Architect and university teacher / Venezuela
Joel Sanz
Caracas-born architect and UCV teacher, National Architecture Prize winner in 20001947–2013The architect
Joel Sanz
Joel Sanz Pino was born in Caracas and trained at the Universidad Central de Venezuela, where he earned his architecture degree with honors in 1970. Two years later he helped set up a teaching unit in the faculty of architecture, and he kept teaching there for decades. In 1975 he became a partner in the Caracas firm S+P+A Arquitectos, alongside Juan Carlos Parilli and Francisco Arocha.
His work is usually described in terms of climate-aware, tropical design: deep roofs, courtyards and corridors that are rethought rather than copied, together with clear construction. He received Venezuela’s National Architecture Prize for the year 2000, with a jury citing the quality and intelligence of his architecture and his role in teaching.
- Born
- 1947, Caracas
- Studied
- Architecture, Universidad Central de Venezuela (degree 1970)
- Practice
- Partner at S+P+A Arquitectos from 1975
- Recognition
- National Architecture Prize of Venezuela (2000)
Selected works
Buildings to know.
1986 · Higuerote, Miranda
La Casa de mi Madre
A single-family house that handles ventilation through narrow openings along its sides instead of the usual inner patios. It drew international attention and received a special mention at the 1990 Quito Biennial.
1989 · Barcelona, Anzoátegui
Centro Ítalo Venezolano de Oriente (competition entry)
The S+P+A proposal won the ideas competition for the new headquarters of the Italo-Venezuelan center. It reflects his interest in protective roofs and courtyards suited to a hot climate.
1996 · Quíbor, Lara
Museo Arqueológico de Quíbor
A museum for research, exhibition and outreach composed of simple geometric volumes: circular, square and triangular. Sanz named it as one of his personal favorites among his projects.
Sources
This profile is compiled from public sources and written in our own words.