AdriAn CAssAr

This booklet is to serve as a portfolio, showcasing my knowledge, talents and capabilities with the aim of finding a work experience

that will enhance my future career.

Contents

Brief 4

Personal Skills 5

University Course 6

Work Experiences 27

Student Experiences 31

Life Experiences 36

Adventures 39

Appendices 42

Determination, Persistence and Happiness.

Those are the three forces that I use, to make the best out of every opportunity and challenge in my life.

Through the past three years I read for a B.Sc. In Built Environment Degree at the University of Malta for which last June I graduated with Upper Second Class Honours. Throughout this course I studied various subjects related to architectural design, structures, civil engineering, urban planning and project managing, in preparation for a more specialised postgraduate course. As a very determined person, through the last 3 years I managed to live several experiences that gave me fruitful lessons, both in the career sector and

on personal basis.

Continuously embarking on new challenges has always been an integral part of who I am and therefore I have always strived to balance my studies with other activities which have helped me develop myself into a well-rounded individual. For instance, in my second year at the University of Malta I got elected to be part of the faculty organisation, SACES - Society of Architecture & Civil Engineering Student, were I was appointed as President. I also served part of IAESTE Malta – a branch of The International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience. As a Public Relations Officer, my job was to meet people from different sectors, ranging from ministers to employers, so as to help students gain relevant work experience. After a year in IAESTE, I was given the opportunity of an intern ship, living and working

in Croatia for nine weeks.

Volunteering is another important aspect of my life. I believe that such experiences are excellent opportunities to share my knowledge and skills, while obtaining invaluable life lessons. For 2 consecutive years I have been part of a group of volunteers working with the Sisters of Madre Teresa in Palermo, Sicily. Furthermore, together with my siblings this summer we lived for 5 weeks in the Philippines working with

two Maltese organisations.

My persistence has brought me to a point in my life where I decided to halt my studies with the idea of gaining more job experiences in the construction industry before choosing my area of specialisation for masters. I believe that my hard-working nature, as evidenced by this portfolio and the recommendation letters, can

contribute to your company whilst learning from the supervision of already established professionals.

The following portfolio showcases the works done both at university and in work experiences together with a short description of my skills and some brief information about the experiences I lived.

Personal skills

Communication skills - I gained such skills from the various situations, in particular when working for different organisations where I had several opportunities to address audiences. Moreover, as part of several youth groups, I have learned to communicate my thoughts, beliefs and opinions. I also developed presentation skills through my University undergraduate education, especially when presenting of design projects in front of various

evaluation boards.

Organisational skills - This is an aspect of my character that has grown to become a natural skill. In various life situations, from leading altar boys to becoming president of SACES (faculty organisation), I have always enjoyed the possibility to organise and improve, through working with a number of helpers, friends and tutors. I have also

performed a number of leadership roles.

University CoUrse

During the year 2015 I completed the Degree, B.Sc. in the Built Environment, for which I was rewarded a Upper Second Class Honours. The course program at the University of Malta consisted of a pre-requisite 1 year Diploma in Design &

Foundation Studies, followed by a 3 year B.Sc (Hons) degree in Built Environment Studies. This degree provides training in a number of subjects related to

architectural design, structures, civil engineering, planning and management, in preparation for a more specialised postgraduate course. Currently I feel the need to embark on a set of experiences to enhance my studies with the aim of grasping

my major interests for my future studies.

University Projects - The course program includes a design workshop project in each semester, which provides important practical experience in tackling a

range of real-life situations and scenarios, including project creation and design, client consultation, site investigations, visual presentations and 3D scale models. The following pages will showcase such projects being done either individual or in

groups together with the highlight of skills that have been learnt.

Detail in Structures

As a final year project, I decided to choose a structural engineering project. This gave me the opportunity to work on a case study in Japan together with a team of three where we had to recalculate all the elements used and understand the train of thought that the engineer had in mind whilst designing. This created new challenges for us where we had to read through a number of Euro-codes and study a lot of articles to gather all the knowledge needed. Finally we had to present booklets with all our knowledge on the project including assumptions, construction process and site investigations together with a number of calculation that gave us the ability of knowing the right members of the structure and understand what happens under different load situations including seismic, snow and wind. By working in a team we achieved much more than individually, especially since we wanted to discuss every step and learn everything from three points of view. We also created a test model to understand the seismic behaviour of the structure. Together as a team we were rewarded an A level grade putting us one of the first in class. The test model was later used as an exhibit at the faculty open days.

