FADI CASTRONOVO ARCHITECTURAL

ENGINEER

CURRICULUM
ADDRESS 270 Robinson Avenue Bronx, New York. 10465 United States of America Via Roma 90 Grottaferrata, Rome, 00046 Italy TELEPHONE EMAIL CITIZENSHIP BIRTHDAY WEBSITE USA: +16462060904 ITA: +393663777641 info@fadicastronovo.com fadi.castronovo@gmail.com Italian American April, 21st 1986 www.fadicastronovo.com ACTIVITIES INTERESTS EDUCATION Master of Science, Architectural Engineering Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark September 2011, 10/12 Study Line: Energy Design Bachelor of Engineering, Civil Engineering The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Art and Science, NY May 2009, GPA: 3,4 Major: Civil Structural Engineering Deans List Spring 2007, Spring 2008, Fall 2008, Spring 2009 Diploma di Maturita (High School Diploma) La Scuola DItalia Guglielmo Marconi New York June 2004, 100/100 Liceo Scienti co Cooper Pioneer Editor at Large Fall 2006 - Fall 2007 The Cooper Union Pioneer Junior Sta Writer for the monthly college newspaper Proof reader and interviewer New York Lottery Leaders of Tomorrow 2004 Scholarship Chi Epsilon Marshal Fall 2008 - Spring 2009 The Cooper Union Chapter Organized and directed the 2002-2004 Saturday Basketball Program Project Freestyle. A Saturday evening free basketball program open to the youth of the Saint Anthonys Community, Bronx, NY. PROFESSIONAL Consultant EXPERIENCE February 2011 - Present Andreotti Architects, Grottaferrata, Rome CAD drawing Revit modeling, and rendering Energy modeling Teaching Assistant Summer 2008, 2009 The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Art and Science, NY Lectured on sustainability, structures, and water resources Prepared class projects in concrete mixing, and green design Research Intern Summer 2007 European Center for Theoretical Nuclear Physics, ECT*, Trento, Italy Researched in Quantum Field Theory Article: Width of W Boson in Lepton Decay Computer Operator Fall 2006 Spring 2007 The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Art and Science, NY Technical support and advisement SKILLS Computer Software: LATEX, BSim, idBuild, IESVE, Google SketchUP, AutoCAD, Autodesk Revit, ArchiCAD, Ecotect, Autodesk Vasari, Gambit, Fluent, Therm, FloVent, SAP2000, Solid Works, Adobe CS4, Microsoft Oce. Operating Systems: Windows, OSX, Linux, Unix Skills: Wood Handcrafting, Welding

