ARQUITECTONICAGEO - Key Persons
As a founding principal of Arquitectonica and ArquitectonicaGEO, Ms. Spear has been active from the beginning, and has participated in the design of all projects undertaken by both firms. With over 40 years of multi-disciplinary experience, she has devoted her career to exploring complex challenges of contemporary built and natural environments. Her passion for developing innovative solutions that balance a modern aesthetic with an environmental practice that promotes environmental and social functionality in design as well as creating value for the client, the user, and surrounding community. Her design philosophy is to integrate landscape-based technologies and ecology to address the imminent threat of sea level rise in the urban environment that result in functional resilient landscapes that yield a return of investment.
Under Laurinda's leadership, ArquitectonicaGEO has produced award-winning designs for projects around the word such as the Dijon Performing Arts Center in France; the Taikoo Hui Development in China; the PortMiami Tunnel, Perez Art Museum, University of Miami Lakeside Village, and Brickell City Centre in Miami, Florida.
Among the many accolades she has received over her 40 plus years in the industry; in 2018, Laurinda was the recipient of Urban Land Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award, the first time the prestige award was given to an architect. In 2019, the Chicago Athenaeum and the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies bestowed Laurinda with the American Prize for Architecture. The distinction is given to architects that have contributed to the built environment through art and architecture.
She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Brown University, a Master of Architecture from Columbia University, a Master of Landscape Architecture from Florida International University, and attended the Master of City Planning program at MIT. She has taught at Harvard University, the University of Miami, Florida International University, and the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Co-founder and Director of ArquitectonicaGEO, Margarita is driven by a commitment to excellence. She is involved on nearly every project and ensures that proper and accurate execution of the design intent is carried out. Under her direction, the firm has earned numerous state, national, and international awards. During her 35+ year career working on numerous projects worldwide, Ms. Blanco has gained experience in many project typologies of different scales and sizes including hotels and resorts, offices, retail, and residential projects ranging from large master plans, technologically advanced housing, to luxury high-end residential. Ms. Blanco has been practicing Landscape Architecture for 18 years and Architecture for over 35 years.
She received a Bachelor degree in Architecture from Cornell University, a Diploma in Business Studies from the London School of Economics. After practicing architecture for more than twenty-five year, Margarita earned a a Master of Landscape Architecture from Florida International University and in 2019 earned a Ph.D. in Landscape Architecture from University of Florida.
Job Titles:
- CSPO / Miami Office Director
Mr. Llanes has over 35 years of experience in both architecture and landscape architecture design, construction documents, and construction administration. He coordinated with the architects and consultant engineers the project construction document phase for the landscape architecture and hardscape for Brickell City Centre, one of the largest mixed-use developments in the United States. Mr. Llanes is an expert in reviewing and processing all project submittals, shop drawings, RFIs, and change orders, in addition to evaluating pay requisitions, conducting weekly construction meetings, maintaining, distributing all project data with an emphasis on efficiency, quality assurance, quality compliance, and project closeout.