The American Institute of Architects elevated 88 member-architects to its College of Fellows this year, an honor awarded to members who have made significant contributions to the architecture profession. Of those 88 member-architects, AD&V® is immensely proud to congratulate our Co-founder and CEO, Ricardo Álvarez-Díaz, FAIA, for being the most recent member of AIA PR to be elevated to the AIA College of Fellows. His fellowship is granted for his notable contributions of service to society.
Being a member of the AIA College of Fellows is the highest distinction awarded by the National AIA. According to data offered by the Puerto Rico chapter of the AIA, only 3% of the members are elevated. Said recognition, is granted after a rigorous and confidential evaluation process by a seven-member Jury of Fellows. This fellowship program is developed to recognize architects who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession and made a significant contribution to architecture and society on a national level. Ricardo Álvarez-Díaz has united community leadership, entrepreneurism, and design practice to rebuild, educate, advance, and sustain local communities. He presents a powerful model for architects to engage communities and transform social systems for the collective good.
AD&V® is proud of our Co-founder and CEO, Ricardo, who embodies service in his everyday work and the values of our organization. He teaches, elevates, gives back, and continues to inspire others with his example. Ricardo’s leadership and service in architecture for the collective good is an inspiration to all.
Congratulations on this well-deserved honor!
As a woman architect, our AD&V® President, and President of the AIA Puerto Rico Chapter, Monique Lugo-López recognizes the challenges the architectural profession faces on issues of equity and inclusion. This is why, as part of Monique’s AIAPR work plan for 2022, she curated an exhibition to recognize the Impact of Women Architects in Puerto Rico since 1966, the year the Puerto Rican chapter was founded.
The successful exhibition, entitled, The Impact of Women Architects in Puerto Rico, was held in Plaza Las Américas and welcomed over 3,000 visitors over the course of three weeks. The exhibition provided public visibility to more than 60 women who have contributed to the Architecture profession and the development of Puerto Rico in different realms, including design, leadership, professional practice, education, research, public service, and volunteer work. It also recognized Puerto Rican women’s contribution, effort, and diversity, as it took place in March, during Women’s Appreciation Month.
“For three weeks, the public had the opportunity to learn about the work of a group of outstanding professionals who have contributed to Architecture as a profession, as well as to the development of the country from various fields such as design; leadership; professional practice; education; investigation; public service and volunteering,” said the architect Lugo-López. The architecture industry has been conceived, directed, and organized from a predominantly male perspective. This is a common situation in the world, from which Puerto Rico is not exempt, and a reality that architect Monique Lugo-López faced at the beginning of her career. With this in mind, Monique’s mission was to highlight the meaning of equity. This exhibit provided a forum for women architects to show their differences and celebrate their diversity in equal conditions.
“I would like this to be the beginning of a conversation, to continue sharing experiences and developing tools, especially for emerging female architects,” proposed Lugo-López, after highlighting her pride in contributing “my grain of sand to add value to the profession and that the public knows the work we do.” The exhibition was accompanied with a calendar of various activities, including talks and workshops aimed at professionals and the general public. This event helped launch emerging women architects, offering the opportunity to expose their work, advance their careers, seek mentorship, and connect with others in the industry. It is Monique’s wish that this exhibit inspires all professionals in the journey to rid themselves of the structural and institutional prejudices that women and other underrepresented groups face in architecture.
The Residence Inn by Marriott hotel has officially opened its doors as the first extended stay product in Puerto Rico! AD&V® is grateful to have been given the opportunity to design this local project & proud to have worked with the project’s developers & builders, Interlink.
Our Design Team created a custom Residence Inn where guests could truly feel like they were in Puerto Rico. Since this is the hotel chain’s first Residence Inn in Puerto Rico, our Design Team’s goal was to make sure they created a sense of place with the design – that this is a Residence Inn IN Puerto Rico. During the design process, they opted for a warm, elegant, clean, welcoming, & contemporary design that embraces the tropical culture & spirit of the local community.
The design of the hotel focuses on the creation of unique spaces. It provides a pleasant walking experience while formalizing the block of the street and creating economic opportunities in a previously abandoned lot in Isla Verde. The Residence Inn offers 231 suites, with fully equipped kitchens, a work area with a desk and a separate living room, either with a King bed and a sofa bed or two Queen beds; and amenities such as two swimming pools, a playground area with water features, an interior/exterior bar, an exterior terrace, a meeting space, and a complete gym.
Sustainability measures were incorporated throughout the project, from construction to its operational phase. They include energy-saving and water-efficient equipment and measures, lighting controls, thermal comfort measures, electric vehicle charging stations, indoor air quality management plans, and enhanced systems commissioning.
