Casanova+Hernandez architects | Office

     

Profile

Casanova+Hernandez, founded in 2001 by Helena Casanova and Jesus Hernandez, is a design and research studio based in Rotterdam. It focuses on rethinking and designing our urban habitat in order to create vibrant cities while promoting environmental and social sustainability.

Working with an interdisciplinary team and with experience developing projects in very different cultural contexts in Europe, South America and Asia, the office has expanded its capabilities and its international network through close and fruitful collaboration with experts in different continents.

C+H Projects

C+H Projects is the design platform of Casanova+Hernandez. It operates in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture and urban design, often combining them to create hybrid architectural landscapes.

In the private sector, C+H Projects explores contemporary housing solutions for hybrid and flexible buildings, devoting special attention to contemporary topics such as personalization, mixed-use and collective identity.

C+H Projects also promotes public life in the city by providing contemporary solutions for public buildings while experimenting with innovative landscape projects to improve the use of public space. Both public buildings and public spaces are intertwined in mixed projects that create urban places for human interaction characterized by a strong identity.

C+H Think Tank

C+H Think Tank works as an independent platform that analyzes urban and social problems and proposes innovative design solutions, new urban strategies and advice on the implementation of new policies.

This platform collaborates with many outstanding and inspiring professionals from different disciplines to reach a wide perspective, formulate relevant questions, create a rich debate and finally build knowledge.

C+H Think Tank has been commissioned to research urban and social topics such as child-friendly cities and service cities for the elderly. As an autonomous platform, it has also initiated research projects such as ADL Clusters & Social Integration of Handicapped and Public Space Acupuncture. The Think Tank is an active vehicle for promoting discussion and sharing knowledge via debates, lectures, publications and exhibitions all over the world.

C+H = Projects + Think Tank

C+H Think Tank complements the work of C+H Projects and helps clients to enrich architecture with intelligence based on of a productive multidisciplinary approach. An example is Public Space Acupuncture, a two-year research project that focuses on regenerating urban public life, which was developed with urban sociologist Arnold Reijndorp and financed by the Dutch government. Coordinated by C+H Think Tank, the research has led to a series of lectures and debates in cities such as Shenzhen, Istanbul, Mexico City and Beirut, and to teaching studios and workshops at institutions such as the Berlage Institute in Rotterdam, Artesis University Antwerp, MAHKU, Shenzhen University and the Lebanese American University. The knowledge acquired through this research has also fed back into many public space projects by Casanova+Hernandez in cities such as Sao Paulo, Shenzhen, Lausanne and Rotterdam. The results of both research and practice have been disseminated worldwide through essays in many specialist publications and exhibitions, and will be gathered into a monograph to be published by Actar, Barcelona-New York.

Partners

  • HELENA CASANOVA

    Helena Casanova is a Spanish architect, urban planner and landscape architect. Since 2000, she is registered as architect at the Dutch SBA and since 2018 she is member of the Spanish Association of Landscape Architects (AEP).

    In 2001 she established in Rotterdam with Jesús Hernández Casanova+Hernandez architects, urban planners and landscape architects.
    The office has been awarded in different international competitions, such as the Marubi National Photo Museum in Albania, the Ceramic Museum in Jinzhou, China, the master plan for Lichterfelde Süd in Berlin, the Cooltower in Rotterdam, Europan 6 in Groningen and Europan 7 in the Hague.
    Between 2009 and 2013 she was member of the Architecture Commission at the Dutch Architecture Fund (SFA / Stimuleringsfonds voor Creatieve Industrie).

    She has been recently guest professor at the University of Navarra, Spain. She has also been guest professor in educational institutions such as the Berlage Institute in the Netherlands, the School of Architecture at the Shenzhen University and the Lebanese American University.
    She has been visiting lecturer and critic since 2002 at different Schools of Architecture such as TU Delft, Chalmers School of Architecture in Goteborg, Artesis in Antwerp, MaHKU in Utrecht and the AvB of Rotterdam and Arnhem.

    She is author together with Jesús Hernández of several books such as ‘Building Knowledge in Interdisciplinary Design’ (2015, Damdi Publishers, Seoul), ‘Public Space Acupuncture’ (2014, Actar Publishers, New York) and ‘Scale and Perception’ (2013, Wasmuth Publishers, Berlin).
    She is co-founder and was board member of the new Europan NL organization.

    Her work has been spread throughout Europe, US, South America, Australia and Asia through lectures, exhibitions, debates and publications.

  • JESUS HERNANDEZ

    Jesús Hernández is a Spanish architect, urban planner and landscape architect. Since 2000, he is registered as architect at the Dutch SBA and since 2009 he is member of the Spanish Association of Landscape Architects (AEP).

