From idea to concrete: passion for starting every project from scratch

If there's something that has defined me since I was little, it's curiosity. I've always wanted to know how big buildings stay up, how they work on the inside, what makes a structure remain firm no matter what. Instead of just playing, I'd get obsessed with understanding why things stayed standing and what lay behind every construction. I guess that's where it all started.

Today I'm part of CLERHP's technical department as a civil engineer, directly involved in the development of Larimar City & Resort from the structural side. I've been part of this team for six years and, looking back, I realize I haven't just grown professionally, but personally too. A lot.

Who is Juan Nova?

I'd describe myself as cheerful, fairly calm, but very proactive. I like to work intensely without losing my good humor. I'm a perfectionist — I admit it openly — and in my profession that's not a flaw, it's almost an obligation. When you calculate structures, there's no room for improvisation.

I studied Civil Engineering and then completed the master's in Civil Engineering (Caminos, Canales y Puertos). While I was finishing the master's, I started working at CLERHP. It was a natural transition: I was training to build great things, and suddenly I was given the chance to do it for real.

From day one I understood that I wasn't there just to "do calculations." I was there to be part of a family and to collaborate on ambitious projects with their own identity and real impact.

My role at CLERHP: building from scratch

I work in the technical department, where I'm mainly in charge of structural calculation. Simply put: we shape the structure of buildings and also make them safe, efficient, and durable.

What I enjoy most is starting a project from zero. Designing a structure from the beginning, studying loads, deciding the structural system, avoiding clashes that may arise with the architectural design… It's like solving a big technical puzzle where every piece must fit perfectly.

In these six years I've been lucky to work on major projects in Bolivia, Paraguay, and the Dominican Republic. Each country has its technical, regulatory, and construction particularities. Adapting to each context is a constant challenge but also an incredible learning opportunity.

Four years ago I started traveling to Bolivia for work, an experience that marked the beginning of my international phase in the company. The following year, the opportunity arose to travel several times to Paraguay, where I got fully involved in new projects. And since then, the Dominican Republic has become an important part of my professional day-to-day.

I balance travel with work in the technical department, which makes every week different. Traveling isn't just a logistical matter; it's a way to work better. Traveling and speaking directly with the teams, solving problems in real time… everything flows much faster than at a distance. Communication is more direct, decisions are nimbler, and the project advances with greater solidity. And yes, I'm pretty adventurous, so this international side of the job is something I love. Discovering cultures, ways of building, different approaches to projects… it keeps me alert and motivated.

Larimar City & Resort: a project with its own personality

If you ask me what excites me most about Larimar City & Resort, I'm clear: its personality. It's not just another development. It's a project with character, with identity, and with a clear vision of what it wants to be.

From a technical standpoint, it's a challenge. Participating in a project unique in the world, where design, functionality, and sustainability are all taken so seriously, is a privilege. Here it's not just about raising buildings; it's about building a city with meaning — coherent and designed for the long term.

From the technical department, we work to make that vision a reality with rigor. Every structure we calculate is part of something bigger. Knowing that you contribute to shaping a city from its foundations is a huge responsibility — but also a brutal motivation.

Plus, at CLERHP I'm lucky to share this journey with great professionals. I learn every day. From colleagues in the office, from teams on-site, from local technicians in each country… There's always something new to discover, a different solution, a more efficient way to do things. That shared growth is, for me, one of the great riches of the project. It's not just about Larimar City growing; we all grow with it.

What drives me

I'm really motivated by the projects we've done and those still to come. Each one has its complexity, its technical challenges, and its tense moments. But when you see the final result, when you know that what was on a drawing is now a built reality, the satisfaction is hard to put into words.

In the end, I think it all comes down to one idea: building with meaning. Not just raising solid structures, but being part of something that has impact, that leaves a mark, and that's done well.

I still have the same curiosity I had as a kid. The difference is that now I work on large-scale projects, in different countries, with incredible teams, and with the chance to contribute my grain of sand to something as ambitious as Larimar City & Resort. And if I'm sure of anything after these years, it's that this has only just begun.

By Juan Nova

Technical Department

Civil Engineer