SUMMARY
Accomplished a Master’s degree in Architecture at the Leibniz University in Hanover, Germany, in 2006 with an excessive background in design, drafting, detailing and illustration. Highly developed sense of functional and yet attractive orientation of designs. Able to work very well in a team, self motivated, very efficient and organized. Experienced in design development, conceptual and structural design, presentations, design translation into structural documents, detailing,  communication with consultants and coordination of documents with their work, technical documentation, zero- and plus energy building, physical and digital model building, “green” technology, site supervision, interior design, marketing, one on one consultations with clients, advertisement and sales. Constant and fast learner. Gained professional experience in Europe and South Africa. Fluent in English, German and Bulgarian; AutoCAD, Fusion2020, Sketch Up, Maya, Photoshop, Illustrator, Vray.

WORK EXPERIENCE
Architectural Consultant at EuroCasa, Cape Town, RSA (November 21, 2010 – present)
• Conceptual, structural and lighting design of first Poltrona Frau brand shop in Cape Town
• Interior design and presentations
• Site supervision, coordination of electrical, plumbing  and mechanical layouts
• Provision of technical details for accommodation of the designer furniture and kitchens.
• Kitchen design, incl. electrical, plumbing and mechanical layouts.
• Sales of kitchens and furniture; communication with clients and their architects/ designers.
• Marketing presentations and design of advertisement for magazines

Architect at Makeka Design Lab/ ArchStation Joint Venture, Cape Town, RSA
Assigned to project Cape Town Train/ Bus Station 2010 (March 14, 2008 – July 31, 2010)
• Worked on the multi-million project Cape Town Station 2010
• Product and material research and material presentations for design development
• Design translation into technical documentation
• Structural detailing
• Technical documentation, such as:
- Preparing construction documents  and finishes/ sanitary/ structural schedules.
- Coordinating the documents with the work designed by consultants.
- Preparing documents for approval from relevant authorities and for procuring offers for the execution of the works.
- Producing structural details for construction.
- Site supervision

Junior Architect at Building Design Company “S&P Structural Engineering”, Hanover, Germany (January 4 – August 31, 2007)
• Survey and Rescheduling holiday apartments for rent
• Design development for approval from relevant authorities
• Building applications, preliminary drafting, 3D illustration and implementation planning for casinos
• Daylight calculations with “RELUX”, light and color designs for various projects
• Conceptual design of residential housing

COMPETITIONS
Urban design competition Pier Museum Miami South Beach, Florida, USA (April, 2009)
• Conceptual design
“For this competition the project in question, located at the end of Fifth Avenue leading to South Beach, in the Miami Beach Area, is a “Pier-Museum” which, pointing out to sea, will stand as a “horizontal
monument” to all the immigrants (particularly the Cuban immigrants) who have arrived on these shores in search of a better future.”

Additional personal challenge: photovoltaic and hydraulic systems for storms protection and other mobile devices used in the building. Individual entry.

INTERNSHIPS AND PRACTICAL TRAINING
Building Design Company “S&P Structural Engineering”, Hanover, Germany (November 14, 2005 - February 28, 2006)
Designing a one- family house in Hanover in 4 variations.
Preparing documents for approval from client in sever projects.

Joinery “Kayka”, Hanover, Germany (June 2003- August 2003)
Assisted in furniture design and construction of slabs, windows and floors.

SEMESTER PROJECTS – UNIVERSITY OF HANOVER, GERMANY – SHORT SUMMARY
“Hollywork®” (June 2005- September 2005) - Institute of Design, Urban Design and Regional Architecture, Department of Regional Architecture and Settlement Planning.
• Rebuild a farm to a Hollywork® - Hotel in Steinberg, Austria.

“Passive Houses, Zero- Energy- Village “in der Rehre” (October 2004- March 2005)  - Institute of Design and Building Design; Institute of Design and Building Construction.
• Designed Passive Houses which build a new Zero- Energy- quarter of Hanover with own Energy System of renewable resources.

“Schwitters’ House” (April 2004- August 2004) - Institute of Design, Urban Design and Regional Architecture, Department of Regional Architecture and Settlement Planning.
• Designed a Museum of Kurt Schwitters’ Art

„Energy Rehabilitation” (October 2003- March 2004) -  Institute of Design and Building Construction, Department of Technical Equipment of Buildings.
• Designed the rehabilitation of existing old dwellings in Hanover, incl. calculation of the energy consumption of a building, thermal conductivity of constructional elements and lighting.

„The East Harbour of Frankfurt on the Main- living and working waterside” (October 2002- March 2003)  - Institute of Design, Urban Design and Regional Architecture, Department of Urban and Environmental Development.
• Rebuild and designed the former industrial area of Frankfurt on the Main.

EDUCATION
Diploma in Architecture - equals US Masters degree
• Last Year Project – Cape Town International Aquatic Centre

Student of Architecture at the University of Hanover, Germany (October 2000 – June 2006) 
School of Foreign Languages, Bulgaria – German, English, Spanish (1995- 2000)

LANGUAGES
Bulgarian (native), fluent in German and English, basic knowledge in Afrikaans and Spanish

COMPUTER SKILLS
AutoCAD, ArchiCAD, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, MAYA, 3D Max, Sketch Up, vRay, Autodesk Architectural Desktop (ADT), Nemetschek- Allplan, Microsoft Word/ Excel/ PowerPoint, Dream Weaver

PUBLICATIONS
Nora Stoycheva & Sonja Hoffmann:  Semester Project “Schwitters’ House”, was presented as a second best semester project in the Department of Building Administration in Hanover (February 7- March 7, 2005), published in Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung and Neue Presse.

OTHER INTERESTS
Competitive Swimming, Photography, Illustration, Motor Sports