Practice

Alejandro Olivier is a Senior Associate at Sordo Madaleno, based in London. Since joining in 2019, he has led multidisciplinary teams across hospitality, mixed-use, and cultural projects in Mexico and Saudi Arabia. Prior to relocating to London, he was integral to the design of several hospitality and residential projects in the practice’s Mexico City studio, including the award-winning Village Corasol and the winning competition entry for Mamita Beach private housing. He is currently directing the design of three major community assets within a new public park in Riyadh — the studio’s first civic project outside Mexico — overseeing a complex, multi-consultant scope across 120,000 sqm from competition through construction.

Prior to joining Sordo Madaleno, Alejandro worked at Manuel Cervantes Studio. He holds degrees from ITESM, Universidad Iberoamericana, and CENTRO University.

Audrey Tseng de Melo Fischer is Global Head of Research and Curator of Obra at Sordo Madaleno. A researcher, writer and architectural designer, they lead a multidisciplinary research department that works as an embedded, continuous process across every project — drawing from GIS mapping, material studies, and cultural analysis to trace the ecologies, typological lineages, and social histories that precede design. The department acts as a living library and active lens within the studio, ensuring design decisions are sensitive, informed, and grounded. Under their direction, the team advances interdepartmental initiatives such as material index, community engagement, institutional relationships, and archival research. Their writing on architectural narratives and spatial justice has been published in e-flux, OASE, Pidgin, and Thresholds. Their work has also been featured at the Venice Biennale Architecture, AIA Center for Architecture, and Storefront for Art and Architecture.

Prior to joining Sordo Madaleno, Audrey lead research globally at Adjaye Associates (Accra, London & New York), and worked as an architectural designer in firms including SOM (New York), Shigeru Ban Architects (Tokyo), Pelli Clarke & Partners (New York), Philippe Rahm architectes (Paris), among others. They hold a Master of Architecture from Yale University and a Bachelor of Architectural Studies with Honours from the University of Waterloo.

Benito Blanco is Associate Principal at Sordo Madaleno’s London studio. He brings over 25 years of international experience in the design and delivery of cultural venues, mixed-use destinations, and commercial developments, including adaptive reuse, retrofit, and new-build projects. Prior to joining the practice, he held senior design leadership roles at Herzog & de Meuron, OMA, and David Chipperfield Architects. Simultaneously to his position Board level at DCA, he was also member of the founding Board of Trustees at Fundacion RIA. He has also imparted lectures at IE University and Korea University. At Sordo Madaleno, he brings strategic leadership, oversees studio operations, leads design stewardship across London and Mexico City studios, drives client relationships and new project development, and mentors the design team — working between both offices to support the studio’s long-term growth.

Diego Díaz has led the Innovation and Applied Technology team in Sordo Madaleno’s Mexico studio for over six years. His team operates at the intersection of computational design, sustainability analysis, digital fabrication, and immersive environments — enabling new forms of spatial exploration and project development. Diego has developed a framework in which these systems are integrated directly within the architectural workflow, contributing to a wide range of projects across Mexico, the Middle East, and Europe.

He holds a Master’s degree from the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), where he specialised in emerging technologies and their application to architecture and urban systems. Prior to joining Sordo Madaleno, Diego worked at FREE , Gehry Tech and Norman Foster.

Edgar Beltrán is a Senior Associate at Sordo Madaleno, based in Mexico City. His recent work spans the studio’s cultural, educational, and residential typologies — consistently rooted in landscape and ecological context. He oversaw the design and delivery of Atlas Academia and is currently overseeing the Canadian School — two projects that reflect the studio’s commitment to educational/community spaces that respond to and embed within their surroundings.

In Valle de Bravo, Edgar leads the studio’s ongoing meditations on domesticity within the Valle San Nicolás masterplan, currently designing a residence that reads the topography as the organizing principle for circulation and program. He also led the design and reimagining of Casa SM — a three-generation family home that celebrates hospitality and welcome — which pioneered a single-pour concrete canopy for the first time in the history of concrete construction.

Edgar holds a Master’s degree in Architecture and Sustainability from ETSAB

Fabián Ramos de Ávila is Head of Operations for the Mexico studio. With over 18 years of experience in administration, he oversees operations, facilities, and IT, and supports the finance team on invoicing processes. He holds a degree in Business Administration from Universidad de Guadalajara and a Master’s in Institutional Management from Universidad del Valle de Mexico.

Fabiano Continanza is Design Director at Sordo Madaleno’s London studio. With over 25 years of experience across luxury hospitality, mixed-use, residential, and civic projects, he is responsible for holding design vision through every stage of project delivery across the studio’s work in Latin America, the Middle East, and Europe. His portfolio includes major ongoing hospitality projects across Mexico and Saudi Arabia, with completed work recognised by Condé Nast Traveller and a string of international architecture awards.

Before joining Sordo Madaleno, he worked at Zaha Hadid Architects and Stefano Boeri Architetti. He holds a PhD in Architecture and an M.Arch. from the Politecnico di Milano.

