Profile

Luis Ayala Rubio AIA

Luis leads the studio with broad experience gathered through more than two decades of private practice, established in Ponce in 1995. Prior to working on his own, he gained experience working for offices such as Byron J. Mouton and Gabriel Smith’s Architectural Devices in New Orleans, Jose Ramírez AIA in San Juan, and the local office of Virgilio Monsanto Associates. In 2011 he co-founded the firm Arquitectura 3av, providing his services as registered architect until the group dissolved in 2015.

Luis holds a Master of Architecture degree from Tulane University, and became a licensed architect in 1997. He gained a brief academic experience while working as a Design Teaching Assistant for the Tulane University School of Architecture upon graduation. From 2009 to 2017, he taught architectural design at the PUCPR School of Architecture, directing the Capstone Project Program during its formative period.

Luis is directly involved in the design of all projects produced by the studio, coordinating documentation and engineering services with a select group of collaborators and external consultants. He believes that the best developed projects start with an owner-architect relationship based on trust and communication, elements that encourage open discussion and constructive criticism. During the building phase, a positive attitude is then focused on the owner-architect-contractor team, always reaffirming that the shared common goal is a well-designed, well-built project.

Juan Cruz Ramírez AIT

Juan received his Bachelor's Degree in Architecture with a Minor in Historic Conservation and Rehabilitation from the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico. For his capstone project, he explored methodologies to rethink architecture in coastal environments which are currently being affected by climate change. 

Juan was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico and ever since his childhood he was deeply invested in art and culture. He enrolled in La Escuela de Bellas Artes de Ponce, and studied Graphic Design in the Bernardino Cordero Bernard Vocational School. All this time spent in Ponce's historic district has allowed him to appreciate vernacular and historic buildings that formed part of his everyday life. This was the foundation that marked his enthusiasm and interest to study architecture.

At ARA, Juan is involved in site analysis, diagraming, site visits, architectural presentations and construction documentation. 

Catherine Graubard Quiñones AIT

Catherine worked for ARA as a Fifth Year architecture student and joined the firm upon graduation. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture with a Minor in Sustainable Technologies from the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico. Graduating with honors, her capstone project was recognized with the Francisco Porrata Doria Medal, given by the School of Architecture to the best developed project of the graduating class.

Catherine was born in Venezuela and moved to Puerto Rico when still very young. Her capstone project situated in Maracaibo became an opportunity to think about architecture through aspects of diversity, context, culture and economic impact.

Catherine assists with tasks pertaining all phases of a project, from initial site investigation to construction observation. including diagraming, design, photorealistic rendering, presentation drawings and construction documents.

Christinne Martínez Tejada AIT

Christinne obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Architecture from the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico's School of Architecture, with a minor degree in Adaptive Conservation and Preservation. Her capstone project consisted of an exploration of Puerto Rican identity through architecture. The product was a formal reinterpretation of Puerto Rican modernist architecture in the San Juan Bay area. Its program consisted of a National History Museum and Historic Archive, along with commercial spaces and a rooftop restaurant overlooking the San Juan Bay.

Christinne developed the belief that good design has the power to improve users' quality of life, and serve as a means to manifest our individual and collective identity. These notions are in line with the work we strive to produce at ARA.

Even before joining us as a full time team member, Christinne has been working with FEMA-funded projects related to the post-Maria reconstruction, beginning with the renovation of the Mariana Suárez de Longo Municipal Library. She is now leading the effort to complete documentation for the Teatro La Perla rehabilitation project.

Phillip Vélez Colón AIT

Born and raised in Ponce, Phillip earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture with a Minor in Architecture History from the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico. While studying he served as a United States Marine involved in Heavy Equipment Operations for 6 years. 

Influenced by his interest for Chinese philosophy and martial arts, his capstone project focused on the study of Wu-Wei as a concept of “effortless action” which served as a way to introduce martial art concepts to the design parameters of a project. Through his travels in China, Phillip developed an interest for rustic aesthetics and the understanding that nature can be molded, but not manipulated.

Upon graduation, Phillip joined Ayala Rubio Arquitectura in 2018. As part of the production team, he works with tasks pertaining several phases of a project, from initial site documentation and regulatory analysis to presentation drawings and construction documents.

Workspace

Even if in this age of pandemic and uncertainty we have gotten used to working remotely and paperless, our workspace remains a sanctuary for our work process. At the studio we can focus our shared energy and dedicate actual space to the development of a particular project, in ways that further the creative effort. Our architectural and technical libraries, as well as our materials/sample collection, serve as indispensable tools in the design and building process, from conceptual development to construction supervision.

Resources

Work in an architecture studio depends on a well suited array of digital tools. Today’s technology allows us to build digital buildings through a 3d modeling process known as BIM. Whereas CAD, or “computer-aided design” replaced the drawing board with digital 2d drafting tools, BIM, or “building information modeling” works by assembling a building with digital components that mimic the behavior of real elements in the physical world. The digital models that we produce at ARA are then represented as photorealistic renderings, design diagrams and construction drawings.

Our computing platform is mainly based on Graphisoft ArchiCAD running on a reliable set of Macs, paired with the advantages of TwinMotion rendering software. We also have the ability to run other major applications that might be required by a specific project, such as Revit and AutoCAD.

Process

It is true that every architect develops a design process of one’s own, based on personal strengths, experiences and preferences. At ARA, the personal design process is enriched by open teamwork. At every phase of the project, on-going work is posted, critiqued, commented, analyzed and revised in a non-linear sequence. Client presentations are usually a combination of pinned-up prints, projected images, and perhaps built models, in a setting that encourages discussion, better understanding and smarter solutions.

URBANISM

Fernando Pabón Rico AIA

PRESERVATION

Roberto García Soto

Magda Bardina García

SURVEYING

JRS Surveying Services

RMT Asociados