The new hotel welcomes business travelers and families with an exclusive design and architecture that improves the guest experience with open spaces to combine relaxation and enjoyment, making the most of their stay. We invite you to check it out!
We’re happy to announce that AD&V® has been recognized as one of Top 225 International Design Firms in 2022 by Engineering News-Record. Engineering News-Record provides the engineering and construction news, analysis, commentary, and data that construction industry professionals need to do their jobs more effectively. We feel honored to have been recognized as the only Puerto Rican architecture & interior design firm to represent our Island internationally.
Hard work definitely pays off! AD&V® was also recognized among the 2022 Top 300 Architecture firms in the U.S. by Architectural Record. Architectural Record is the #1 source for news and information about architecture and design. The publication ranked firms according to revenue for design services performed in 2021. We will keep working to put our talent and professionalism on the map and positively impact people’s lives!
During the spring and summer seasons, our AD&V® president and founders were invited to speak about their experience leading in the architectural industry, the importance of architecture, its impact on women architects, and how coming together can shape the future of Puerto Rico.
AD&V® Co-founder Ricardo Álvarez-Díaz was a guest speaker at this year’s Puerto Rico Symposium, which was presented by the Puerto Rico Builders Association and the Urban Land Institute! This one-day symposium explored how both - the public and private sectors - can work together to reimagine, revitalize and rebuild Puerto Rico, with a particular focus on hospitality, housing, manufacturing, and infrastructure. Ricardo, along with owners, operators, developers, and investors, came together to discuss shaping the future of Puerto Rico through growth and development opportunities.
Our AD&V® president and this year’s president of the AIA PR Chapter, Monique Lugo-López, participated in a panel discussion of the AIAPR entitled “Women Architects: Building Puerto Rico & Defining the Profession” alongside two other women who currently lead the most important associations in the area of construction in Puerto: Margarita Frontera, president of the Association of Landscape Architects, and Vanessa de Mari Monserrate, president of the Puerto Rico Builders Association. Together, they discussed the importance of women in architecture and how their efforts positively contribute to the world’s transformation through collaboration and inclusion.
Our Co-founder & Managing Principal, Cristina Villalón, was invited to give the keynote speech for the Saint John’s School PR Student Council Induction! During her speech, Cristina inspired students, and faculty by speaking about the leadership lessons she has discovered over the last two decades as a company leader.
This year we had three marvelous interns that joined our team through our Summer Internship Program (SIP). Our SIP is an 8-week program, available from late May to early August, for college students in their third, fourth or fifth year who want to gain real world experience.
From sketching & designing, to renderings & site visits, our interns this year became part of our integrated team that values the importance of design and who’s skills, artistry, commitment to social responsibility, attention to detail, and ability to work together sets us apart from the rest. This year Galeanna, Alina and Adriana were definitely team players who approached every project they were assigned to with a positive attitude. Their detailed orientation, self-motivation, and willingness to take on any challenge, big or small, made them the ideal integration to our team.
Get to know the amazing SIP interns we hosted this year (from left to right):
• Galeanna Vega, a 3rd-year Architecture student at the University of Puerto Rico in Río Piedras.
• Alina Velasco, a 5th-year Architecture student at Notre Dame Architecture School.
• Adriana Torres, an incoming 4th-year Architecture student at the Universidad Politécnica de Puerto Rico.
We thank them for their hard work
them continued success in the Architecture field!
For this year’s Earth Day, AD&V® developed an Educational Campaign titled Invest in Green #ElPlanetaPaCuando, where we provided solutions to combat climate change and encouraged and educated everyone — governments, citizens, and businesses alike — to reduce, reuse, recycle & Invest in Green to help care for our environment every day of the year.
As part of the Invest in Green campaign, AD&V® developed a downloadable Educational Brochure that presents different ways we can all participate to reduce, reuse, recycle, and Invest in Green every day! We invited the public to show us their commitment by sharing an image on social media & telling us how they were Investing in Green with the hashtag #ElPlanetaPaCuando. We hope this initiative inspires others to contribute to the greater good and create a better Earth for future generations.
By reducing, reusing, recycling, & investing in green, we can all change our habits to become part of the solution. It’s as easy as developing new practices and sustainable habits that can be implemented inside & outside your home. We must have the courage and willpower to do what’s necessary to preserve and protect our health, our families, and our livelihoods...together we must INVEST in Green!