    In 2001 he established in Rotterdam with Helena Casanova the office Casanova+Hernandez architects, urban planners and landscape architects.
    The office has been awarded in different international competitions, such as the Marubi National Photo Museum in Albania, the Ceramic Museum in Jinzhou, China, the master plan for Lichterfelde Süd in Berlin, the Cooltower in Rotterdam, Europan 6 in Groningen and Europan 7 in the Hague.
    He has been recently guest professor at the University of Navarra, Spain. He has also been guest professor in educational institutions such as the Berlage Institute in the Netherlands, the School of Architecture at the Shenzhen University and the Lebanese American University.

    He has been visiting lecturer and critic since 2002 at different Schools of Architecture such as TU Delft, Chalmers School of Architecture in Goteborg, Artesis in Antwerp, MaHKU in Utrecht and the AvB of Rotterdam, Arnhem and Amsterdam.

    He has collaborated with articles and essays in several international magazines and publications, and is author together with Helena Casanova of several books such as ‘Building Knowledge in Interdisciplinary Design’ (2015, Damdi Publishers, Seoul), ‘Public Space Acupuncture’ (2014, Actar Publishers, New York) and ‘Scale and Perception’ (2013, Wasmuth Publishers, Berlin).

    His work has been widely spread throughout Europe, US, South America, Australia and Asia through lectures, exhibitions, debates and publications.

Staff since 2001

  • Alejandro Aguirre
  • Seni Agunpopo
  • Bozhidara Valentinova Andreeva
  • Marko Antix
  • Iñaki Arbelaiz
  • Jorge Barbeito
  • Elisabet Barcelo
  • Thomas Been
  • Adam Bielinski
  • Roy Bisschops
  • Jasper v.d. Boogaard
  • Martin Broder
  • Juan Burgos
  • Jimena Campillo
  • Francisco Carrasco
  • Salva Carta
  • Mayra Jole Castaniere
  • Xiao-Wei Chiu
  • Claudio Costantino
  • Emanuel Dad Khan
  • Samuel Delgado
  • Brice Desportes
  • Pablo Escuder
  • Futura Falco
  • Daniel Forteza-Rey
  • Julio Gil Farina
  • Riccardo Maria Giannelli
  • Maria Gomez
  • Jin Ha
  • Tom Hemmerich
  • Judith Hernandez
  • Daniel Heussen
  • Baoky Huang
  • Miguel Huelga
  • Rutger Huiberts
  • Melwin Ideler
  • Isabel Illanes
  • Michal Jablonowski
  • Jan Ksiazek
  • Grace Lam
  • Antonio Lorusso
  • Susana Maján
  • Marta Marotta
  • Daniel Martín de los Ríos
  • Gerard Martinez
  • Cosmin Mihai Mindru
  • Ricardo Montoro
  • Luca Natali
  • Giulia Nencini
  • Oleksandr Nenenko
  • Lara Noriega
  • Sophie A. Pfeiffer
  • Lidia Ponce de León
  • Irene Portella
  • Eva Prelovsek
  • Marc Puig
  • Haritsya Putri
  • Mohanad Qsous
  • Denisio Ranieri
  • Fabio Rey Ishihar
  • Teresa Rodriguez
  • Tomasz Sachanowicz
  • Irene Sánchez
  • Enrique Gillermo Soler
  • Joeri Spijkers
  • Nikos Spyrou
  • Thomas Stathopoulos
  • Annemarie van der Stel
  • Robbert van de Straat
  • Robert Taapken
  • Marc Teufel
  • Javier Trallero
  • Hung Tran
  • Paul Verhoeff
  • Frank Verzijden
  • Gonçalo Vicente
  • Stefan Videnov
  • Pablo Viña
  • Thomas Vooges
  • Wennie Warrens
  • Paul Wintour

 

Publications

Monograph. By Casanova and Hernandez Architects

Building Knowledge in Interdisciplinary Design

2015
Damdi Publishers, Seoul, South Korea Helena Casanova and Jesus Hernandez Casanova+Hernandez 250 english / korean 978 89 6801 036 1

Purchase it here:

Monograph. By Casanova and Hernandez Architects

Public Space Acupucture

2014
Actar Publishers, New York Helena Casanova and Jesus Hernandez Oriol Bohigas Jesus Hernandez Arnold Reijndorp 324 english 9780989331708

Purchase it here:

Monograph. By Casanova and Hernandez Architects

Casanova+Hernandez: Scale & Perception

2013
Wasmuth Publishers, Berlin Helena Casanova and Jesus Hernandez, Claus Käpplinger, Ulrich Müller Christian Richters Casanova+Hernandez 104 english 978 3 8030 0766 7

Purchase it here:

Employment

Casanova Hernandez architects is con­stantly in search of com­mit­ted col­lab­o­ra­tors and interns who are inter­ested in work­ing in an international inter­dis­ci­pli­nary envi­ron­ment and on different scales. We are look­ing for can­di­dates with sig­nif­i­cant expe­ri­ence of work­ing in design-led offices.
The minimum collaboration period is 6 months. We do not offer summer internships.
All applicants must have a good level of spoken and written English and be proficient in AutoCAD, Adobe, SketchUp, and Lumion.

