Portfolio Andres Gayo Smith

Andrés Gayo Smith andres.gayo@gmail.com C/ Isla de Alborán, 37 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón Madrid, Spain +34 665 88 06 14

PORTFOLIO

INTERIOR DESIGNER

JULY 2013

ANDRÉS GAYO SMITH

STEELCASE SPAIN Workplace design June 2012/July 2013

A M P S ARQUITECTURA Y DISEÑO Exhibition design, architecture competitions Febr 2012/April 2012

T E R E S A S A P E Y Interior design June 2012/July 2013

DE MICOLI & ASSOCIATES Restoration work July 2009/Sept 2009

i N T É R I E U R S D’ARCHITECTURES Interior design Sept 2010/Dec 2010

foreword Education I was trained to be a lawyer and had my future cut out for me. At school I learnt three languagues (my mother tongue, Spanish, English and French), as well as many other useful things that helped me shape what I know and who I am today.

Law My legal training helped me realise I was more than a brainy guy who liked to deal with papers. I acquired many skills such as being diligent, the importance of time, of being resourceful, reasoning ability and keeping up with the latest legal developments.

Design At Architecture School I found my true vocation. It does not matter whether it means designing a chair, envisaging a space, building a micro-structure, creating a logo or a company’s branding. It’s all the same to me. It’s all part of being creative, of finding solutions to problems. Whether you’re an engineer, a mathematician or a school teacher. Being creative means thinking outside the box, finding the bigger picture, exploring the true meaning of things and transforming them into new things or ideas, finding a concept and develop it to it’s final consequences. The long hours didn’t seem like a burden as during the years I practised law, it seemed like the perfect investment in my wellbeing and in the belief my work can help change things and making them better and purposeful.

Final words I am proficient in the use of many design software, I’ve spent the past four years combining my studies with freelance jobs as a translator, training with several design and architectural firms in Madrid, Lyon and Malta and managed to complete my dissertation with top marks but most importantly to my almost full satisfaction and trying to learn as much as possible.

I like to work both on my own and as part of a team to profit from as many synergies as possible. I believe in the idea that only by working you will improve and achieve your goals and I have a full potential waiting to be put to good use. That’s why I would like to be given the opportunity to demonstrate what I’m worth.

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VIP LOUNGE PARIS PHOTO 2012 Salon d’Honneur, Grand Palais, Paris.

Novembre 2012 Design team: Teresa Sapey Studio Collaboration: Teresa Sapey, Matteo Ferrari, Giovanni Benedetti and Andrés Gayo.

The VIP Lounge for the 2012 Paris Photo exhibition was inspired in Mies Van der Rohe’s Velvet and Silk Café.

Known as one of the greatest XXth century architects, the inventor of principles such as “Less is More” and “God is in the details”, his spaces will be remembered for the honesty of materiality and structural integrity.

Within the exhibition entitled “Die Mode der Dame, organized by the Werkbund in Berlin, in 1927, Mies and his then partner Lilly Reich devised a temporary installation known as the Velvet and Silk Café. The open plan of the space is divided only by the use of textiles hung from several steel tube structures at different heights enclosing the smaller spaces which conform the installation.

The spacial layout and the different ambiances were defined by a minimal construction of velvet and silk in different formats and colours suspended vertically in the air. From this project which precedes the German Pavillion for the Barcelona exhibition of 1929, Mies worked on the spatial qualities of materials and their interactions.

These same principles were present in the design of the VIP Lounge for the 2012 Paris Photo exhibition at the Grand Palais. Having been closed for many years, the “Salon d’Honneur” had been overhauled and 2012 marked its officical reopening. The project wished to unveil the restoration works of the Salon d’Honneur and exploit the verticality and openness of the space.

By using textiles, a number of flexible spaces were created with the necessary private-public character of the enclosed smaller spaces without distracting the attention from the larger space.

The vibrant colours used are a trademark of Madrid based Italian designer Teresa Sapey.

EXHIBITION DESIGN

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INTERIOR DESIGN

L-OBLAK Private residence, Ribera de Curtidores, Madrid, Spain.

