunlight and reducing heat gain while maintaining visual elegance.
The mesh’s form and placement were meticulously studied, considering the sun’s trajectory during both the winter and summer equinoxes. This ensures optimal shading year-round, enhancing energy efficiency and providing a comfortable environment for the community. The dynamic shadows created by the mesh also add a sense of movement and vibrancy, reflecting the energy of Coconut Grove.
In the section of Poinciana, the central opening serves as a powerful architectural element that enhances both the design and the user experience. Stretching from the first floor to the skylight above, this vertical void connects all levels of the building, fostering a sense of unity and openness.
The skylight at the top bathes the interior in natural light, creating a vibrant and welcoming physically but also symbolically unites the community, encouraging interaction and engagement, reflecting the project’s goal of education and connection.
welcoming atmosphere. This connection between levels not only links the spaces and collaboration. The openness inspires a sense of shared purpose and collective