Design Portfolio
MAUR R
713.301.4961
Mauro Rodriguez
SCAD : GSAPP
DRIGUEZ
rodrixmau@hotmail.com
Manhattan, NY
Wynn Al Marjan Island Hospitality & Entertainment Resort Wynn Al Marjan Island is a large-scale mixed-use hospitality destination located in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. Developed as an integrated waterfront resort, the project combines hospitality, entertainment, retail, convention, and public realm programs within a landmark tower and resort complex. As part of the HKS design team, I contributed during the schematic design phase, supporting the development of tower massing, program studies, and design iterations. The project underwent continuous refinement to balance luxury hospitality requirements, operational efficiency, environmental performance, and its visual presence within the evolving skyline of the region. My work included room count and area studies, massing explorations, diagram production, presentation graphics, and design coordination using Revit, Rhino, AutoCAD, SketchUp, and Adobe Creative Suite.
Location: Ras Al Khaimah, UAE Employer: HKS Role: Architectural Design Intern Term: Summer 2022
Waterfront Planning The resort master plan organizes hospitality, entertainment, retail, and public amenities along a continuous waterfront experience. The landscape strategy establishes a sequence of promenades, pools, gardens, and gathering spaces that connect the tower, podium, marina, and shoreline into a cohesive destination. Working within the schematic design phase, I contributed to site planning studies, program coordination, diagram production, and presentation materials used to evaluate circulation, guest experience, and the relationship between architecture and landscape. The project evolved through multiple iterations as hospitality requirements, operational needs, and public realm considerations were continuously refined.
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Play Time Adaptive Reuse: Daycare This project proposes the adaptive reuse of an existing government facility in Veracruz to create a daycare for the children of public employees. Many parents working in the building face extended work hours while local schools dismiss students earlier in the day. As a result, children often remain in offices and corridors without appropriate spaces to play, learn, or stay engaged. Although a daycare currently exists within the facility, its interior conditions are inadequate due to poor material choices and environments not designed with children in mind. The proposal focuses on rethinking the interior architecture to create a safer and more stimulating environment. Material selection prioritized child safety and indoor air quality: natural linoleum flooring, FSC plywood millwork in low-VOC hardwax oil, soft rounded wall panels, and OEKO-TEX textiles. The design also promotes natural light, ventilation, and visual connections to the outdoors, creating distinct zones for play, learning, rest, and social interaction.
Location: Veracruz, Mexico Employer: TTProces Role: Architectural Designer Year: 2025, Proposal
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This slide compares the existing floor plan with the proposed intervention. While the overall building layout remains largely unchanged, the project rethinks the interior organization through material choices, furniture layout, and more efficient use of space. The existing plan functions as a single open area where different activities overlap, while the proposal introduces flexible zones that support sleeping, learning, and play for children of different ages. The new plan also strengthens the relationship with the adjacent garden, allowing interior spaces to extend toward the outdoors.
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Learning Zone Area with computers, desks, and seating to support children’s study.
Birch Plywood
Kvadrat Textile
FSC-certified millwork in low-VOC oil. Soft, warm, and safe for small hands.
OEKO-TEX certified upholstery. Hardwearing, low-toxicity, and warm to the touch.
Reading Zone Area with bookshelves and a resting space for listening, reading, and conversation.
Larger
Play Zone Slide area, art area, and table games area.
Girls’ Bathroom
South Elevation
Wood-Wool Acoustic Panel
Marmoleum Linoleum
Softens sound in active rooms and rounds off hard edges for child safety.
Natural, non-toxic, and warm underfoot. Durable enough for constant play and easy to clean.
North Elevation
Children’s Zone
Boys’ Bathroom
area for younger children with books, toys, and activities.
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Cover to Cover Housing In Mexico, the roof is more than shelter. It is a gesture of protection without restriction, an open system connecting public and private, formal and informal, individual and collective. This project reimagines the unique block around Mercado de San Cosme as a shared framework for vendors, fonda owners, and working class residents. Rather than replacing existing dynamics, the proposal builds upon them. A new civic infrastructure becomes visible, anchored by a roof that collects and distributes essential resources. This canopy becomes a shared asset, delivering water, electricity, shade, and other services across spaces, redistributing value between areas often divided by front and back of house functions. Inspired by the traditional Mexican markets, the project blurred thresholds to support both formal and informal economies while integrating affordable housing for young families. It addresses inequality through unity, offering dignity, shared purpose, and a renewed sense of belonging rooted in cultural life.
Location: San Rafael, Mexico City Course: ADV Studio VI Partner: Seong Hyun Leem Professor: Gabriela Carrillo & Thomas De Monchaux Term: Spring 2025
Ground Floor Plan
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1st Floor Plan
We opened the San Cosme to the public by prioritizing human and pedestrian movement over cars, extending the market outward and blurring the boundaries between formal and informal, public and private. In Mexico, markets reflect a culture shaped by warmth, joy, and generosity, where social life naturally extends beyond walls. Mercados are home to many forms of talent. Beyond selling food, people repair cars, offer care, provide therapy, friendship, and healing. It is common for individuals
to embody multiple skills, and this layered normality became central to the project. We translated this mentality into architecture by designing a building that is as complex, adaptive, and performative as its users. Mercados also bring together all generations, from infants resting with their parents, to children playing after school, to grandparents shopping for their families. The project creates a welcoming environment for all ages, reflecting the concept of “cover to cover” as both a spatial and social condition.