Architecture is the thoughtful making of Space - Louis Kahn

BIOGRAPHY
Before moving to the United States of America, I spent the rst part of my life in Egypt, where my parents were working for the International Italian high school. Amongst my most fervent memories, I recall the weekends in which we would go to Giza and Sakkara to visit the pyramids and then take long hikes in the surrounding area. I always wondered of how the pharaohs managed to create such fantastic structures with minimal tools making them one of the long lasting civilizations. In contrast, I also remember how modern Egypt is suering one of the greatest environmental crises of its history and it is on the brink of a food and social crisis. Even if the tools and knowledge of our era are superior from the ancient Egypt, the Aswan dam, considered at the time one of the greatest civil engineering accomplishments, caused heavy environmental impacts, and the Nile, for the pharaohs source of life and happiness, is now a putrid river not able to provide the most basic nutrients for the lands around it. The eect of such magni cent structure and the admiration for the technical abilities necessary to create such structures easily translated into choosing a career in civil engineering, and a strong passion for architecture. My interest in sustainability and environmental engineering came after I considered what eects our technological development can achieve, and how this development often caused an economical, social and environmental recession that apparently is not just con ned to developing countries but it is extended to our neighbor house, city, state, country Recently received my Master of Science diploma in Architectural Engineer from the Technical University of Denmark. For my Bachelors education I attended the Civil Engineering department at Cooper Union where I transferred after a year at SUNY Maritime College. After the rst year at SUNY Maritime, where I took the basic introductory engineering courses and most importantly I learned a disciplined modus operandi, I had the opportunity to transfer to Cooper Union. During my rst year at Cooper Union I focused on satisfying the core requirement of the engineering curriculum and as a personal task I tried to track all the interdisciplinary material. As a rst research project, during the freshman engineering design class, I built a waterproof backpack. I particularly enjoyed following each stage of the development: design, choice of environmental material, nancial expenditure, etc. Finally, I conducted a complete life cycle analysis to test whether the backpack could be up-cycled or merely recycled. In my second year, I took a class in ordinary dierential equations with Prof. Klara Shitikova, who afterwards oered me an opportunity to take an independent study course in mathematical physics. As a result I studied Quantum Mechanics, particularly the shape of heavy ion collisions. Prof. Shitikova then arranged for a small group of Cooper Union students, myself included as group leader, to be research interns for two months at the European Center for Theoretical Physics in Trent, Italy. That research experience was conducted under the supervision of Prof. Shitikova and Prof. Vladimir Pascalutsa, who coordinated some introductory research on the lifetime and width of W Bosons. The experience allowed me to understand the research process in an academic environment and the rigor and dedication needed to conclude in a timely fashion a research project. My interest in sustainability and architectural engineering became the main drive of my academic efforts in my 3rd year. I took part in an independent study in the LEED certi cation of Cooper Unions New Academic Building. The study was named Deconstruction Studio, and it was part of the Center for Sustainable Engineering, Architecture and Art, Materials, Manufacturing and Minimalism, founded by professor Toby Cumberbatch. I conducted an extensive study of the Hong Kong Building Environmental Assessment Method. Once my requirements for the civil engineering program were completed, I decided to broaden my curriculum by taking classes from the mechanical and electrical engineering department as well as from the Architecture School and Humanities Department. For example in the Energetics course, I was introduced to the fundamental engineering of several renewable energies. Later, I completed two courses that contributed to my preparation for a MSc in Architectural Engineering: Introduction to Sustainable Engineering and Development, Introduction to Sustainable Design, Advance Concrete and Steel Structures, and Computational Fluid Dynamics. In order to pursue my Master, I moved to Copenhagen, Denmark, for a period of a year and half. I chose to move to Denmark not only for the great education that I was going to received, but also because of the societys strong focus sustainable design and philosophy. I started my Master in Architectural Engineering at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). There, I was given the possibility to specialize in energy design of buildings. At rst, I built strong foundations by attending Heat and Mass Transfer in Buildings, which gave me a strong understanding in the physics pertaining heat and mass transfer. Another course that helped me in having a strong foundation was Introduction to Architectural Engineering, which introduced me to the role that an architectural engineer must have in the development of a building, and the communication that he must created between the engineer and the architect. Then, I attended courses such as Sustainable Buildings, Building Energy and Integrated Design, Sustainable Heating and Cooling, and Ventilation and Climatic Systems, where I learned basic and innovative technology to develop truly sustainable buildings,and not only to satisfy checklists. In courses like Integrated Functional Project, Advanced Building Design, and Building Renovation and Rebuilding, I was allowed to apply all of my knowledge in building design. During my fourth semester I had the opportunity to meet Architect Luciano Andreotti, which oered me to conduct my thesis at his studio in Grottaferrata, Rome. In September 2011, I graduated from DTU.

MASTER OF SCIENCE THESIS: APPLICATION OF INTEGRATED DESIGN IN ARCHITECTURAL ENVIRONMENTS

Several methods of designing are currently utilized in the building business. The most common is the traditional method of designing, which revolves around the role of the architect as the main designer. The other mainstream method is the integrated design method, which is based on the interaction of the dierent professions. According to several professionals, the integrated design method is the most ecient way of developing a sustainable building. The Civil Engineering department at the Technical University of Denmark, has developed a process in order to maximize the integrated design process the potential for sustainability. What I attempted with the following thesis, was to modify the method proposed by the DTU, in order to develop a method which would ease the transition from a traditional to an integrated design method. In proposing a new method, I applied the DTUs method at the Andreotti Architects studio in Italy over a period of 5 months. From this experience the Grotteportella Fashion g p p g District building was developed. I also developed a method for the transition from a traditional design method. This method is largely based on DTUs method, and it focuses on the preparation that an architecture studio must have in order to tackle a project in an integrated design approach. e order