As part of our responsibility to our planet and our communities, the AD&V® Team gathered at the Río Piedras Botanical Garden to take care and nurture new trees while learning about the best reforestation practices as part of @ paralanaturaleza’s reforestation efforts! Para la Naturaleza offers volunteer work all year-round across the Island to reach the goal of planting 100,000 trees each year.
Actively contributing to the SDGs, AD&V® was thrilled and had a fantastic time taking care and nurturing trees as it increased the resilience of ecosystems and helped minimize climate change effects. Let’s continue to protect nature by taking care of nature!
For this year’s Earth Day activity, the AD&V® Team picked up trash around a local lagoon to reduce waste and plastic pollution, improve habitats & prevent harm to wildlife & humans. Together, we were able to gather more than 30 pounds of waste. We hope our actions inspire others to Invest In Green and create awareness of the effects of garbage on our coastlines. It is our responsibility to take care of our precious natural resources for a brighter, greener & cleaner planet.
#ElPlanetaPaCuando
After many months of hard work and dedication from our team, we’re excited to announce that we’ve officially launched our new & improved AD&V® website!
Our primary goal during the redesign process was to create a more valuable, user-centric, responsive resource across all platforms and devices. With our newly designed website, you can quickly and seamlessly immerse yourself in our content. From checking out our story, projects, and blogs, to exploring our recently added community initiatives, our work with the SDGs, and the #PlacesofPurpose page, you will have access to everything AD&V®.
Keep up to date on our latest work, blogs, news articles, and company announcements through our new and improved website at www.alvarezdiazvillalon.com. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
We are growing and fast! During this season, AD&V® hired a total of 9 new team members. We would like to extend our most warm welcome to Carlos Vigo, Karen Ruiz, Nicole Quiñones, José Luis Pagán, Cristina Centeno, José Alfredo López, Eduardo Zayas, Dunia Arsuaga and Alexandra Zayas! We are very excited to have them as part of our AD&V® Team!
M&M, or Emi as we like to call her, was appointed as AD&V®’s CHO for bringing lots of joy & emotional support to the AD&V® Team. She loves playing, helping us with our projects & spending time with everyone at the office. Emi also receives lots of love & cuddles from the team. We’re happy to have her around the office!
To show our appreciation to all our AD&V® super moms, this year we gave them all a well-deserved gift so they can unwind & treat themselves to a Spa Day. The celebration continued at our official AD&V® Annex warming party, where we also celebrated our office expansion. The celebration featured tasty snacks & a special AD&V® green drink. We’re grateful for our AD&V® Moms & everything they do!
Aimed to inspire and empower our team members, we invited life and business coach Azim Jamal to our headquarters. Azim gave the team a powerful lesson about our hidden SPARK. His dynamic, inspiring, and thought-provoking message invited the team to awaken their SPARK as it will catapult you from the “Present You” to the “Best You.” We are grateful to have had the opportunity to meet and listen to the great AZIM! We will continue to find our SPARK and learn how to fuel it!
This spring, we had a wonderful yoga team-building activity. We gathered at a local park near the Convention Center & practiced yoga that incorporated teamwork. The collaborative yoga exercises allowed us to further connect with fellow team members & relax. We consider ourselves to be “yogis” now. Since then, we’ve incorporated Yoga Tuesdays at the terrace of the AD&V® HQ after work.
This year, we scooped up the sweetest gift to celebrate the awesome AD&V® Dads in our life. We splurged them with some tasty treats from Double Cake and held an Ice Cream Party at the office to add some sweetness to their lives because they truly deserve it! We thank them for all that they do.
At AD&V® we love Summer, especially Summer Fridays, where the team gets to leave early and enjoy Friday afternoons with their families. This year, we celebrated the end of our Summer Fridays with a fantastic happy hour, tasty snacks, tropical drinks & summer accessories for the AD&V® Team to enjoy. We had a blast! Don’t mind us; we’re just counting the days until next Summer.
Our office headquarters provides the AD&V® Team with comfortable & functional workspaces that encourage collaboration. One of our personal favorites is our “AD&V Classroom,” which was first used this year in a session we had with our leaders titled “AD&V [U]niversity,” where they discussed project updates along with other important company news. It’s like going back to college, but better!
All our team members have one thing in common: they love snacks! That’s why we incorporated a Snack Bar at our office headquarters. We invited Lcda. Getsení Rodríguez & Co. to visit our office to talk to the AD&V® Team about healthy food snack options & the importance of nutrition. We learned how to make smarter food decisions and get the nutrients we need to stay productive & healthy. Now, our snack station feels like it’s the happy hour spot all day long!