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This conceptual model is inspired by the reflected ceiling plan of Mercado de San Cosme, which informs both the facade and the interior programming of the building. Constructed from found objects, the model explores how the roof ’s open and connective logic can extend vertically. A kinetic element allows the structure to shift, generating multiple spatial configurations that reflect the adaptable and ever changing character of the market.
The project proposes a redefinition of housing. Rather than understanding housing solely as shelter, it is envisioned as an extension of the individual. With this idea in mind, the residential unit is treated as a market stall. By maximizing usable surface, residents are able to transform and personalize their homes according to evolving needs. The space can support selling goods, teaching, or functioning as a more traditional dwelling.
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SHARED ELECTRICAL CYCLE
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+15.1 METERS 6TH FLOOR
+12.3 METERS 5TH FLOOR
+9.5 METERS 4TH FLOOR
SHARED WATER CYCLE
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The intervention reclaims an underused parking area in front of Mercado de San Cosme, a space already informally occupied for gathering and storage. The project extends the market into the street, increasing pedestrian activity and strengthening its civic presence. Conceived as a growth of the existing market, the structure reuses and reorganizes shared water and electrical systems. Infrastructure becomes collective, allowing resources to be distributed efficiently across market and housing spaces.
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Harlem Tower Housing A new approach to affordable housing that challenges traditional design limits to re-imagine what “home” can feel like in the urban context of Harlem. The project offers an innovative perspective on space, focusing not only on square footage but on height, volume, and inventive spatial strategies. It moves beyond conventional apartment layouts to create residences that are compact yet full of possibilities. In New York City, where space is precious and every inch matters, the question arose: how can affordable housing feel as luxurious as it is accessible? This project answers by rethinking the living experience within limited dimensions. Through a three-dimensional design approach, interiors feel expansive and open, capturing the airiness and flow typically associated with larger homes. Elevated ceilings, flexible layouts, and multipurpose furniture transform spaces with ease. Every wall, corner, and view is intentionally designed to enhance comfort, efficiency, and a sense of belonging, offering residents a home that feels both generous and welcoming.
Location: Harlem, NY Course: Core Studio III Partner: Nicholas Richards Professor: Garry Bates Term: Fall 2023
Different Ways to Visu
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The Block The architectural concept extends beyond the individual units to actively engage with the surrounding Harlem block. At street level, the project introduces public spaces that foster community interaction and a sense of unity within the neighborhood. These inclusive areas invite people of all ages and backgrounds to gather, connect, and participate in shared activities, setting the building apart from its surroundings. Programs dedicated to wellness, the arts, and education are interwoven throughout the design, creating an environment that not only serves residents but also enriches the cultural and social fabric of the community.
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What If ? What if we measured housing by volume instead of just square footage? This question inspired a design that is flexible, adaptable, and deeply responsive to its residents’ needs. Imagine exchanging ceiling height with a neighbor to gain an extra room in your apartment. This approach not only makes housing more enjoyable but also ensures that every cubic inch of space holds value and meaning for someone.
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Facade Axonometric Detail Model
Co r r ug ated Metal Deck
6 ” C M U B a ck wa l l 4 ” M i n e r a l Wo o l I n s u l a ti o n Wo o d Fr a m e C a semen t W i n d ow
Op en -We b Ste el Jo i sts
C l a ddi n g S u p p o r t B r a ckets
G l a zed Te r r a c o tta Pa n el M o du l e
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Lab Imprint Research Station Minimal space does not mean minimal care. The project proposes a modular, off-site research station designed for disassembly, approaching architecture from its end of life toward its beginning. Recognizing the temporary nature of inhabitation, the structure redefines minimalism by introducing comfort, warmth, and familiarity within an otherwise unlivable environment. This project questions conventional approaches to inhabiting extreme environments by designing with the site rather than against it. The modular, off-site research station embraces Antarctica’s conditions, using snow as insulation and protection instead of treating it as an obstacle. By merging architecture with the environment, the station redefines minimalism through comfort, warmth, and familiarity within an otherwise uninhabitable landscape. In a territory indifferent to human presence, architecture becomes the sole mediator between humans and their surroundings, transforming isolation into belonging. The station stands as a contemporary monument to human presence grounded in endurance and coexistence.
Location: Antarctica Course: YACADEMY - Offsite Technologies Tutor: Nicola Scaranaro / Foster + Partners Term: Nov 2025 - Feb 2026
Disassembly / Post disassembly The horizontal structure is assembled from 2-meter-long modules (A &B), optimized for transportation and ease of handling. Two module types are used: single-floor modules and double-floor modules, allowing programmatic variation along the length. Modules are mechanically connected through internal structural joints, keeping the exterior façade continuous and smooth, ensuring uninterrupted sliding during removal and preventing ice bonding at the envelope. Assembly Phase Structural and façade modules are prefabricated off-site in controlled conditions. Modules are transported and assembled into larger horizontal units on site. Units are mounted onto ski-runner bases and structurally connected. Mechanical and electrical systems are linked by module.
