Casanova + Hernandez architectuur, stedebouw en landschapsarchitectuur
C+H philosophy
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 on the basis 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.