Residential Complex

With a team of 4 colleagues a proposal which was given an A grade, to convert an old, abandoned military site into a residential complex for students, young couples and families was submitted. The site situated in Ferrara, Italy is an ideal place to construct such a project due to the need in the area. The idea consisted of a separate area for students together with their basic necessities such as libraries sports facilities and laundries etc. On the 2nd part a shopping complex and blocks of housing with various room allocations was designed. This project gave me the chance of working in a team, discuss, present ideas but also I learnt how to listen and understand.

Bus Shelter

A proposal for converting the area between Mater Dei Hospital and University of Malta into a central hub for all student transport; to facilitate the needs of transport and access to various buildings; to decrease the congestion created by vehicles entering the University. Being a 1st year project, it helped me to understand the necessity of research and site analysis.

House for Young Couple

This project was about meeting a young married couple with a newborn baby, and designing a house which caters for their particular requirements with respect to family needs, comfort and style. The design is created around the lifestyle of a busy family, in which the husband works long shifts as a doctor and the wife is dedicated to parental and domestic duties. The idea was to create comfortable living areas such that the limited time together can be quality time as a family. This project gave me the opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and work on skills which at that point I was not confident with. These included presentation skills. I also strived to learn from criticism given while using my creativity and innovation and build something that embraces the traditional Maltese to Modern Architecture

Ampliamento Della Casa Rossa, Mensa Universitaria

Together with one other colleague, this A grade project was intended to renovate and refurbish an old historical villa into a ‘mensa’ for the university students in the vicinity. This proposal deals with the restoration of this historical villa facade, whilst adding new design features to the interior to meet the needs of a modern community, together with landscaping the outside areas. The design consists of a bar area separate to the main dining area, making use of common facilities. This project was my platform to practice Autodesk Revit skills and it helped me to develop my listening skills.

Phili Footbridge

Practicality & functionality were among the comments of the judges which rewarded me with an A level grade. The University of Malta has 2 main entrances. As a secondary entrance several students choose to cross a valley running by the side of the campus. This project proposes the idea of a footbridge to replace the pathway that these students have to negotiate with each morning, despite weather conditions. The design consists of a suspension bridge of 120m long, mainly built in steel sections. Putting 3 years of knowledge, for this project I opted for testing several scenarios and learn from the results. This included the study of the construction process and the environmental impact.

Redevelopment of Malta’s Scouts HeadQuarters

After 100 years of history, the national Scouts headquarters opened its doors for a competition to young architecture firms to compile a package for the renovation of their site. This proposal, designed and compiled by my father as an architect and myself, consists of a newly built area hosting the offices and main halls, together with the reception area and stores. The design includes also an addition of two blocks, one hosting new business such as café’s and children’s nurseries, whilst the other hosting a hostel for 30 youths including all facilities, toilets and kitchen. The design makes sure that it restores the historical parts of the bastion whilst creating new landscape areas that meet the needs of the group. Here the environmental impact to a historical site was carefully studied.

2

HEAD QUARTERS

COFFE SHOP

MULTI PURPOSE FACILITY

CHILD CARE CENTRE

HOSTEL

CAMPING AREA

STORES

PROPOSED SPACE DISTRIBUTION

Personal Studio

Being an architecture student means that the space available for personal use will somehow never be enough. As a solution to this problem, together with the help of my parents, I used part of our basement at home to design and construct a studio equipped with everything that is necessary for my studies. Part of the design was the use of recycled material. This project was later used as part of a recycling competition. The design involved the construction of tables and work surfaces large enough for drawings and model building. The materials used were mainly euro pallets (the ones used for transportation) which acted as wall divisions and were transformed into features such as tables, supports and shelves. Here I learnt how to be innovative and work according to the material.

Insurance Office

The brief was to build an Insurance office on the University campus. The proposed building consists of the required offices together with the necessary area for archives. It also provides a semi basement study area for all students. The building is sustained by its own solar power generation, whilst the temperature inside is regulated by the amount of heat entering from the south-facing facade. Being my first project at the UOM, I started to learn what is it means to design. I understood that functionality is more important than aesthetic. Work exPerienCes

“They say patience is a virtue. Working in my company, Adrian has truly gone to the extents of his, but always worked professionally without causing any unnecessary

arguments.” Andrew Debattista (Smarthomes)

“I have witnessed tremendous growth in Adrian over the course of his employment within the office, and am certain that the skills and abilities he has developed will

allow him to excel in any job.” Matthew Briffa (Junior Architect & Civil Engineer)

