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My name is Nadia Constan-tatos, an architect and urban designer with a deep passion for my craft and its' endless potential to help recreate the world for the better - outdated policy is the inhibitor on progress in the physical realm of reality.
Born in South Africa, my career began at the University of Pretoria where I completed both my Undergraduate and Post-graduate Honours degrees in Architecture. With just two short years of experience in practice and a great many more in design and creative thinking, I earned an enormous opportunity to further my education at the Spitzer School of Architecture in New York in 2018, where I have not only furthered my own knowledge within the discourse of Architecture, but also that of the discourse itself. When it comes to teaching, studying in New York has inspired me to teach - as I have come to the realisation of my passion in doing so with a growing protective nature that no student should ever fit into the box of the professor, but rather antagonise and be content with the discomfort in wandering towards the unknown. A mentor should guide this process, instead of knock - and should, just like the student, find comfort in such discomfort that it turns into excitement and thrill at inventions unseen, unmapped and unknown. An enlightening dance between student and teacher / teacher and student - not knowing who is who, is the ultimate aim.
Good professors view teaching as a hobby rather than a job. One that mingles its way in between their personal/professional publications and their construction projects and duties - a break from their chaos, and helping others in a positive way, while serving as a reminder that we will never stop growing, no matter our achievements.
2802 Architects, Johannesburg, ZA, Architect
Main responsibilities include schematic design, digital modeling and organisation, design development to construction documentation and details, international site administration as well as architectural renderings, graphic presentation and website design. Some of the projects are included as follows:
- Rue Vernet, Office Refurbishment - Paris, France
In the early stages of my career at 2802 Architects, within 3 months I was given sole responsibility on the project (new to ArchiCad) and was flown to Paris in administering the process through construction. Design development and construction documentation
- Pumbu Residential Apartments - Kinshasa, DRC
Currently, I have the sole responsibility on a seven storey residential development in Kinshasa, where I have been involved in the schematic design, design development, to construction documentation
- Kinmarche Distribution Center - Kinshasa, DRC
Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction documentation
3d Renderings
Modelling in Rhino and ArchiCAD
STV Incorporated, New York, NY, US, Designer + Intern Manager
In my position at STV Incorporated, I would manage the fresh team of interns while working on notable projects such as the new Terminal One at Newark Liberty International Airport under demanding deadlines - the thrill that I somewhat crave. I have contributed to the design of numerous projects touching on a variety of topics from correctional facilities such as Rikers’ Island in New York and Worcester County Jail, educational design with the New York School Construction Authority, and transportation with MTA transit. My responsibilities include schematic design, digital modeling and organisation, design development to construction documentation and details, as well as architectural renderings and graphic presentation.
Terreform UR, Johannesburg, Researcher
Terreforms’ mission is to investigate the forms, policies, technologies, and practices that will yield equitable, sustainable, and beautiful cities for our urbanizing plane. Whenever I was able to assist, before, during and after my studies; my responsibilities included researching and investigating different means on how to improve our planet through innovation and the manner in which we inhabit it, while proposing various forms of representation for increased understanding.
I have been working on the publication ‘Waste Not’ to be published in 2019, which investigates the creation of a system without waste. Recognizing the importance of waste as a global issue, Waste Not, a forthcoming volume of the New York City (Steady State) project, investigates the creation of a system without waste. Beginning in New York, we are trying to imagine a world without waste. My responsibilities include the development of various systems and prototypes, as well as renderings and research.
The other publication, ‘Home Grown’ to be published in 2020, is a design proposal and collection of essays that interrogates the limit and logic of self-sufficiency in the realm of urban food systems; exploring how New York City could advance autonomously by supplying its own food and energy, and managing its waste, water, climate, construction, and mobility. I worked on this publication upon my arrival in New York City prior to tackling my masters degree.
Michael Sorkin Studio, New York, NY, US, Designer
During my winter break at the City University of New York for my masters degree, I assisted my professor, Michael Sorkin with The Center of The Global Camel Village International Ideas Competition “Camel City” in collaboration with Scalar Architecture, Saudi Diyar Consultants, Thinkwell, Level Infrastructure, BuroEhring, Klingmann Architects and Brand Consultants. My responsibilities included design execution, conceptual design, digital modelling, urban movement and planning, graphics, renderings, and presentation layout (while simultaneously learning a lot about camel racing).
Gottsmann Architects, Johannesburg, ZA, Architectural Technologist
I returned to Gottsmann Architects after completing my Bachelors of Architecture Honours degree, and worked for 6-9 months before leaving to study my masters degree abroad in New York City.
