Studio Work Selected for PLATE Publication| FA 20, FA 21
Dean’s Honor: FA 24, SP 24, FA 23, SP 23, FA 22, SP 22, FA 21, SP 21, FA 20
Wellesley and MIT | Wellesley, MA aug 2018-may 2020
Bachelor of Art in Architecture Candidate
Completed 80 credits in Degree of Architecture
Harvard University GSD | Cambridge, MA july 2019
Design Discovery Architecture Program Candidate
Introduction to architecture design and representation
experience
Perkins Eastman | Washigton, D.C. jun 2024- aug 2024
Architectural Intern | Living Studio
Assisted in the design of over 40 apartment layouts for a senior living building using REVIT and Enscape. Conducted site visits and participated in punch list reviews. Developed construction drawings for an electrical room using REVIT and AutoCAD.
Gensler | Chicago, IL jun 2023-aug 2023
Architectural Intern | Lifestyle 2 Studio
Worked on initial model massing and renders for a bath house using Rhino and Enscape. Worked on a city submission for a local bank, utilizing REVIT, Sketchup, and Photoshop (task included drafting elevations, sun analysis and construction details) .
Caliptra Arquitectura | Guayaquil, EC jun 2022-aug 2022
Architectural Intern
Drafted plans and sections of 10 residential projects with AutoCAD. Modeled various of these residences using SketchUp. Created a standarized catalog for windows and doors in AutoCAD.
Inmobiliaria XIMA | Guayaquil, EC may 2017- may 2018
Architectural Intern
Helped the senior architect in the design of a medical tower. Organizing files, prepared written reports, and conducted research on zoning laws and regulations.
email
as3989@cornell.edu linked in alejandra siguenza
extracurricular
Ithaca Carbon Neutral 2030 | CUSD jan 2022- present Project Team Co-Leader
Work alongside the local goverment and different stakeholders to help existing buildings become carbon neutral by 2030. Responsable for leading the modeling and analysis of retrofit options to get the most optimar energy saving and greenhouse reductions.
NOMAS Cornell Chapter jul 2022- present Student Member
Represented Cornell University at the annual NOMA Conference. Actively participate in mentorship programs. Provide and receive portfolio and resume critiques.
awards
NOMAS Student Competition 23’ | Portland, OR 1st Place
Co-Led the design for a restorative justice project in Portland. Led weekly meetings with five subteams to ensure progress. Presented the project to jurors and NOMA attendees, integrating research, narrative, and design.
The Regeneration Collection 23’ | Leewarden, NL 1st place
Work in an interdiscplinary team to develop a financially viable hotel concept that repairs environmental damage. Responsible for developing a 50 acre masterplan and design the central gathering space.
The Addison Crowley Award 23’ | Ithaca NY Winner
Award for the best design in the field of Architecture, for the project Reimagining Liberty City.
skills
Softwares
Rhino, REVIT, AutoCAD, SketchUp, Enscape, Climate Studio, Grasshopper, Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office Suite
Languagues
English (advanced), Spanish (native), French (beginner)
alejandra siguenza
HOTEL ATABEY
Canovanas, Puerto Rico
Th e Regeneration Collection | 1st Place
Eco Lodge & Community Hub 2-11
Seneca Falls, New York Community
INVERTING DINNING EXPERIENCE
Roma, Italy
12-21
Culinary Experience 22-27
03 | HOTEL ATABEY
Professor Lisa Chervinsky
The Regeneration Collection Competition | 1st place
Spring 2023 | Architectural Leader, working with Emme Wong 24’
Key Words: Eco-Lodge, Community Center, Adaptive Reuse, Masterplan
Contributions: Conceptualization, Design Development, Site Planning, Massing, Drafting, Presenter.
The process began with a site visit and socio-environmental analysis, addressing challenges like its floodplain location, historical preservation requirements, and large size of the site. The project had to meet regulations set by FEMA and the Canóvanas municipality planning department which prohibited new construction and requiring facade preservation.
Hotel Atabey redefines hospitality by embracing nature and history, transforming a site marked by slavery and abandonment into a sanctuary. Rooted in the Taíno concept of “Atabey,” the design recontextualizes the Old Canóvanas Sugar Mill through adaptive reuse and environmental stewardship. The design includes a 48,0000 sqft pavillion, 40 movable ‘casitas,’ restaurants, and agricultural plots. With hiking trails and a zipline, the hotel fosters ecological resurgence and unites people, nourishing both the land and its visitors.
MASTER PLAN: Hotel Atabey with central marketplace, room units, art center, microplots, etc.
Site Legend
Micro Plots
La Central
Roaming Nests
Nature Reserve
Art installations
Meditation Deck
Zipline Station
Refreshment Station
Seating
Parking
ADAPTIVE REUSE
Using adaptive-reuse to preserve the industrial past while allowing nature to reclaim its space. By repurposing existing structures rather than building new ones, the design reduces environmental impact while reimagining historical elements into a functional, sustainable framework.
