monastral

Our projects are diverse in scale and program. Each project responds to the needs of individual clients. Nevertheless the design method is similar in every project; it consists of a delicate depuration in order to reveal the essential.

Despite intrinsic complexities, the architectural objects are calm, neutral, and have unity. 

We pay special attention to physical aspects like light and shadow, landscape, proportion, line, surface, mass, weight, temperature, sound, void, texture, module, use, intimacy, and warmth. 

We prefer natural, raw, neutral materials; one color or the absence of color, one time or the absence of time, timelessness. 

Paula Castro was born in Bogota Colombia in 1976. She graduated as an Architect from the Universidad Javeriana in 2001. In 2003 she moved to Tokyo, Japan. She got a Masters Degree in Architectural Design from the University of Fine Arts and Music of Tokyo in 2007. Then she worked as an intern at the architectural design and construction company Nikken Sekkei and from 2009 she worked for Nomura Corporation, an interior design company based in Osaka. In 2010 she moved back to Bogota and established Monastral with Gonzalo.

Gonzalo Velez was born in Bogota Colombia in 1976. He graduated as an Architect from the Universidad de los Andes in 2001. In 2002 he moved to Tokyo, got a Masters Degree in Architecture from the University of Tokyo in 2004. From 2008 to 2011 he worked at Tadao Ando Architect & Associates in Osaka. In 2011 he moved back to Bogota and established Monastral with Paula.