Ramon Esteve’s work celebrated in two definitive books

Many an architect dreams of collating and showcasing his or her body of work in the kind of quality tome that is the calling card of calling cards. Most have to limit themselves to presenting their oeuvre on their website, but leading young Valencia architect Ramón Esteve is fortunate enough to have both the quantity and quality of work behind his name to adorn the pages of what has become an inspiring study of space, form and functional solutions.

As most high achievers know, dedication and a passion for one’s chosen field count far more than fortune when it comes to achieving a certain position, and in this Ramón Esteve is no exception. Though still young he is a respected name in Spanish architecture, commissioned by private, public and corporate clients alike to create offices, libraries, hospitals and villas that combine an advanced architectural eye with sensitivity to local geographical and cultural references.

His is not just an avant-garde philosophy that seeks to provide functional edifices whilst seeking to redefine our concepts of shape, texture, light, aesthetics and the use of space. For Ramón, function and location form the starting points from which he begins to discover the appropriate visual representation – or styling – of the project in question. As a result, his work is remarkably free of house styles and repetitive solutions. “It may not be the most profitable way of working,” says the architect himself, “but for me each project is the beginning of something new, not a carry-over from the previous job.”

A multitude of solutions
For this reason he loves to be on site, studying the plot, topography and local geology before suggesting such things as orientation, layout and building materials used. The variety of styles and concepts that flow from this approach and which have been brought together so beautifully in his signature books are the surest recipe for his success. “I think I straddle a plane between architects who design ‘safe and same’, and those who frighten clients with their at times aggressively abstract ideas.”

Amid his now many stunning projects his own practice is a case in itself. Situated in an appropriately up-and-coming bohemian district just off the old centre of Valencia, it looks like a renovation but is in fact an entirely new structure that somehow respectfully fits in to its historic surroundings whilst being decidedly modern. Inside, the studio reads like a lesson in advanced architecture, with working spaces that retain their fluency and breathe with light and movement from the outside world. “We’re a young team of guys and girls, and we’re a part of this suburb, we don’t want to shut ourselves off from it.”

Such Industrial Revolution practices are anathema to Esteve, who draws inspiration from the flow of life around him. Upstairs, a modern apartment reflects urban style in minimalist simplicity, with clever use of converging lines to house the home’s most functional spaces without the need for hiding them. If you’re also ‘fortunate’ enough to design your own collection of furniture, you will naturally want to display them in your own home, so the architectural language of Ramón’s home and practice is beautifully filled in with the stylish outlines of his self-penned furniture.

www.ramonesteve.com

New post on at Monday, 17 May, 2010, 9:05 am and is archived in Culture, Décor/Architecture/Industrial & Furniture Design, Lifestyle, People. Subscribe to answers with RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.