Marcela hails from the state of Sonora, in Mexico, and moved to the U.S to attend the University of Arizona. She graduated in 2013 with a Bachelor of Architecture where she was awarded the Alpha Rho Chi Medal. In 2015, she received a Master of Architecture from the University of Virginia. While in school, she was the Director of the AIAS Freedom by Design program, serving the community through design + build projects. After working in Arizona for some time, Marcela moved to San Diego in the summer of 2015 to join Studio E Architects, where she has continued serving the community by designing affordable housing and schools as part of her “wonderful team.”
How did your interest into architecture develop, and how did that lead you to where you are now?
The first thing that influenced me to go into Architecture, is that my mother is a Sociologist and my father is a Physician, so I was fortunate to grow up in a household where the social sciences, the arts, and the sciences were valued, discussed, and part of our everyday lives. I think the richness of that environment naturally lead me to a profession where so many elements that make our lives interesting converge, and to pursue a career where I could excercise my widely varied interests. The second part of this equation comes from my love of drawing. I've always drawn, formally and informally, for fun, and for work. I truly believe in the power of drawing to convey our ideas, change perceptions, and fill in the gaps between our words.
Can you share with our audience a favorite project you’ve worked on? How was this project impactful to you or the community it serves?
As part of the Studio E Architects team, I’ve had the fortune of working on a number of projects that provide supportive or affordable housing to communities that need them the most. It's hard to play favorites when you get to be part of creating buildings and spaces that are changing lives! My Graduate Thesis project has a special place in my heart; I looked at the wants, needs and aspirations of transient communities (students, field workers, migrants) and designed housing along a transient hub in Los Angeles. I spent six months doing research among those communities, understanding both their relationships to the spaces where they work and live in transiency, and the constraints of our more standard static living.
Have you had a particular experience in your career that you feel could be seen as opportunities at moving the needle on Hispanic and Latinx leadership and licensure?
The mere fact of having gotten licensed as a Latinx woman, being aware of the statistcs and the upward trend, feels like moving the needle to me. It feels like a grain of sand that will soon become a storm. I've also found a nurturing and supportive environment within my firm, one that has allowed me to explore my interests. I recently presented the start of a research project during San Diego Design Week, and I can't wait to further develop it and share it with you all!
Any advice for emerging professionals wanting to pursue architecture?
I have two things I'd like to stress. The first is that you must find a mentor, someone who can help when things get tough, when you have concerns, when you start to question your decisions.
“ There's people out there who have gone through what you're going through, who have had similar experiences. Go out and find them.”
The second is to remember that Architecture is more than the plans, the drawings, the clients. There's always more. You can find your passion within it, your "specialty" if you wish. Our profession is vast, generous, expansive. That's what's so special about it; there's a place for all of us. And if for some reason you can't find it, there's room to create it.
