OUR WORK

SUPREME COURT OF JUSTICE - COLOMBIA

Built in 1890, the house that housed the Uribe Uribe School, an iconic building constructed of traditional clay, in the town of Calarcá, located in the heart of Colombia’s coffee region, was severely damaged in the earthquake that struck Colombia in 1999.

It remained abandoned and in a state of total disrepair for over 12 years. The municipality ceded the property to the CSJ (Superior Council of Justice) to install the House of Justice of Calarcá. Elsa Victoria and her team won the tender and contract for the studies and architectural design of the courthouse, which consisted of a thorough historical research, the execution of the technical studies of the structures and wood and the execution of the project of renovation and architectural and technical design of the facilities to house the new offices of the courts and the courtrooms.

Projet : Arch. Elsa Victoria Gallego A., Arch. Enrique Barros Vélez, Arch. Juan Carlos Olivares Castro

Photo Source : Elsa Victoria Gallego A.

Project – article local news – in Spanish

HOUSE MARTINEZ-GALLEGO - COLOMBIA

The aim was to design and build a holiday home for the MARTINEZ-GALLEGO family, which could also accommodate guests in the same space without disrupting the daily routine. The construction includes a house with a communal kitchen and a large living room with a large central fireplace that articulates the private space of the family rooms on the left side with the guest space located on the right side. On the first floor, a jacuzzi and a games room accessible from the living room allow for convivial gatherings.

Photo source : Elsa Victoria Gallego

HOUSE MARTINEZ-GALLEGO - COLOMBIA

Photo source : Elsa Victoria Gallego

HOUSE OF CULTURE, TEBAIDA - COLOMBIA

Renovation works before and after.

Photo source : Elsa Victoria Gallego

HOUSE OF CULTURE, TEBAIDA - COLOMBIA

Renovation works before and after.

Photo source : Elsa Victoria Gallego

LAS AGUAS CLOISTER / ARTESANIAS DE COLOMBIA - COLOMBIA

In response to a call for tenders from the Colombian Ministry of Culture, we coordinated a consultancy to carry out an in-depth structural study to bring the old building up to Colombian anti-seismic standards. Elsa Victoria’s team carried out a detailed study of the wooden components of the structure along with studies of all the electrical, hydraulic and sanitary installations. As this is a building classified as a National BIC (Property of Cultural Interest), it was essential to carry out a study of the colours and wall paintings in order to integrate them into the new architectural proposal.

Photo source : Elsa Victoria Gallego A.

General info and visit online

CHIARA AND NICOLAS HOUSE - BARN CONVERSION - FRANCE

This project, which we hold dear, was the first project we worked on together as a team and the one that gave us the confidence that we had reached our goal of creating our own architectural studio “KEMBAYA”.

The project consisted of a proposal to convert an old barn into an extension to the existing house, as well as an application for planning permission. In this old barn, we proposed to install the kitchen and the organization of a large living space that communicates with a large outdoor terrace. In order to keep the configuration of the building, we proposed to lower the floor a few centimetres to reuse the rear access door which is kept, as well as the window slits; as a new intervention, we planned to open a large wooden door on the main facade to connect the interior space with the terrace, the construction of wooden windows on both facades and the adaptation of the rear exterior space for parking and a covered side parking. Planning permission was granted.

Photo Source : Maggaly Reid and Elsa Victoria Gallego

CHIARA AND NICOLAS HOUSE - BARN CONVERSION - FRANCE

Original condition of the house and proposed changes to the façades.

Photo Source : Maggaly Reid and Elsa Victoria Gallego

CHIARA AND NICOLAS HOUSE - BARN CONVERSION - FRANCE

Proposed internal views to form the kitchen and living space.

Photo Source : Maggaly Reid and Elsa Victoria Gallego

URBAN PLANNING STUDIES SANTAFE DE ANTIOQUIA - COLOMBIA

This project is the result of a call for tenders from the Santafe de Antioquia City Council for the development of the Special Management and Protection Plan (PEMP) for this city, which is classified as a national BIC (Property of Cultural Interest).