December 2012 Design: Bruno García Blas + Andrés Gayo L oblak or cloud of books is a private commission for a couple of young professionals from Slovakia and Argentina who needed a space both for book storage and workspace.

The design mirrors on the own aspects of the apartment location (locus soli) and the clients personalities. First and foremost, the design needed to be functional: the commissioners needed a place to store all of their books and a workplace to study. The place is a beautiful high ceiling 1930s apartment with tiled floors in a popular borough of Madrid next to the Rastro which holds a flea market every Sunday. The street called Ribera de Curtidores is the road where leather tanners used to work.

On a more poetic level, the bookcase was tailored to fit the couple’s desire for a paradise of books (thus oblak=cloud in Slovakian). The apartment faces the Tanners Road with a lovely view of local commerce, vegetation planted throughout the street and with a warm clear light that pervades into the living room.

The composition is well rounded and is based on two inverted L (for libro=book in Spanish) shaped spaces: one for the bookcase, another for the desk. The choice of materials is a combination of 3mm steel sheets placed horizontally braced by thin steel vertebrae accentuating the verticality of the space and oak with a natural finish. The structure is steady and heavy permitting load bearing but thin and light so as to hide itself and showcase the books as the most important element. The aesthetics are rough and industrial but carefully assembled and finished.

Two lines of LEDS were built into the unit to create a mild atmospheric lighting and a warm fluorescent lamp was placed over the desk to provide sufficient worklight.

A bookcase where the books seem to float as in a sea of clouds, a paradise for reflection and evasion.

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“FRANCIA DISEÑA HOY” Central del Diseño, Matadero Madrid March 2012 Design team: AMPS Studio Collaboration: Alberto Marcos, Mariana Areia, Ignacio Aguao and Andrés Gayo.

Francia Diseña Hoy is an exhibition on French contemporary design. It took place in March 2012 as part of the activities sponsored by the French Embassy and l’Institut Français de Madrid under the title “L’Emoi du Design”.

The exhibition’s narrative revolves around the idea that each element should be placed within it’s own life environment. Instead of isolating each product, as far as possible, objects were gathered according to a leit motif describing a unique atmosphere such as experimentation/new technologies, silent-design, la joie de vivre, le dessin du quotidien, outdoor design, socially engaged design. Following Industrial Facility’s propositions in “Product as landscape”, the pivotal idea is to change the anthropocentric approach for a system of dependence between objects, nature and ourselves.

From a constructive point of view, re-usable systems and infrastructures were used in pursuit of an intelligent sustainable design. Common sense, flexibility of spaces in order to surpass the exhibition’s own lifespan and reuse for future interventions, transcending the ephemeral nature of the construction were the key values. There is a need not just to showcase sustainable products but to re-use wherever possible all materials, shelves and cabinets in the exhibition for future purposes as well as enhancing vallues through responsible design and achieving a greater goal with minimum intervention by creating design strategies.

A great occasion to walk through the paths of French Contemporary Design.

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EXHIBITION DESIGN

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“MOSAICO NASA” Avilés Port Authority, Asturias Competition, February 2012 Conception and design: AMPS Studio Collaboration: Alberto Marcos, David Alonso, Mariana Areia and Andrés Gayo.

Mosaico Nasa is based on a lightweight construction system, employing materials from nearby industries, to provide an appropriate response to multiple programmes. By combining a series of pieces that make up a mosaique or puzzle, one can model different types of terraces (bar, restaurant, kiosque, shop, lavatories) to adapt to differerent kinds of users, be re-used in different locations, transported and stored with ease.

Using an inexpensive construction system, a landmark architecture is achieved capable of relating to the nearby sculpture by Benjamín Menéndez “Avilés”, with the hull of carriers that sail down the inlet of Avilés, and to the peaks of the nearby mountain range known as “Picos de Europa”.

An ondulated perforated mesh is proposed as cladding for the whole terrace to provide certain privacy and isolation to users from the adjacent road. This mesh still allows exterior view and natural lighting from the inside and a system of hydraulic shutters enables the terrace to be opened during the warmer months and to favour the view towards the inlet.