Step 1
Teach and Explain IDP Conduct group seminars Design Exercises Build Communication

Step 2
Establish design goals Ideas and Wishes

Architects, Design Facilitator Generated proposals for total building design and spaces

Step 4
Selection and optimization of nal building design

Design

Step 3
Establish design proposals for rooms and sections

Architects, Design Facilitator Engineers

Client, Architects, Design Facilitator, Engineers

Engineers, Design Facilitator

Client, Architects, Design Facilitator, Engineers

proposed transition process

LM PROJECT
At the beginning of 2008, the CPH City and Port Development, and ATP Ejendomme set in motion a design competition for the development of a new building complex on the Copenhagen waterfront, right below the Nordhavn Bassin, the LM Project. The competition was divided in two aspects: the rst being the design of commercial properties, and the second being the idea of the landscaping and planning of the urban spaces. The design competition regarded the development of a 50-60.000 m2 multi-user oce building. This building had to be composed of two high-rise buildings connected by a pedestrian bridge across the harbors basin. The main objective of the project was to work within an integrated design group, composed of an architect, structural engineer, system engineer, geotechnical engineer, and manager. I personally worked on the architectural redenition of the project, while confronting the requirements of the dierent disciplines.

UR-BANNED
The UR-Banned hostel was the rst hostel that I ever designed. The project involved the designing of a youth hostel in Copenhagen. The client was the Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS). The hostel was supposed to be located in the lot of the old youth house in Norrebro, Copenhagen. The general Norrebro district area is rural, and it is characterized by the clash of dierent cultures. This multi-ethnic area is dynamic and chaotic. The primary target clientele of the hostel were the foreign students who would come to Denmark to study, and needed a temporary accommodation. Since the hostel had to provide an inexpensive solution to the students, but at the same time make a prot, during the holiday season and later in the semester, the hostel had to be open to the public. The name of the hostel represented the building in one word urBANNED. The name is a play on several words: the rst being UR (you are), the second banned, and last urban. The name represented the urban lifestyle of students, and the feeling of being lost in a new city. Since the Norrebro area has also witnessed the struggle of the youth with society, the hostel had to represent a save heaven for those who were looking for a refuge, from a new city that might intimidate the student. Therefore, the hostel had to become a symbol of youth and struggle for all of their occupants.

DN

TIETGEN KOLLEGIET
Together with Nicola Rigoni and Matteo Novati, I worked on the redesigning of the Tietgen Kollegiet dormitory in Copenhagen. The purpose of the project was to rst conduct an energy analysis on the current building, and then to apply new energy standards and technology to the building. The project had to present the architectural and engineering design choices. The building was designed with a new structure based on gasometers, in order to promote the renewal of existing structures. A special attention was given to the materials used, and the use of renewable and recycled materials was maximized. In this project simulations with BSIM, Be06, and HEAT were conducted. The building new geometry assured that the daylight distribution was optimal, and that the passive energy gain from the sun was at its best. The project was presented at the 2010 Groen Dyst competition at DTU.

VENTILATION SYSTEMS
For this project I was assigned the design of a ventilation system that would provide a comfortable indoor environment to a section of a 6 story oce building. This section was located on the third oor of the building, and it was composed of ten geometrically identical oces. The design criteria were specied according to CEN 1752:1998 and EN 15251:2006 and were derived in a way that meet minimum requirements for the design of the specic HVAC system in terms of indoor environment. The calculation of the heating, cooling, and moisture loads were determined considering the design conditions for both the summer and winter cases of 26oC and -15oC. The project was a group based eort. I personally conducted the designing of the Supply and Exhaust, together with the whole supervision and design of the CFD simulation with the computer software FloVENT 9.1. I also conducted the simulations of the ofce with BSIM, which was later compared with the real life simulation conducted at the DTUs full scale ventilation laboratory.