“Within a very short period of time, he quickly learnt the necessary skills and very easily got the feeling of the Profession. Later on, he was left working on his own, with minimum guidance. His works are of a high standard and are done in a short period

of time.” Joseph Cassar (Senior Architect & Civil Engineer)

Masonry Builder - At the end of the 1st year of the degree course, I decided to do a summer hands-on experience working with a masonry builder. The experience gave me the opportunity to actually participate in the construction of a whole floor in an apartment block. My job was to assist two builders throughout the whole process - from the very first task of shuttering and the positioning of reinforcement to laying out stone by stone. The experience taught me how to translate the architect’s plans to the actual construction process as I was given the challenge of calculating and sketching the position of the staircase for the next floor, as well as tying and positioning the reinforcement for the roof.

Joseph Cassar - Having an architect for a father provided me with an excellent introduction to the profession. From an early age I was introduced to architectural drawings and had the opportunity to participate in his work. I assisted him in survey works, specific projects and tenders, learning from his experience whilst contributing my computer/graphical skills. Through my father, I was introduced to the MEPA (Malta Environmental & Planning Authority) permit application process, from simple collection of survey plans to the submission of full development applications, I also had the opportunity to assist in the planning of small buildings & alterations.

GEO-rAd - After my studies finished last June, I was given a 2-month intern ship opportunity by IAESTE Malta in Rijeka, Croatia. Being chosen by the company GEO-RAD I had a chance to experience an office world with 25 young employees working on surveying and engineering. On my first day I was welcomed by warm words and for the following months I was grasping of new knowledge everyday. I had the opportunity to work with surveyors on the field; including projects of ski lifts an legalisation projects. In addition to field work I was also given particular projects to design two buildings, one of them being a reconstruction of a small holiday house for which I also had the opportunity of meeting the client and discuss several issues. Secondly I am in-charge of new ideas for a first class holiday villa in a luxury area of Rijeka. For both projects I was also entrusted to calculate and think about the construction process for which I am being supervised by a professional engineer. This experience is due to finish by the end of October, however I will leave here with a full luggage of lessons for me to explore and put to use in my next experience.

Matthew Briffa - Matthew Briffa is a young and upcoming architect, with his own new office. He is an optimistic, risk taking person with a clear ambition to strive for more and bigger projects. After my first year, Mr. Briffa decided to give me an experience whereby working with him provided me with insight into other aspects of the profession. I was entrusted with the renovation to the outside area of a villa, in which I learnt to have direct contact, discussions and meetings with the workers. Other tasks consisted of computer graphic works, surveys and office works.

smarthomes - After my second year I wanted to find a job that would give me the experience of working in a company, working with clients and working in a team. This is when I found Smarthomes - Smarthomes is a locally based company, which provides works in construction, property selling and finishing including gypsum works and furniture. I joined this company on the 31st of July 2014, and worked there for 5 months. I was entrusted with several design works especially dealing with kitchen furniture. Eventually I became the main designer of this company, working on several projects including alterations to the company’s own apartment construction and finishing off a whole apartment as a project manager. The latter was a € 50,000 project were I was entrusted to combine all the works needed together. Here I had the opportunity to draw up electrical plans, design furniture, gypsum work and take part in the interior design. This experience entailed a high degree of responsibility and coordination with the manual workers. It also introduced me directly to the business and commercial aspect of the project since I was entrusted with drawing up of bills. One of my last works at this company was participating in the design of a new façade for the offices, and the internal planning of new areas and showroom.

stUdent life

JEF 2012 - is a European based organisation, which gives opportunities to students to go abroad and exchange their thoughts and knowledge on various debates and different subjects. In 2012 I was given the opportunity of a ten-day experience in Athens, Greece. Together with four more Maltese students we had the chance to meet other adolescents from all over Europe. The purpose of this gathering was to discuss the situation of irregular immigration around Europe. Each person was then assigned to research and present facts about the situation in a particular country. In a number of workshops we had the time to discuss and learn from all the different country tactics. The experience reached its peak by a speech delivered at the Parliament of Athens.

iAEsTE Malta 2014 - International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience. As my second organisation on campus, IAESTE gave me the chance to work on several aspects both of my career and my personality. We strive to give students opportunities of working abroad whilst providing internships in Malta for foreign students. Being one of the ten members in the committee, my responsibility was of a public relations officer, to promote and make our vision known amongst students and public sectors. This organisation helped me to develop further my knowledge on business and the professional world, especially due to the works involved in meetings with ministers and different employers. I had to pause this experience due to living abroaf for a long period.

