Project:
Hello Woods

1. How did you form the team for the competition?
We are a team of architects, collaborators and friends who share the same interests and motivations regarding to architectural, urban and social issues. Each of us is specialized on one topic : sustainability, retrofitting, parametric design, urban planning and 3D visualisation. We all love playing with different concepts and out of the box ideas, believing in the power of communication to find the best output possible for each project.

2. How do you define the main issue of your project, and how did you answer on this session main topic, Living cities?
Environment and energy are placed in the centre of the proposal, going over the opposition between city and nature. Hello, Woods! enhances every natural ecosystem and cycle in Levanger: the river Levangerelva, Levangersundet or the woods and the parks inside and around the city. In addition, energy consumption and environmental footprint will be reduced by means of solar, wind and geothermal renewable and clean power.

3. How did the issues on metabolic and inclusive vitalities and the questions raised by the site mutation meet?
Hello, Woods! offers a friendly solution and positive solution for the environment and the life conditions of Levanger inhabitants in the broadest sense of the word: human, animals and plants. The project recovers and develops the existing natural environments in Levangersundet and Levangerelva by adding specific elements that revitalize it. The high reduction of traffic will also contribute to this change into a cleaner and more sustainable city. In addition, asphalt will be substituted for zero emissions and recycling materials, pots with micro-forests or accessible urban furniture. All these elements will be selected within the standards of the circular economy and following the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the rest of the proposal.

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4. Have you treated this issue previously? What were the reference projects that inspired yours?
Yes, we always go beyond human-centered designs, considering nature in any shape and condition in our projects. For Hello, Woods ! The main reference was the essence of past situation of the wooden town where having no cars around made city life more pleasant and kind.

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Click to enlarge the picture

5. Urban-architectural projects like the ones in Europan can only be implemented together with the actors through a negotiated process and in time. How did you consider this issue in your project?
Hello, Woods! needs from each and every citizen, association or business in Levanger who wants to take part in the process, who wants to make a difference for the city and who wants to be a real agent of change! The participatory process is open, and we count on the participation and ideas of every stakeholder to give the final shape to this project through interviews, workshops and other events.

6. Is it the first time you have been awarded a prize at Europan? How could this help you in your professional career?
It is not the first time, some of us got a special mention at Europan 15 in the city of Helsingborg (SE) with the proposal called “The Beach”. Since we won this time, nothing could make us happier than seeing the project implemented in the city of Levanger. We believe that our collaboration with Levanger’s stakeholders: municipality, citizens and business representatives; will improve the project and, hopefully, it will make it real.

TEAM IDENTITY

Office: no office yet
Function: Architects
Average age of the associates: 29 years old

Has your team, together or separately, already conceived or implemented some projects and/or won any competition? If yes, which ones?
Jose M Mateo Torres:
· 2021. Second Prize. International competition for a Sustainable Pilot Building in Castellón. With Martin Lejarraga Architecture Office and Victor Pérez.
· 2020. Third Prize. Refurbishment of two military pavilions into a language school. With Martin Lejarraga Architecture Office.
· 2019. Special mention. Europan 15, Helsingborg, Sweden. The Beach. With Andrés Rios, Victor Pérez, Tomás Larios, Oscar Romero y José Inglés.
· 2019. Second Prize. “El Jardín, La Plaza y El Santo”. Competition for the San Esteban archeologic site and public space refurbishment. With Martin Lejarraga Architecture Office.
· ...

Victor Pérez Sánchez:
· 2021. Second Prize. International competition for a Sustainable Pilot Building. With Martin Lejarraga Architecture Office and Jose Mª Mateo. Castellón, Spain.
· 2021. First Prize. Region of Murcia stands for the Anuga trade fair. Cologne, Germany.
· 2020. Third prize. Competition for the retrofitting of an old cinema and housing block. With Andrés Ríos. Cartagena, Spain.
· 2019. Special mention. Europan 15, Helsingborg, Sweden. The Beach. With Andrés Rios, Jose Mª Mateo, Tomás Larios, Oscar Romero y José Inglés.
· ...

Álvaro Sánchez Garda:
· 2018. First Prize. XXVIII Pladur Prize. With Daniel Nicolás.
· 2018. First Prize. International competition. Design and construction of a viewpoint and public space in La Manga del Mar Menor, Cartagena, Spain. With Martin Lejarraga Architecture Office.
· 2018. First Prize. Intercontract 2018. International competition for the design and construction of a hotel room in Cevisama, Valencia, Spain. With Marta Sánchez y José María Mateo.

Andrés Ríos Armijos:
· 2020. Third prize. Competition for the retrofitting of an old cinema and housing block in Cartagena. With Victor Pérez
· 2019. Special mention. Europan 15, Helsingborg, Sweden. The Beach. With Andrés Rios, Victor Pérez, Tomás Larios, Oscar Romero y José Inglés.
· 2019 Honourable Mention – “Jaima Y Aqua”- Competition for the San Esteban archeological site and public space refurbishment. With Pacheco & Asociados Architects. Murcia, Spain.

Tomás Larios:
· 2019. Special mention. Europan 15, Helsingborg, Sweden. The Beach. With Jose Mª Mateo, Andrés Rios, Victor Pérez, Oscar Romero y José Inglés.
· 2019. First Prize. “Design Against War” International competition for the design of spaces to meet lifestyle and medical needs in regions affected by war. With Jose Mª Mateo and Marta Sánchez.

Francis Alberto Almonte Carrasco:
· 2021. Special mention. 4th Edition Architecture Final Year Project ASEMAS
· 2021. Building Communities: Cohousing, Coliving, Coworking: Intergeneracional