DTU OFFICE BUILDING

Together with Damien Luneau, the DTU assigned us to build a sustainable building for the Civil Engineering department, and it was requested to use the Integrated Design Method. The rst part of the analysis involved the study of requirements set by the costumer, and an early simulation of two of the rooms of the building, and the proposal of two building designs. Having selected the building for the study, the team went ahead and started formulating a proposal for the solution that was expected to have the best overall performance based on more detailed investigations using the program IESVE. The study was limited to the design of the buildings envelope and services for ventilation, heating, cooling, and lighting in the building. IESVE was used to evaluate the energy consumption and indoor environment based on the design. After the simulation with IESVE, the results for the energy consumption were of 20 kWh/m2 for the entire building.

CFD HUMIDIFIER DESIGN

For this project I was asked to design a humidier that will be marketed for use by people who live in older homes that dry out during the winter. The humidier had to utilize ordinary tap water that would be stored in a tank. The goal of the project was to optimize the design using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, and to maximize the eciency of the humidier. For this project the computer programs GAMBIT and FLUENT, developed by ANSYS were used.

ARCHED BEAM EXPERIMENTS

For the Civil Engineering Experimental Project, the group, composed of Jerey Tan, Richard Chan, and Robert Wu, set out to compare the strength of concrete arched beams, based on Hillmans Hybrid Composite beams, and conventional concrete beams. The objective of the experiment was to test the strength of sacrite, and manufacture a concrete beam and arched beam for comparison of their structural capacity, while monitoring the amount of materials used in the construction process. The experiment involved the testing of concrete cylinders and control beams, using ASTM specications, to measure the compressive strength of sacrite. A Tinius Olsen Compression/Tension Machine was utilized for the loading of the sacrite specimens. Wooden molds were constructed for the casting of the conventional concrete beam, and for the casting of the arched beams. For both beams the Tinius Olsen Compression/Tension Machine was used for concentric loading. From the testing of the concrete cylinders, the strength of the sacrite after 7, 14, and 28 days was 47.3 kips, 68.1 kips, and 57 kips, respectively. The concrete beam failed at 102,199 lb-in in moment and 12,750 lb in shear. The arched beam failed at 71,688 lb-in in moment and 9,250 lb in shear. From the experimental results the arched beam was proven to behave dierently from a concrete beam. Hillmans original design relied signicantly on the use of modern composite materials. The absence of these materials weakened the potential strength of the design.

BRIDGE DESIGN
The objective of this experiment was to design, structurally analyze, and fabricate a steel bridge that spanned 6 feet and allowed linear deections to occur until around 500 pounds of static live load. The structural analysis and design was conducted with AutoCAD, and SAP 2000, with classmates James Freeman and Allan Ho. The construction of the bridge was conducted by myself and James Freeman. The construction panned over 2 months, where we learned dierent techniques of welding and wood crafting. The bridge was loaded to 200 pounds while recording the deection with each weight added. The weights added were mostly 7 pound metal cylinders. At around 400 pounds of load, the weights added were 40 pound plates that caused a discontinuity bridge was then unloaded and reloaded until non-linear deection began occurring. During the testing, the bridge did not experience non-linear deections at the designed live load. After some discussion, the group decided that it was because the friction of the ends on the supporting I-beams provided an inward horizontal reaction that reduced the tension on the cables. If free horizontal movement were allowed like a true 3-point arch, then the bridge probably would have failed at exactly the target. Therefore, the team started jumping on the beam to simulate vibrations, and bring it to total structural failure.

DELTA PACK
The rst project that I worked on, was the designing of the DELTA Pack. The pack had to be a waterproof pack, so one could swim with it. The design guidelines of the project were based on the use of fully recyclable materials. The designing of the pack was a group eort, and it was achieved thanks to Cooper Unions alumni. I personally was the group leader and I took part in the drawing and construction of pack. This rst design experience helped me shape all of my design experiences.

FADI CASTRONOVO ARCHITECTURAL

ENGINEER