Erasmus 2014 - During my third year at University, I was accepted as an ERASMUS exchange student at the Faculta’ di Architettura, University of Bologna, Italy (Cesena campus). Erasmus was an opportunity to live abroad, make new friends, and experience different cultures, whilst also having the opportunity to learn new languages. I lived in Cesena for more than 5 months with 3 other Maltese students, with whom I shared an apartment, money, food & life experiences. The biggest asset of this experience towards our university studies was the fact that we were 4 students of the same level living together, meaning that we could constantly think and learn from each other. This helped us to attain a much higher quality of work, and to be highly successful in our exams and assignments. This was particularly true in our design project, which we worked on together. The constant discussions and confrontations provided us indirectly with the experience resembling that in a real company. Apart from this, Erasmus was an enriching life experience. Living, studying and partying with 3 room mates and dozens of other friends from a number of countries, gave me a rich experience in communication, respect and humanity towards others.

sACEs 2013 - 2014- The Society of Architecture & Civil Engineering Students. SACES is a faculty based student organisation. Its aim is to enhance students’ University life experience by organising events which enrich the knowledge acquired during lectures and provide a bridge between student and professional life. After a year at the faculty, I contested the elections for the SACES committee, where I was elected and appointed president. The 9 members were all new to the organisation but as a team, we managed to work successfully through a year full of achievements. Being president of SACES taught me to work and resolve conflicts within a team, deal effectively with different personalities, the value of planning ahead, delegate work and communicate ideas to different groups. It also brought me into contact with professional people in the architecture sector as well as in government sectors. This experience helped me to grow as a student, architect/civil engineer and also as a human being. Throughout this year we managed to create new events in the calendar such as visits to sites and projects at the Capital City Valletta. I consider this expeirence as a highlight were I truly enjoyed giving my time even though sometimes it became stressful together with the university studies.

life exPerienCes

I believe that the present should be lived as fully and deeply as possible. This has led me to become a very active person, who adapts well to very tight schedules,

Including study, work, relaxation and social activities.

During the past few years I made part of a number of various youth groups and organisations. These included communities of friends and volunteers together with student organisations on campus. In such opportunities I find the balance between work and studies. These groups, with their different values and goals, have given

me invaluable life lessons. I also love to find some time for a daily hourly run, which helps me to refresh and concentrate on the day ahead.

For two consecutive years, 2012-13 I had the opportunity to do a voluntary experience in Palermo. Together with a group of Maltese volunteers we worked with the Sisters of Madre Teresa for a whole month during summer. We created events to give young children with social problems some quality time in various

teaching lessons and activities. Such experiences have been priceless life changers that enhanced my character and abilities. During the second year in

Palermo, I was asked to be one of the leaders of this experience.This was definitely a different opportunity, which exploited my talents and strengths

while testing them to their limits.

Philippines ‘15 During the last year my sister presented a dream to my brother and myself. Having gone to one previous voluntary experience before, she had the idea of doing something similar with her siblings. It was during the summer of 2014 when the idea saw its first light. Throughout the past year we had a lot of meetings and phone calls to a number of personnel in order to be able to compile an experience. The idea was not of an adventure but rather a feeling of giving... giving time, strength and presence to others who are in much more need. After getting all the people together which included us three, her boyfriend and a dear friend of ours, we got to name the group PASS IT ON. The idea developed after being contacted by 2 Maltese organisations who work in the Philippines; giving aid to communities that lack spiritual and humanitarian assets. July 2015 saw our group of 5 leaving the small island of Malta and going abroad to Pass On the happiness, funds and knowledge that all the Maltese citizens have shared with us during the months of preparation. During the 5 weeks spent in Manila, Tagaytaay and Bataan we worked on several projects that the organisations had planned for us. These included the reconstruction and reinforcement of houses in slum areas, teaching of basic music and investing funds in a street children’s orchestra together with a lot of time spent at a governmental orphanage. The photos here show some of the true feelings felt when we experienced what it means to leave everything and serve your brothers. This experience gave me a huge list of life lessons which I will cherish through my whole life. I learnt how much important it is to understand the people you are working with. I understood that in life you have to alter your sails in order to keep on moving. Last but not least I learnt that only by truly giving without waiting is what makes you happy.

adventUres

ExploringTravellingSportsNature

AdventuresFreedom

aPPendiCes

Kindly contact me for contact details of past employers.