Fran Silvestre

Presentación

Fran Silvestre Arquitectos is a studio based in Valencia made up a multidisciplinary group of architects founded in 2005 by architect Fran Silvestre. 

Fran Silvestre (born 5 July 1976) is a Spanish architect. After having graduated in Architecture at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Valencia in 2001, he specialized in urban planning at the Technische Universiteit Eindhoven a year later. Then, he won a scholarship to work at the studio of the Pritzker Prize architect from Portugal, Alvaro Siza, which is located in Oporto, and have ever since undertaken projects in cooperation with him. He is also dedicated to teach as professor at the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia since 2006, and the Universidad Europea – Laureate International Universities since 2009. 

Influenced by the above mentioned architect, Alvaro Siza, or the sculptor Andreu Alfaro, among others, the studio realizes series of projects that take into account factors such as modulation, serialization or light. Thus, giving rise to buildings of high purity, using constant innovative materials and technologies. Since its foundation, it has focused on the developement and implementation of small-scale projects, for instance, The Atrium House (2009) or the House at the mountainside of a Castle (2010). It also carries out multidisciplinary work while designing objects like the Alis chair, collaborating with other studios such as Alfaro Hofmann, which is dedicated to interior design. 

Jointly with the Universitat Politècnica de València and the Technological Institute of Energy (ITE), located in Valencia, it has recently developed the Eólica Wind Tower. It is conceived as a vertical element, able to supply power to itself, without having to use other external sources. The power system is composed of series of turbines and current inverters connected to the grid. 

The firm's projects have been published in international magazines of architecture and design such as, Pencil, GG, GA Houses, On-Site, or AV3, and exhibited in very important museums and galleries of art and design. 

Last year, Fran Silvestre Arquitectos was awarded with the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2013 in the category: "architecture an urban design" for the project House on the cliff. During 2010, has been awarded the MHK Prize (Berlín) for the project Casa del Atrio (Atrium House); and has been finalist of Concurso internacional para la Fundación de Arquitectura Contemporánea de Córdoba; and the project Casa en la Ladera del castillo (House on the mountainside overlooked by castle) has been chosen by Fundación Caja Arquitectos to be part of the best spanish architectural buildings of 2008-2009 catalogue.   

VALUES  

The focus of the Project arises from a dual commitment: the will to give a technical answer to a specific context (program needs, budgets, policy, environment) and the desire to seek beauty trough the built work. This process seeks satisfaction, understood in its fullest sense, of all those actively involved in its development: customers and users in particular, but also collaborators, builders and designers. 

During our career can be found very different types of building. There are new-builds, rehabilitations, alterations, housing blocks, public buildings Works made with high budgets and small budgets, but in all cases great attention has been paid to the economy, without waste. The architecture may be a grand gesture or a great detail, if each brief is seen as an opportunity to realize a good project.  

Another feature of the process is continuity. Continuity with an environment that must be respected, spatial continuity, the use of few materials, integration of facilities, of lighting Are all common aspects in the exhibits. Also, continuity in time is also searched, evaluating the architecture that is able to endure without becoming obsolete.  

It emphasizes the use of innovation trough new materials, new technologies which improve people’s lives. Innovation based both on experience and the improvement on tradition.  

Accuracy is a key concept in the working method. It requires a focused and attentive activity throughout the whole process, ranging from the initial idea, trough the drafting of the project until its realization: the construction, the furniture, its maintenance. Dialogue is always present, since the work becomes part of the identity of those who inhabit it. The house and, where appropriate, the work space are an accurate reflection of those who live or work there, an unmistakable expression of their personality or their corporate culture. 

This dialogue seeks comfort and also utility, examines the conflicts and joys of daily acts of human life, which defines architecture against the other arts. The answer given to these concepts, developed with extremely subjective parameters, characterizes the projects, each of them different from the rest.  

And finally, let us consider the team. Excellence is design is based on the integration of a network of professionals that enjoy the pleasure for their work. A team of specialists in the calculation of structures, acoustics, building services, graphic design, interior design, architecture that produces a shared creative environment capable of generating contagious motivation, taking care of what is in progress and excited about what is to come next. 