EXISTING CONDITION
REPURPOSED SPACES
EXTERIOR COLLAGE: Entering the Casitas Enclave
iii. Repurposed Spa Pods
i. Open-Air Meditation Spaces
ii. Scultuptural Plaza and Artist Residency
i. Abandoned House
ii. Pavillion and Adjacent Structure
iii. Drying Compartments
Alejandra
INTERIOR RENDER: Use of Natural Materials
: Looking into Eating and
Seating Spaces
Entrepenaur Stalls, Seating Spaces
Alejandra Siguenza
INTERIOR PERSPECTIVE: View of La Central: Market Hub for Local Vendors and Cultural Events
05 | VAULTED LIBRARY
Professor Katharina Kral
Seneca Falls, New York
Spring 2022
Key Words: Community Library, Vault Structures, Catalan Vaults
This project explores the integration of traditional vault construction techniques with contemporary spatial and programmatic needs. The Vaulted Library consists of eleven free-standing Catalan vaults constructed from recycled brick, varying in height to respond to the surrounding urban fabric and create a dynamic roofscape.
Rather than imposing strict spatial hierarchies, the design promotes openness and interaction, with a porous plan that facilitates movement between a general lobby, a café, and exhibition spaces. The library functions as a hub for community engagement, featuring multimedia installations and flexible seating arrangements to encourage dialogue and education.
Alejandra Siguenza
GROUND FLOOR PLAN: Vault Geometry allow for an Open Floor Plan
ELEVATION: Vault heights responding to existing buildings
SECOND FLOOR PLAN: Staircase, Bathroom, Auditorium follow CIrcular Language
CATALAN VAULTS: create sculpted enclosures that enhance spatial fluidity while framing transitions between open and intimate areas
SECTION: Communication across the two levels
TRIPLE-HEIGHT SPIRAL STARICASE: upward procession, where each transition between
STARICASE: choreographs an each step reinforces the rhythmic between levels
FLOOR POROSITY: enhances visual and spatial connectivity across levels, allowing light, movement, and interaction to flow seamlessly through the space.
STRUCTURAL LOGIC
SKETCHES: Precedent Analysis on Various Vault Types
DIAGRAM: Construction Logic of Chosen Vaults System (Catalan Vaults)
CONSTRUCTION
1. Place a layer of 0.75” brick tiles
3. Do a second layer of 0.75” brick
2. Apply a layer of 0.5” cement plaster
4 Apply a layer of 0.5” cement plaster
3. Place last layer of 0.75” brick tiles
SECTION THROUGH BRICK VAULT
PV PANEL PLACEMENT ANALYSIS
EUI REDUCTION ANALYSIS
PASSIVE STRATEGIES
SUMMER: Design Strategies
SKYLIGHT releaseshot air
CLESTORY WINDOWS gentle breezes, SE and NW
ROOF OVERHANG protect from high summer sun
SHADING SYSTEM prevents overheating
FLOOR POROSITY engables heat flow throughout the bldg
PV PANELS facing south to maximize sun exposure
HIGH TERMAL MASS brick releases heat during the night
WINTER: Design Strategies
ROOF OVERHANG uses low winter sun
VAULT FORM slow impact from NW winds
VAULT FORM hot air circulation, increase thermal comfort SKYLIGHT sun increases thermal comfort
GUTTER SYSTEM form guides water down
DRAINAGE SYSTEM at vaults intersections
HIGH THERMAL MASS brick stores heat and releases at night
FLOOR POROSITY enables heat flow
WINDBREAKERS trees slow winds from NW and SE
02 | INVERTING THE DINNING EXPERIENCE
Professor Martin Miller
Rome, Italy
Spring 2024 | with Valetnina Sanz 25’ and Omar Leon 25”
Contributions: Conceptualization, Design Development, Massing and Visualizations
The project challenges the conventional food service model by introducing unexpected movement, as guests have to physically progress toward each course and constantly change their companions. The very act of moving through the space transforms the experience from a static meal into an evolving, interactive journey. After each course, diners are led into a transitional ‘cleansing’ area. These spaces act as pauses along the journey, turning each transition into a moment of anticipation.
Each dining room is thoughtfully designed to reflect the essence and character of the course being served, with architectural elements and atmospheric qualities that are specifically tailored to complement and enhance the food being served This fusion produces an immersive, multi-layered dining experience where the boundaries between food, space, and human interaction blur, offering an unexpected journey that transcends the traditional notion of dining.
INITIAL CONCEPT: Orchestrating a procession
SEQUENCE OF SPACE
TRANSITORI (A): Transitory spaces
Use of arches to frame the progression between dinning rooms while reinforcing the rhythmic movement of the overall experience
UNROLLED SECTION: demonstrates the orchestrated procession across the dining experience
PORTARE (B):
Each course is shaped transition from intimate
Dinning Areas PULIZIA (C): Cleasing Spaces
shaped by distinct atmospheres that intimate enclosures to expansive spaces.