We only accept dig­i­tal appli­ca­tions in .pdf format. We do not review material submitted via issuu, Google Drive or in any packaged file format – only application in .pdf format will be processed. Submitted portfolios and other sent material will not be returned.
Please limit your appli­ca­tion to 5 MB includ­ing a cover let­ter clearly stat­ing your con­tact details and the title of the posi­tion that you are apply­ing for, your CV and a sum­mary of work explaining clearly what has been done by you precisely.

You can send your appli­ca­tion to: contact@casanova-hernandez.com

Awards

Eco Park Durres / Architizer A+Awards

Durres, Albania

Special Mention

Eco Park Durres / BIG SEE Architecture Award

Durres, Albania

Winner

Eco Park Durres / Design Educates

Durres, Albania

Honorable Mention

Design of the Multifunctional Center and Information Stations of the Vjosa River National Park

Vjosa River, Albania

Second Prize

Eco Park Durres / Mies van der Rohe

Durres, Albania

Nominee

Albanian Carpet project / Archdaily 2022 Building of the Year Awards

Shiroka, Albania

Nominee

Albanian Carpet project / Big See Award, category Landscape and Urban Design

Shiroka, Albania

Winner

Albanian Carpet project / SRC Design Award 2021

Shiroka, Albania

Short-listed

Albanian Carpet project / Architecture Masterprize 2021, Urban Design category

Shiroka, Albania

Winner

Albanian Carpet project / Dezeen Awards 2021 architecture

Shiroka, Albania

Nominee Longlist

Albanian Carpet project / EU Mies van der Rohe Award 2022

Shiroka, Albania

Nominee Longlist

Albanian Carpet project / Loop Design Awards, Landscape Public Space category

Shiroka, Albania

Winner

Zero-Emissions New Municipality Building of Tirana and City Museum

Tirana. Albania

Finalist

Framptom Marsh Intervention

Boston. United Kingdom

First Prize

Requalification of Tongyeong Dockyard

Tongyeong. South Korea

Third Prize

Hiedanranta district

Tampere. Finland

Merit Award

League of Writers Cultural Center

Tirana. Albania

First Prize

Mulmangol Cultural Bunker

Busan. South Korea

Third Prize

National Historical Museum

Tirana. Albania

First Prize

Park of Faith

Tirana. Albania

Shortlisted

Lichterfelde Süd Urban Plan

Berlin. Germany

First prize

Marubi National Museum of Photography

Shkodër. Albania

First prize

Three Social Housing Blocks

Antwerp. Belgium

Shortlisted

Ceramic Museum and Mosaic Park

Jinzhou. China

Awarded

Residential & Care Centre

Machelen. Belgium

Shortlisted

Care complex and dwellings for elderly

Blaricum. Netherlands

First prize

Cool Tower

Rotterdam. Netherlands

First prize

Appeltern Garden Festival

Appeltern. Netherlands

Awarded

Monochrome Urban Garden (M.U.G.)

Madrid. Spain

Merit Award

Court Building. Campus of Justice

Madrid. Spain

Merit Award

Public space. Lausanne Jardins 2009

Lausanne. Switzerland

Awarded

Housing Blaricummermeent

Blaricum. Netherlands

First prize

Mixed development (housing, shopping, offices)

Zaragoza. Spain

Third prize

Sport centre and restaurant

Madrid. Spain

Merit Award

Jeongok Prehistory Museum

Gyeonggi. South Korea

Merit Award

Mezaparks Urban Study

Riga. Latvia

Shortlisted

Museum of the History of the Polish Jews

Warsaw. Poland

Shortlisted

Tittot Art Glass Museum

Taipei. Taiwan

Second prize

Palacio de Telecomunicaciones

Madrid. Spain

Second prize

Europan 7

The Hague. Netherlands

First prize

Museum of the Canary Islands

Las Palmas. Spain

Merit Award

Sport complex

Las Palmas. Spain

Shortlisted

Academy of Visual Arts

Leipzig. Germany

Shortlisted

Europan 6

Groningen. Netherlands

First prize