AWARDS   

Second Prize. National competition_Parque de la Constitución de Barrañaín  

First Prize. Peninsular competition. Remodelación de la cripta de la colonia Güell_ Antoni Gaudí (Barcelona)  

First Prize. National competition: Fundación Caja de Arquitectos (Barcelona)  

First Prize: International competition: Remodelación del eje Prado Recoletos (Madrid) (as collaborator de Álvaro Siza Vieira | Oporto)  

First Prize: Colegio de Arquitectos de Granada_ Edificio Zaida expuesto en el MoMA, Museum of Modern Art _ (as collaborator de Álvaro Siza Vieira | Oporto)  

First Prize: National competition:  Auditorio y Galería Arte Contemporáneo Edgar Neville (Valencia)  

First Prize: Restricted competition: Public garden, shopping center and housing. Bétera  

First Prize. Kitchen design MHK: Atrium House (Berlín)  

Finalist. International competition. Sede Fundación Arquitectura Contemporánea y entorno manzana San Pablo (Córdoba)  

Honourable Mention. Consejo Superior de Arquitectos_ Residential building in Alboraya (Valencia)  

Honourable Mention. Architecture awards COACV 2007 – 2008 - 2009_Atrium house (Godella)  

First Prize: Restricted Award: House in Madrid. 2010 (Madrid)  

FInalist.  Archdaily" Building of the Year 2010"_House on moutainside overloocked by a castle. (Ayora)  

Best Sustanaible building- House overlooked by Castle 2011. (Madrid).   

Nagrade Hise Awards 2011  

Finalist. Archdaily" Building of the Year 2012"_Casa del acantilado (Calpe)  

Red Dot Award: Product Design 2013_Casa del acantilado (Calpe)

Award: Tendencias Diseño CV 2013. Best architectural firm 2013. (Valencia) 

WORKS (MOST REPRESENTATIVE)   

PUBLIC GARDEN  
Jardín de las Arquetas, Teruel
2001  

RESEARCH BUILDING
Parque Tecnológico de Valencia
2004  

HOUSE SET IN GARDEN
Valencia
2010  

RESIDENTIAL BULIDNG IN ALBORAYA
Valencia
2007  

HOUSE OF EDGES
Valencia
2009  

HOUSE ON THE CLIFF
Altea, Alicante
2012  

HOUSE ON MOUTAINSIDE OVERLOOCKED BY A CASTLE
Valencia
2010  

ATRIUM HOUSE
Godella
2009  

HOUSE IN "EL CARMEN"
Valencia
2009  

ALis Chair
2009

PENTHOUSE ON GRAN VÍA
Valencia
2009 

BLANC SHOWROOM PORCELANOSA
Castellón
2012  

SOSTRE
Castellón
2012  

CENTRO DE ARTE Y AUDITORIO
Alfafar
2006  

ALUMINUM HOUSE
Madrid
2014  

EDIFICIO OFICINAS GRAN VIA
Valencia
2013  

EOLICA TOWER
2011  

VALINT HOUSE
2014  

CERSAIE SHOWROOM PORCELANOSA
Bolonga
2013  

HOUSE IN BRUSSELS
2012  

HOUSE IN SANTORINI
2013  

TOURIST COMPLEX ALZAHARA
Granada
2013 

EXHIBITION (MOST REPRESENTATIVE)  

VILLA NOAILLES. Aimer, Bâtir
Villa Noailles, Hyères, France
Marzo 2013  

GA EMERGING FUTURE. International 2012
Ga Gallery, Shibuya-ky, Tokyo, Japan
Junio 2012 – Agosto 2012  

VILLA NOAILLES. 9 Propositions pour Habiter. 9 Architects 9 Houses
Villa Noailles, Hyères, France
Marzo 2012  

GA HOUSES PROJECT 2012. Projects for 2012
Sixty residential projects in progress by prominent architects of the world Ga Gallery, Shibuya-ky, Tokyo, Japan
Febrero 2012- Mayo 2012  

GA HOUSES PROJECT 2011. Projects for 2011: Residential projects in progress by prominent architects of the world
Ga Gallery, Shibuya-ky, Tokyo, Japan
Marzo 2011- Mayo 2011  

EÓLICA. Colección Alfaro Hofmann
Valencia 2012 

SILVESTRE HOFMANN. Arquitectura de la casa
Colección Alfaro Hofmann
Valencia 2010  

ON SITE. New architecture in Spain
Museum of Modern Art MoMA, New York  
2009  

FRAN SILVESTRE ARQUITECTOS. Architecture 1999-2009
Exhibition room ETSAV
Valencia 2009  

FRAN SILVESTRE ARQUITECTOS. Centro de Arte y Auditorio de Alfafar y otros Proyectos
Gallery Edgar Neville
Alfafar, Valencia 2008  

FRAN SILVESTRE ARQUITECTOS. Centro de Arte y Auditorio de Alfafar
Gallery Edgar Neville
Alfafar, Valencia 2005