Module A
Module B
Selecting The Site Antarctica plays a critical role in regulating global climate systems, yet it remains one of the least instrumented and most inaccessible regions on Earth. The station is positioned in Commonwealth Bay, near the Australian and African continents, a location selected for its advantageous time zones and logistical access for material transportation. The bay’s distinctive geography provides natural protection from strong winds while offering researchers a strategic vantage point to study diverse ice conditions and surrounding biodiversity.
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Steel frame partition / bulkhead
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Isofrozen sandwich panel, 200 mm
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Corrugated sheet metal
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Double UPN 300 channels
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RHS steel structure (Rectangular Hollow Section
10. Castellated beam (IPE 250)
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IPE 250 steel beam
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EPS insulation layer, 300 mm
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Welded and bolted joint – interlocking connection
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Steel foundation “ski-type” base
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LA SOBREMESA Dining Table and Chairs / In development
Location: Private residence, Mexico Role: Furniture design, Art direction Collaborators: Rory Peckham, designer Emete Design Studio, Mexico Status: In development, 2026
Sobremesa is a dining table and chair set being designed for a private residence in Mexico, to be fabricated with a furniture maker there, and developed with Rory Peckham, a woodworker I studied with at Columbia GSAPP. The table is sized to the family’s dining room and built around how they actually use it: long meals, full seating, the hours of sobremesa that give the piece its name. The brief was warmth. A table you want to sit at and stay. The design draws on a lineage of Mexican furniture and interior work, from figures who shaped it decades ago to makers working today. Honey-toned wood carries the structure, with leather at the joints and seats for softness and contrast. The material palette is tuned to the interiors of the house it’s going into. This is the first piece in a longer collaboration with the client, with more furniture and interior objects to follow.
Size Material Construction Wood Option
90” L × 42” W × 30” H Solid wood with leather detail Spindle back, solid wood frame Parota with black leather detail
Size Material Construction Wood Option
22.5” L × 16” W × 40.5” H Solid wood with leather detail Spindle back, solid wood frame Parota with black leather detail
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Home Alive Project Species Habitat Location: Brooklyn, New York Employer: TERREFORM ONE ROLE: Architectural Design Intern Term: Summer 2023
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Located in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Terreform ONE is a nonprofit architecture and design research group dedicated to advancing a socio ecological future. Guided by the principle design against extinction, the studio integrates biotechnology and architecture to support biodiversity within urban environments. One of their explorations, Home Alive Project, envisions living architecture as a system grown from biological materials that serve both human use and ecological function. The project proposes an all natural pergola that incorporates planters and habitat spaces to support birds, insects, squirrels, and other species. As co-founder Mitchell Joachim explains, “It is a multi tiered structure that cares for avian species, insects, squirrels, and all our friends on the outside of our building. It begins with scaffolding and multi species facades. We fit the scaffolding with willows from farms, and after a year or two we remove the scaffolding and reuse it elsewhere, arriving at a multi species system held together by living structures.”
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I developed a Grasshopper script that simulates natural growth patterns to inform the organic form of each habitat module. This algorithmic process generated complex geometries derived from biological structures, allowing the modules to integrate seamlessly with their surrounding environment. Once the designs were finalized, they were
fabricated through a precise 3D printing process, translating digital models into durable physical components capable of supporting multiple species. This workflow grounded the project in natural logic while enabling a direct and continuous transition from computational design to ecologically integrated architecture.
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The research centered on developing a 3D printed system capable of withstanding harsh weather conditions while maintaining structural integrity over time. The objective was to identify a material, coating, or fabrication process that ensures long term durability. These printed elements, potentially made from ceramics or other environmentally responsible materials, are designed to support plant and animal life for decades. As noted during the design
process, “If we want this structure to last a minimum of fifteen years, the time required for trees to establish, we cannot leave raw fibers exposed to the elements.” The finalized components are suspended within the wooden modules shown to the right, each acting as a protective cradle for future habitats. Together, they form a resilient system that integrates durability, ecological performance, and long term environmental stewardship.
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Fabrication To bring the project to its most complete stage, I decided to build a full-scale version of the portable pod. The process began with assembling a small trailer, chosen for its dimensions to match standard 4-by-8-foot plywood sheets for the walls. This made construction straightforward, reduced material waste, and kept the design practical. Careful planning and steady execution allowed the structure to come together efficiently and remain adaptable for future use. The images document the process from initial assembly to the finished setup, showing how the concept translated from design to a working prototype.
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Additional Work Self-directed 3D Modeling & Drawings Sets — Revit & CAD
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Design Portfolio
MAUR MauroRRodriguez DRIGUEZ
SCAD : GSAPP
R 713.301.4961
rodrixmau@hotmail.com
Manhattan, NY