Behr Champana

Gilberto "Behr" Champana is a Puerto Rican architect based in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the current vice-president of the firm Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates (TVSA).

Biography

Early years

Gilberto Champana was born in Río Piedras, San Juan. He is the son of an Italo-spaniard father and a French mother. Champana says that he always enjoyed drawing. He always enjoyed collecting comic books.

College studies

When he was 17 years old, he went to New Orleans to study at Tulane University. It was there that he acquired the alias of "Behr" when his friends found it difficult to pronounce his real name.

During those years and the summers he spent back in Puerto Rico, his mentor was Horacio Díaz, a renowned Puerto Rican architect that was awarded by the American Institute of Architects for his contributions to the island architecture. Under his tutelage, Champana won a fellowship with Venezuelan architect Carlos Raúl Villanueva.

Currently

Eventually, Champana went on to work for the firm Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates. He is currently its vice-president.

Recently, they completed a proposal for the ambitious project of the Dubai Towers in that Middle Eastern country.

Works

* Puerto Rico Convention Center

External links

* [http://www.primerahora.com/noticia/cooltura/vive_a_tu_manera/a_la_altura_del_oriente_medio/58719 "A la altura del Oriente Medio"] , Interview with Primera Hora. es icon
* [http://www.aia.org/aiarchitect/thisweek06/0505/0505pw_dubai.cfm "Bent-glass facade will 'Eternally Light' New Dubai Skyscraper"] , Interview with AIArchitects