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COMPETITIONS

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“FORT ST. ELMO” Fort St. Elmo Location: Valletta, Malta Duration: 2009-Ongoing Design team: De Micoli & Associates Between Marsamxetto Harbour to the northwest and the Grand Harbour towards the southeast, lies the strategic fortress, Fort St Elmo. Built in 1552, it was constructed as a defensive countermeasure following numerous Turkish attacks upon the Island of Malta and Gozo. Subsequently over the years, the Fort has undergone many changes in use and development, upgrading according to the latest technological warfare discoveries. Therefore, since inception, the original purpose and intent of the Fort was to act as the primary guardian of, not only this archipelago, but also the surrounding region of the Mediterranean.

Our company was entrusted to carry out the technical studies and design proposals necessary for the client to file an ERDF application. The sensitive nature of the site led us first of all to take up the lengthy and thorough exercise of recording in great detail its current state of preservation. The building fabric is in itself the best source of information through which the site’s passage through time can be reviewed and in some instances almost relived. Some of the chambers hidden deep within the fortress’ cavalier presented to us a time warped reality wherein the ghosts of the soldiers posted there during World War 2 were almost visible sitting at the Harbour Fire Control table or running in and out of the intertwined corridors and passageways wearing their gas masks and calling out to each other.

The main aim of a project of this nature is that of rehabilitating the structures on site for sympathetic and complementary re-use. This in turn necessitates the removal of that which is deterring from the full enjoyment of the monument and the addition of supporting structures and interventions which complement and aid in bringing to life the spaces and places of this historic Fort. By restoring and re-using what has stood for centuries, the historic, touristic and commercial potentials of the Fort come to fruition. Furthermore, opening up the Fort for public enjoyment aids in funding ongoing maintenance and preservation programs.

Given the high intrinsic value of the Fort’s fabric and what this fabric represents, the site was treated with the utmost dignity and respect. All investigation was compliant with the relevant National and International Conservation and Heritage laws and charters. The project involved a vast amount of research and academic study in order that the staff involved, together with key consultants, could compile a detailed historical analysis to act as a springboard from which all the interventions and design concepts could be launched. While groups of surveyors were furnishing the team with accurate plans and elevations, every block present on site was studied thoroughly through comparison of documented evidence and physical observation. A sound knowledge of the historical background allowed us to derive meaning from the anomalies found in the built fabric and space configurations. These mirrored the progress of history and changes in the culture of warfare with the most radical modifications being made by the British for the Second World War. These studies which included archaeological excavations led us to the realisation that the site is a minefield of cultural and historical wealth, and any proposed interventions should be such as to enhance the legibility of this wealth whilst in no way detracting from its significance. Once investigations were completed, the design team took off and started work on a proposal which had to ensure that the richness discovered could be ably transmitted to the public visiting the site.

With this in mind, the designs produced revolved around the concept of creating an interactive cultural experience. Rather than seeking new uses for the now vacant spaces within the Fort, the fabric itself was allowed to dictate the role it now wanted to play in the historical and cultural experience which the whole site would convey to the visitor - tourist and local alike. Emphasis was made on ensuring return visits to the site. This can only be achieved by creating a dynamic environment with spaces which allow for mixed use and temporary installments. On the other hand, fixed routes were designed to take the visitor through the different stages in the development of the Fort and its defences while allowing for occasional vistas over the Grand Harbour for its beauty to be enjoyed too.

While aiding to increase as much as possible the legibility of the Fort’s rich history, the use of high end technological tools and installations from the 21st century will leave their contemporary mark on the site, bringing the Fort back into today’s urban fabric. This reintegration is also achieved through a re-design of all pedestrian and vehicular traffic around the Fort. Whilst retaining and strengthening key elements which relay a sensation of awe and the feeling of entering a fortified and closely guarded space, new routes are introduced which act as crowd pullers, drawing the crowds which daily populate the upper streets of Valletta down to the Fort.

The success of the project will in the end be measured not by the number of tourists which pay their once in a lifetime visit but by the extent to which it will manage to reintegrate the Fort back into the socio cultural environment of the Maltese Islands.