Facundo Savid is a Senior Associate at Sordo Madaleno, based in Mexico City, with 15 years of experience across hospitality, mixed-use, residential, and civic typologies. Driven by a deep interest in community-centred and nature-led design, he works in close collaboration with the research department — synthesising study of terrain, material, and place from the earliest stages of each project. He is currently co-leading a new public park and commercial development in Asunción and a mixed-use community project in Mazatlán. He also co-initiated the studio’s materials lab, a cross-departmental initiative that reconnects architectural practice with hands-on study of regional materials and craft traditions.

Before joining Sordo Madaleno, Facundo worked at Arq 911, Manuel Cervantes and Sasaki. He holds a degree in architecture from National University of Córdoba

Fernanda Patiño is Head of Interiors at Sordo Madaleno, with nearly 15 years at the studio. She leads the interior design practice across hospitality, residential, and commercial projects — her work spanning Park Hyatt Los Cabos, Park Hyatt Mexico City, Soho House, Tao Hospitality Group , and commercial tenants at Antara including Google and Rosewood.

Fernanda trained as an architect and brings an approach to interiors grounded in detail, material, and how a space is actually lived in. She holds a degree with honours in architecture from Universidad Anáhuac, with further studies at Ball State University and AEDES Network Campus Berlin. She is a guest lecturer at Universidad Anáhuac in Mexico City and Mérida. In 2025, she served as a judge at the World Architecture Festival, and recently completed a diploma in Museography and Exhibition Design from CENTRO.

Gub Gelu is the Head of Operations at Sordo Madaleno, based in London. Since joining the practice in July 2025, he has been responsible for overseeing the firm’s operations, facilities, human resources, and IT functions. As part of the leadership team, he works closely with colleagues across both studios to ensure the business operates efficiently and provides the infrastructure and support needed for teams to deliver their work effectively.

Ignacio Cárdenas is Senior Technical Associate at Sordo Madaleno’s London studio, with 15 years of experience across high-rise, mixed-use, residential, and hospitality projects. Since joining, he has been the connective tissue between design ambition and construction reality — coordinating consultants, managing BIM environments, and holding technical rigour across every stage of delivery. Most recently, Ignacio completed the refurbishment and design of Sordo Madaleno’s London studio and adjoining gallery space — Obra — a project that required coding and technical precision within an industrial heritage building. His ongoing focus is on the delivery of three community assets within a new public park in Riyadh, the largest civic/community project outside of Mexico in Sordo Madaleno’s history.

Before joining Sordo Madaleno, he worked at KPF on award-winning high-rise towers in the City of London. He holds a Master of Architecture from ELISAVA Faculty of Design and Engineering in Barcelona and a Bachelor of Architecture from Universidad de Monterrey.

Julio Salazar is Comptroller at SOMA, with 44 years of professional experience in administrative and financial management. A graduate of the Escuela Superior de Comercio y Administración, he has been with the firm for 26 years — a tenure during which he has played a central role in consolidating and strengthening the financial and operational foundations that underpin the group’s sustained growth.

Leslie Águila is Head of Model Making at Sordo Madaleno’s Mexico City studio, with over 15 years of experience in architectural model making. Since joining in 2018, she has established and led the department as an integral part of the studio’s design process — overseeing physical models at every scale, from early volumetric studies that inform design decisions to refined competition and presentation pieces. Her work combines hands-on craft with digital fabrication techniques, supporting project teams across both studios. She holds a degree in architecture from Universidad Tecnológica de México.

Lucinda Anis is a Senior Associate at Sordo Madaleno’s London studio, with experience spanning master planning, mixed-use, and hospitality. She has led the design of several luxury hospitality projects across Spain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Before joining Sordo Madaleno, Lucinda worked at Foster + Partners in London, contributing to high-profile international projects across luxury hospitality, mixed-use developments, and retail. Alongside practice, she has taught at institutions including the Bartlett School of Architecture, London Metropolitan University, and the Architectural Association.
Lucinda holds an MPhil in Architecture and Urban Design from the University of Cambridge and a BSc in Architecture from the University of Bath. She is an ARB- and RIBA-registered architect.

Luis de la Torre is a Senior Associate at Sordo Madaleno, based in Mexico City. For nearly a decade, he has been pivotal to many of the studio’s most celebrated hospitality projects — including Solaz Los Cabos and Soho House Mexico City. His ongoing work includes Park Hyatt Mexico City and Park Hyatt Los Cabos. Across all of his work, he brings a particular attentiveness to how design intent carries through every stage of delivery, from early concept to construction. He holds a degree in architecture from Universidad Anáhuac Norte, with further studies at Universidad La Salle, Campus Barcelona.

Luis Frausto is based in Sordo Madaleno’s Mexico City studio, with over 15 years of experience crafting visual narratives for architecture and design. Since joining the practice in 2020, he has led the visualisation of competitions and early-stage conceptual projects across residential, hospitality, mixed-use, and large-scale masterplan developments.

He holds a degree in Architecture with a specialisation in Bioclimatic Design from the Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, alongside professional certifications in architectural visualisation.