Cleasing passages where diners pause before continuing the dinning experience. A space of renewal.
Alejandra Siguenza
ATMOSPHERIC QUALITIES ACROSS THE JOURNEY
APERITIVI: Focaccia with Tomatoes | Foccacia Grilled Artichoke
PRIMI PIATTI: Cacio e Pepe Tagliatelle
SECONDI PIATTI: Aqua Pazza
ABOUT ME
Hey there! My name is Alejandra an architecture student pursuing Cornell University. My journey exactly linear. I started at had the opportunity to take I also had the chance to immersed myself in spatial and I even experimented interactivity into my designs. Cornell to fully embrace my it’s been an exciting ride ever come to understand that architecture designing buildings but about and fostering connections
This journey has deepened architecture’s role in enhancing people, and driving positive as more than just a profession, empowering communities interventions, spatial storytelling, representation techniques, spaces that foster meaningful pushes the boundaries of using immersive storytelling architecture is perceived and for transformative design has on experiences in my last Perkins Eastman D.C and
Alejandra Siguenza and I am pursuing a B.Arch degree at journey into architecture wasn’t Wellesley College, where I architectural history courses. cross-register at MIT and spatial projects and exhibitions, experimented with electronics to bring designs. Eventually, I transferred to passion for architecture, and ever since. Along the way, I’ve architecture is not just about about shaping experiences connections
deepened my understanding of enhancing spaces,, connecting positive change. I see design profession, it’s a medium for communities. Whether through urban storytelling, or innovative I am dedicated to designing meaningful dialogue. My work often of traditional representation, storytelling to challenge how and experienced. This passion has driven me to seek handslast two summer internships at Gensler Chicago.
These professional experiences have strengthened my technical skills and deepened my understanding of architecture’s role in shaping society. Community engagement is a fundamental part of my approach to design. Most recently, I had the incredible opportunity to travel to Kenya and visit Mathare 4B, an informal settlement in Nairobi as part of my fall studio. Engaging with residents and understanding their everyday urban practices reinforced my belief that architecture should be deeply rooted in the people it serves. Similarly, my work has taken me to Puerto Rico, where I collaborated with planners and community leaders to develop a financially viable, regenerative hotel concept seeking to repair environmental damage.
When I’m not working on design projects at Milstein, you’ll probably find me cooking (and inevitably making a mess), searching for new recipes from around the world, or sketching whatever comes into my mind. I love traveling and immersing myself in different cultures, whether exploring their local supermarket or taking aimless walks (because getting slightly lost is the best way to discover a city, in my opinion). I also have a habit of searching the weirdest topics and falling deep into rabbit holes about conspiracy theories. If you’re still reading this, I am very impressed. To be honest, I kept writing because I was trying to fill up the space and make my layout look good, but hey, thanks for taking your time and read.
PHYSICAL MODELS
THE VIEWING PLATFORM CONN
ARCH 2613 Structures Model | Fall 2021 | Prof. Mark Cruvellier with Derman 25’ and Sanz 25’. Basswood, Steel, Aluminium, Rockite, Rock.
THE WEAVING HOUSE
ARCH 2101 Studio Final Model Fall 2021 | Prof. Basswood, Gray Chipboard, Olfa knife. Rhino
Offices and computer spaces don’t receive enough lighting, needs to be addresed.
ANNUAL GLARE
14.7% of the bldg receive disturbing glare
Expected result but goal is to try and lower while getting more light into rooms.
PLUMBING, ELECTRICAL &
ARCH 3102 Architecture Studio | Spring 2023
PLUMBING
Residential Kitchen and Bathroom
Commercial Laundromat
ELECTRICAL
STRUCTURAL
6”x8” Wood Purlins and Rafters
STRUCTURAL
2023 | Prof. Sydney Maubert
Plumbing Axonometric
CONSTRUCTION DETAILS
ARCH 2102 Integrative Design Studio| Spring 2022 | Prof. Katharina Kral
Alejandra
Concrete Walls with Stucco Finish
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
MATHARE 4B INFORMAL SETTLEMENT VISIT
ARCH 5101 Studio Fall 2024 | Nairobi, Kenya
In collaboration with Slum Dewellers International. Week long opportunity to talk with the residents, visit their houses and participate in design charades with them. Meet with local stakeholders and UN-Habitat Kenya.
BARBARA G. LAURIE 2023 STUDENT
NOMAS Cornell Fall 2023 | Portland, OR.
Co-Lead the project and presented the final Portland Conference. Competed against 38 architecture
STUDENT COMPETITION
proposal in front of a jury at the 2023 NOMA architecture schools across the United States.
REGENERATION COLLECTION COMPETITION
Hospitality Competition Spring 2023 | Netherlands and Puerto Rico
Architectural designer in a multidisciplinary team developing a financially viable regenerative hotel. Engaged with municipality planners and local organizations in Puerto Rico. Presented the final proposal at NHL Stenden in the Netherlands.