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RESTORATION WORK

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STEELCASE SPAIN Steelcase España, Madrid June 2012-Today Workplace design

I have held the position as workplace designer and consultant at Steelcase Spain for almost a year now. My duties vary from presentations for clients, assessment of needs, consultancy, 3d image rendering, space planning, liaising with other offices in design matters, design and upkeep of worklives/showrooms, working closely with architectural firms on medium and large scale projects from equipping newly built to renovation of spaces.

Steelcase’s approach to workplace design is based on the following concepts: collaboration (working with people face to face or long distance), concentration (carrying out individual tasks that require concentration), learning (sharing information and experiencies with others and learn from them) and socialisation (information exchange with small groups of people).

These principles are intented to promote an interconnected workplace which will - Optimize every square foot of real estate - Enhance collaboration as a natural way of working - Attract, develop, and engage great talent; people really want to work there - Build the company brand and culture - Help improve a person’s wellbeing

QADRO tABLERO 1600 X 1200

BLOQUE PERSONAL

MÓDULO TÉCNICO

ACABADO ROBLE BLANCO

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WORKPLACE DESIGN

Despacho Ottima

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VODAFONE SPAIN Steelcase España, Madrid May 2013.

Workplace design

As part of my duties as design consultant, I was involved in the preparation of tenders and design projects for key accounts, hospitals and education institutions. One of the largest projects I worked in was the equipment of the Vodafone Headquarters in Madrid.

Based on our previous meetings with the client and our own assesment of his needs, we produced a holistic proposal in the shape of a design manual for the whole campus where the client will shortly relocate it’s workforce.

The pillars of the project revolved around the notion that work is becoming more mobile and more collaborative. Vodafone needed to translate their motto “Power to you” into a new client experience based on the relationships between workers, clients and third parties which mutually cooperate. This, in turn, was taken as the starting point of the new space and inspired a number of guiding principles for the project, namely: - Flexible spaces: a wider choice of how and where employees and visitors work and interact within the new campus.

- Build the company’s brand and culture: “Speed, Simplicity and Trust”.

- Attract and engage talent.

- Enhance collaboration: create more collaboration spaces, nonresident work stations, touchdown posts.

- Improve the general wellbeing and make employees feel connected to the organization.

- Integrate techcnology: incorporate systems to make the office an interconnected workplace.

- Sustainability.

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reCREA ETSAM, Madrid September 2011 Dissertation Grade: Distinction Our final design project at University involved converting the Casa de Vacas Cultural Centre into a Children’s Nursery.

The pivotal idea revolved around the term reCREA, to reCREATE, also a pun on the word RETIRO, which is the actual location of this Cultural Centre, a perfect place for meditation inside the city, a public park surrounded by trees, lakes and recreational areas.

As Sir Ken Robinson believes, creativity is as important as literacy and should be put on equal footing as other subjects taught at school such as mathematics or grammar. As a result, educational spaces should promote creativity, specially at a young age, so that each child will find his own path in life.

Recreate means to create again. The creative process is infinite.

Investigating and developing an idea leads to further research and thus is the driving force for future creation.

Recreational activities also mean children should learn by playing. As everybody else, to pursue an activity, we must possess a motivation and such motivation should be sought within our own self. By exploring and finding our own natural skills and desires we will choose a path that will lead to success.

The following pages show an excerpt of my dissertation, including the two A1 summary panels, interior views, detailing, scale model views, materials used, plans, sections of the interior architecture and landscape projects and other drawings.

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FOLD-UP TABLE FOR BALCONY Private residence, Ribera de Curtidores, Madrid, Spain.

July 2013 Design: Bruno GarcĂ­a Blas + AndrĂŠs Gayo This is a fold-up table commissioned by a young couple of professionals who like to enjoy the small pleasures of life, they are big travellers, love food and wine, dancing tango and the company of friends.

Given the small scale of their balcony, which is as narrow as a couple of feet, they needed a practical table that could be hung to the balcony railing easily and folded away when needed. The table is 1.15 m long and can be used on social occasions or to enjoy a relaxed breakfast or a sundowner.

The table is made of a plank of oak timber fixed to a thin 5 mm steel structure coated in white paint. Both materials have been treated to endure the weather conditions.

fine

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