Luis Hernández is Design Director at Sordo Madaleno’s Mexico City studio, with over 15 years at the practice. A steward of the studio’s design culture and a mentor to the wider team, he translates the practice’s commitment to terrain, tradition, and memory into built form — guiding projects from concept through construction with both technical rigour and design conviction. Central to his approach is a close working relationship with the research department, whose deep study of site, material history, and cultural context shapes design from the earliest stages.

His recent work includes Arte Abierto Baja and Anima Village in Los Cabos, and he is currently overseeing a landscape-led park and commercial development in Asunción alongside a multi-layered mixed-use project in Mazatlán — his hometown — conceived around community and culture. He holds a degree in architecture from Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, with complementary training in urban image and architectural lighting design from UNAM and the European Lighting Designers Association.

Luis Ortiz has led Sordo Madaleno’s Artistic Design team since 2019, bringing 16 years of professional experience to a practice where design operates as a process of artistic exploration and expression. Through his creative methodologies, he has contributed to the conceptualisation of projects across Mexico, Central America, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Saudi Arabia.

His work sits at the intersection of art and architecture, approaching space as a sensory experience in which light, colour, and texture become instruments for translating ideas into atmosphere — giving each project a distinct visual identity.

He holds a degree in Architecture from the Universidad de Guadalajara (CUAAD) and is a registered project director with the Colegio de Arquitectos del Estado de Jalisco.

Maricarmen Lazo de la Vega is a Senior Associate at Sordo Madaleno with close to 15 years at the practice. Based in Mexico Cityshe leads a dynamic team across several of the studio’s most complex ongoing projects — including the new SOMA headquarters, which pioneers the use of cross-laminated timber in a commercial setting in Mexico, and the third expansion phase of Antara, one of Mexico City’s most significant mixed-use developments. Her work spans the full arc of delivery: from design coordination through construction, holding together the layers of technical, client, and consultant relationships that large-scale projects demand.

Prior to joining Sordo Madaleno, she worked at Weber arquitectos. She holds a degree in architecture from Universidad Iberoamericana, with studies at the École Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris, as well as a diploma from ITESM in project management

Marissa Glauberman is Global Head of Storytelling at Sordo Madaleno, leading a team across both studios that spans communications, branding, marketing, publications, and digital channels. Central to her work is translating the studio’s research-informed, contextually grounded design practice into narratives that speak to audiences beyond the discipline. She leads the public programme for Obra, developing events and conversations that extend the studio’s thinking into public discourse.

Prior to joining Sordo Madaleno, she led her own cultural consultancy, working on initiatives including La Cuadra in Mexico City – a children’s museum in Harlem – and communications for several boutique design firms. She was Global Head of Communications at Adjaye Associates (Accra, London and New York) for over five years — work that also encompassed community engagement and discovery processes, including a civic engagement quad at Grinnell College, where listening to and working directly with communities shaped and expanded the project’s brief beyond its original scope. Before her life in architecture, Marissa lived in Ghana, helping establish a community and education focused non-profit in Accra. She holds a degree from the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University.

Pavlos Symianakis is the Head of Finance at Sordo Madaleno in London, where he directs all financial aspects of the London office, including project finance and corporate financial operations. His background as an architect provides a unique multidisciplinary perspective, informing strategic decisions. A CFA Level 3 candidate and certified Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA), he holds an MSc in Real Estate Investment Finance and has been instrumental in enhancing financial transparency and efficiency across the organization.

Rodrigo Flores has been a central figure at Sordo Madaleno for over 13 years. He was integral to the founding of the London studio, helping to establish and lead it during its first three years — a period that included the studio’s first cultural and residential projects in Europe. Rodrigo brings extensive experience across hospitality, residential, and mixed-use developments at an international scale. Now based in Mexico City, his ongoing work includes the Masaryk Armani Residences, two residential compounds in Spain, and a confidential luxury hotel in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.

Prior to joining SM, Rodrigo worked with Rojkind Arquitectos and JSa in Mexico City. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Tecnológico de Monterrey and a Postgraduate Diploma in Project Management from Universidad Panamericana.

Tamara Muñoz is a Senior Associate at Sordo Madaleno’s London studio. Since joining as one of the earliest members of the London team, she has led the studio’s design competitions, leading a multidisciplinary team in international pursuits across Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America. Her approach — working closely with the research department to translate deep site study and cultural intelligence into compelling design propositions — won the invited competition for the Collection Centre for the Hungarian Museum of Natural History in Debrecen, the studio’s first European cultural project. She has also contributed to several hospitality and mixed-use projects across the Middle East and Latin Americas and Saudi Arabia. Previously based in the Mexico City studio, she was integral to the delivery of multiple large-scale mixed-use and hospitality projects before relocating to London.

Before joining Sordo Madaleno, she worked at Zeller & Moye and Frida Escobedo. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City.

Veronique Tume Biord leads Human Resources for Sordo Madaleno’s Mexico studio, responsible for employee wellbeing, organisational development, and recruitment. Her approach places particular emphasis on building a workplace culture that supports the growth of the wider team. She holds a law degree from Universidad Católica Andres Bello, with complementary studies in event management and further training in human talent and organisational transformation from IPADE Business School.