Gottsmann Architects, Johannesburg, Architectural Technologist
My artistic and architectural progress grew in my first year of working, where I was a part of a small yet talented residential firm of 8 employees. My main responsibilities at Gottsmann Architects included concept design, schematic design, digital modelling, as well as production of construction documents, detail drawings, renderings, and energy calculations. I was given the sole responsibility for the documentation of our first competition for The International Property Awards for Africa and Arabia where we were awarded ‘Highly Commended for a Single Residence’ for House 653. This project went on to appear in Habitat Magazine: Jan/Feb 2016 ‐ Avante Garde Farmhouse as well as in Serengeti Golf and Wildlife Estate Newsletter under the title: Award Winning Home. This was amazing for my development as I was fresh out of school and ready to expand. In this firm, I learnt a wide variety of factors in the field of architecture and saw projects grow from start to finish, and thus applied these skills the following year on my return to school to complete my postgraduate degree in Bachelors of Architecture Honours.
City College of New York (CCNY), New York, NY, US, Masters, Urban Design
My growth under Michael Sorkin, pushed me further in my career development where I was awarded the “Lebbeus Woods Award for Visionary Design” and my work published in the Spitzer School of Architecture City Works X: 2014-2017, repository of graduate dissertations, theses and opinions; remaining a part of the CUNY Library collection. Additionally, I received the and “Extech Award for Excellence in Technology” in a spectacle addressing disabilities that are not commonly designed for, through the wearable device “Spurt” which is designed for the hearing impaired to ‘feel’ sound through sensory devices.
University of Pretoria, Pretoria, ZA, BArch, Bachelor of Architecture Honours
As an individual, I am incredibly detail oriented - however, in an attempt to deal with large scale issues in a realistic sense, I found myself contemplating my own spectrum within the discourse of Architecture. I chose to design spaces that would provide for opportunities within developing contexts specifically prevalent within South Africa. My research of the failings of museums in South Africa was conducted by means of interviews, field research, desktop studies, extensive calculations and site explorations over time, where a final building was not produced, but rather a powerful intervention and multi-functional space backed by embodied energy calculations and life-cycle analysis for an already deteriorating site - that of the Ditsong Museum of Cultural History. In short, the crime and lack of security drove this measure, leading my exploration of the surrounding homelessness issue. My design proposed the use of wasted screens in the basement to be moved to the surrounding area of the museum for the purpose of a multi-functional exhibition and market space, catering for the types of personalities and skills - not given, but providing room for opportunity to grow and simultaneously forcing great works into the stature it was created for. This not only would bring wealth to the area, but also the museum whereby both parties could co-exist with one another.
University of Pretoria, Pretoria, ZA, Bachelors, Bachelor of Science Architecture
The Lebbeus Woods Award for Visionary Design, Award
The first semester displayed a sense of urgency, and took a turn to current state situations. After Hurricane Harvey, a larger intervention of the skin and bones that make up our cities demand change. My site exploration between the zones of the Medical and Museum District of Houston, one can conclude how humans separate various entities, where the museum district sits in stark contrast to the medical side - where the arts can benefit human healing, can it not? This segregated approach is evident in human views of nature and city - viewed as two opposing entities due to our inability to deal with the events. In the past, “natural disasters” such as flooding were seen as a blessing, as evident in Ancient Mesopotamia, where the cities were designed around the benefit during these occurrences. The integration of nature into urban environments can benefit us all – psychologically, emotionally and physically. Man and nature need to live in harmony, however this can only be achieved where both parties benefit through sensitive design that accommodates for both the unpredictability of nature and the needs for man to survive.
Extech Award Given for excellence in technology (team project), Award
Recent advances in computation, sensing, and actuation technologies provide opportunities for designers to embed dynamic behavior into architectures that respond to human interactions and environmental phenomena. The advanced design seminar course, Responsive Architectures under Frank Melendez, critically examined the role and potential for responsive systems in architectural design through a series of lectures, discussions, teambased projects, and computer lab workshops.
As a participant in this seminar, I worked in a team with Renee Thomas, where we were required to design responsive architectural interventions with sensing devices that measure real‐time data to drive kinetic physical devices that enhance our built environment. Our design focuses attention on fundamental themes of inability - by choice or not by choice. In a city where people are substantially unaware of their surroundings, technology can be utilized to feel sound.
Using Arduino to translate captured sound waves into ear pocket pulsations, a way of seeing and simultaneously feeling sound. Deaf people or people who cannot perceive outside sound (such as people with head-phones or earplugs) can now feel these vibrations - from high or low sound indicators, the frequencies are translated into a soft pulsation motion that translates these surroundings onto the skin. The most sensitive parts of the skin are most ideal for the placement of the device. When looking to nature and survival, the skull of an owl is designed to indicate where sound comes from and is enhanced by the satellite shape of its feathers that enhance sound. When looking to technology and how coils work on deaf people is a transliteration of the purpose of the project, where one can comprehend sound without the sense of hearing
The International Property Awards for Africa and Arabia: ‘Highly Commended for a Single Residence’ with Gottsmann Architects - House 653, Honorable Mention
At Gottsmann Architects, I was given sole responsibility for the documentation for a competition for The International Property Awards for Africa and Arabia where we were awarded ‘Highly Commended for a Single Residence’ for House 653. This project went on to appear in Habitat Magazine: Jan/Feb 2016 ‐ Avante Garde Farmhouse as well as in Serengeti Golf and Wildlife Estate Newsletter under the title: Award Winning Home.