The team led by Elsa Victoria won the tender. The work consisted of an in-depth analysis of all the activities and services offered to the population by this historic sector, as well as a reconnaissance and inventory of all the buildings in this sector of the municipality and the proposal of the PEMP, based on the workshops held with the inhabitants. This is a very interesting work that has been carried out hand in hand with the municipal administration and the community in general in the whole urban sector declared as national heritage.

The result of this consultation was the approval by the Ministry of Culture of the PEMP in 2019.

Photo source : Elsa Victoria Gallego A.

GREENWOOD HOUSE, HOUSE CONVERSION - UK

This project was an entrepreneurial initiative in partnership with Maggaly’s friend and fellow architect Paola Ferreira. They proposed a barn conversion for a family home and the development of a future holiday home. The house retains all the external features of the barn and has benefited from them, such as the slit windows and the height of the roof. They worked on the planning application in constant exchange with the planning office. The project was granted planning permission in 2010 by Harrogate Council, UK.

Photo Source : Maggaly Reid – Paola Ferreira Arch.

GREENWOOD HOUSE, HOUSE CONVERSION - UK

Before and after the works. The renovation works were undertaken by the family Greenwood with other members of the family and their community.

Photo source: Maggaly Reid and Greenwood lodge family

LOW ENERGY HOUSING - COLOMBIA

For Maggaly, this project redefined the role of an architect in a community. While working as a collaborator, Maggaly had the opportunity to live and know the project thoroughly, which was implemented after the earthquake that devastated Armenia – Colombia – in 1999.

On this occasion, Maggaly had the opportunity to carry out a house project for the affected communities and to apply the tradition of rammed earth as a light earth construction, which was the beauty of the project. The idea was to provide a house that would be more than a “four-walled box”, a well-known feature of social housing in Colombia. This project broke down the barriers of traditional construction to provide a powerful solution, full of enthusiasm and and alternative components.

Photo source: Maggaly Reid

LOW ENERGY HOUSING - COLOMBIA

Framework in bamboo and infill with rammed earth.

Photo source: Maggaly Reid – Arq. Juan Carlos Moreno

HOUSING TOXTETH LIVERPOOL HABITAT FOR HUMANITY - UK

Maggaly volunteered from the start of the project to become a member of the site team while writing her final year dissertation in architecture. The project addressed a lack of housing for low income families in an urban regeneration area in Liverpool, Toxteth. The project was completed in phases. The first phase comprised 18 terraced houses designed by Hensley Architects, with high levels of insulation, double glazed windows with renewable timber frames and a phased development. This community project was a hands-on project, from working on the roof to putting nails in the walls to working with volunteers, construction teams and management teams.

Photo source: Maggaly Reid

HOUSING TOXTETH LIVERPOOL HABITAT FOR HUMANITY - UK

Construction process and the various teams in site including volunteers.

Photo source: Maggaly Reid

CARR MANOR PRIMARY SCHOOL, LEEDS - UK

This project was part of the Basic Need programme for British schools, provided by Portakabin Ltd. The primary school has a capacity of 206 pupils from the local area. Design elements included external classrooms, daylight, natural ventilation and internal comfort environment: insulation, temperature and acoustics. It was a very interesting project that included specifics such as a strict budget, floor space limitations and requirements from the city’s transportation office. As team leader of this project, Maggaly had the pleasure of following its evolution, from the design phase to the delivery and from the design phase to the delivery and occupation of the school.

Photo source: Maggaly Reid

CARR MANOR PRIMARY SCHOOL, LEEDS - UK

Development of the project.

Photo source: Maggaly Reid

HULL ROYAL INFIRMARY - UK

The building was designed with an important objective: to create a training centre for medical students. The building was provided by Portakabin Ltd.
The facility was built on the top floor of a 4-storey building. The student floor includes surgical simulation areas and student exercise rooms, equipped with one-way mirrors to allow observation and assessment of trainees during their training hours or examinations.
Maggaly worked with the design and construction team on the details of the internal design and the main access tower. This project gave her a better understanding of the complexity of health service design, its regulations and the importance of meeting the required details in each area.

Photo source: Maggaly Reid