OCTOBER 11st, 2011. TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: José María Lavena Merino was a student of mine during his Final Architectural Project last year. I was so able to appreciate his interest in and dedication to the subject, as an expression of his desire to complete his training as an architect. He showed great determination to improve and worked hard thus progressing to finish the course most successfully. He was also an active participant in class and was obviously very interested academically. José María amply demonstrated good teamwork skills. He was a valued member of the workgroups with which he was involved and was appreciated by his fellow students as a naturally and adaptable positive person. He showed a great ability to work for the benefit of the group as a whole. I have been able to confirm his creativity and self-awareness, discipline and determination. At all times I have found him to be reliable and hard-working, completing his jobs with care, precision and ability. It has been a pleasure for me to maintain a friendly relationship with José María owing both to his qualities as a dedicated and interested student and his delightful personality. I told him in the highest regard personally and academically and therefore and it is with complete faith that I give him a strong vote of confidence and the highest recommendation. Yours, sincerely:

MARÍA JOSÉ ARANGUREN LÓPEZ Telephone: +34 917341901 arquitectos@arangurengallegos.com http://www.arangurengallegos.com/

October 11st, 2011. TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: José María Lavena Merino has been a student of mine during the Architectural Projects course last year. The supervision of his academic work in this area enables me to say that José María demonstrated his ability as a competent and thoughtful student. During this year that I had him in my classes, I had the opportunity to evaluate his coursework and to see his academic progress. With time, José Maria’s studies have shown an increasing seriousness. I am fully confident of José María’s working skills and his ability to continue in excellence. José María is well prepared in all the subjects that he has already coursed as his projects reflect so. The effort that he has made demonstrates his level-headed and determined nature. I have no doubts about his ability to adapt himself to new living conditions and academic circumstances. It is with complete faith that I give José María Lavena a strong vote of confidence and the highest recommendation, both academically and personally. Yours, sincerely:

ALBERTO CAMPO BAEZA Telephone: +34 917010695 estudio@campobaeza.com www.campobaeza.com

Rua das Chagas, nº17, 1º Esq – 1200 – 106 Lisboa Portugal T [+351] 21 325 90 21 F [+351] 21 325 90 35 cvdb@cvdbarquitectos.com

To Whom it may Concern

Jose Maria Lavena Merino, started to work in the office on the 30th of September of 2009 and he stayed here with us

for nine months until the 30th of June of 2010.

Jose Maria was able to show an extreme commitment to learn and to devote himself to his work. In the beginning he

received some training regarding general office procedures and day to day management. This training was given by

a senior architect in the office under my supervision.

Shortly after he engaged in a work team that included working with a senior architect, where he was asked to

developed various works and tasks in the office.

During the 9 month period of his training period, he worked in several competitions and projects, which were:

01. Internatinal Competition for the Contemporary Architectural Foundation of Cordoba, in Spain

02. International Competition for the Museum of Tapestry of Arraiolos, in Alentejo Portugal

03. Competition for Alges car park

04. Schematic Design for the school of Pontinha, Lisbon Portugal

05. International Competition for the Phoenicians Museum of Tavira, Portugal

06. Schematic Design for the rehabilitation of Alges Market, Oeiras Portugal

07. International Competition for the Tram Museum in Oporto, Portugal

08. International Competition for the LAVerney school in Lisbon, Portugal

09. Detail Stage for the school of Pontinha, Lisbon Portugal

10. Detail Stage for the rehabilitation of Alges Market, Oeiras Portugal

11. International Competition for the Cascais School, Portugal

Jose Maria was a valuable element in the studio during the internship period. He interacted in a very professional

way in the team work and he was also able to make friends amongst the office staff. He has always shown a capacity

to improve in relation to his work and to be dedicated and committed to the process of learning architecture through

experimentation and debate. He shows a perfect knowledge of the Portuguese language that he can speak without

any accent. His social personality also helped him to make a lot of friends in the office and he still visits us every time

he travels to Lisbon.

I believe that his spirit and ability will prove to be what one really needs to take many steps towards new fields of

knowledge in architecture, in the future. I sincerely hope that these qualities will help him to find his path in the field of

architecture and we hope that this internship could be somehow useful in his professional future and architectural

development.

Lisbon, 6th of October of 2011.

Arq. Cristina Verissimo

MarchII. GSD – Harvard University