ABOUT US

WE ARE SYMBIOTECTURA

We are a Mexican design-focused architecture studio that believes meaning can elevate design to an art form. We live by this belief, it is infused into our identity and permeates everything we do.

The word Symbiotectura represents what we consider to be the purpose of architecture and design in general: to create win-win situations. It came to be by the combination of two words:

As our name suggests, our objective is to strengthen the close and positive relationships between the building, its context, and the beings that inhabit it.

The isotype below represents the balanced interactions between separate elements towards a mutually beneficial goal. Three bi-dimensional hexagonal trios converge to create a three-dimensional object, that is greater than the sum of its parts. The product of these interactions is represented by the cube: the architectural piece. The geometric cube itself is associated with earth, one of the platonic solids and the source of all construction materials. It also represents stability and permanence, which are both essential to architecture. Even though the isotype is comprised of only linear elements, its final form resembles a flower, connecting it to nature.

Meaning is an important tool that provides depth and a sense of purpose to everything we do. We as designers should feel free to create things that generate meaningful interactions with its users and allow them to enjoy the moments that make life worth living. Design shouldn’t be limited to simply providing solutions to human problems, it should also give a sense of belonging that connects us with our world.

HELLO

Hello,

My name is Ricardo Ramírez. I founded Mexican architecture studio, Symbiotectura, in 2012 to use design to improve the quality of life of people and their surroundings. I love every form of design, from typography to urban design. Fortunately, this gave me the opportunities to lead and collaborate on a wide range of design projects through out my creative journey, broadening my perspective of the design process and showing me its importance in successful personal and business ventures.

My architecture journey did not start as one may think. As a child, I didn't enjoy building structures with lego bricks. I was more interested in the stories that happened within those brick walls. Architecture for me was something that stood still in the background, it was the setup wherein all the important things occurred. Strangely, that hasn't changed at all. I still think that architecture is the stage in which we live our lives. But now I realize the influence that stage has on those stories. During our lives, we have non-verbal communication with the elements that comprise the spaces we inhabit. Such elements may enable or restrict actions, expose or hide things, transforming how we perceive the world around us. In a way, architects are storytellers that communicate stories through a succession of spaces. I grew-up hearing meaningful stories that had a great influence on who I am today. I think that architects have the responsibility to create stories that establish an emotional connection between ourselves and our surroundings and inspire positive change in society. Architects have to build stories worth telling.

Even though I wasn't that interested in creating structures out of legos, I really enjoyed drawing. I liked to get lost in that mind-to-hand connection creating things. Its interesting that when you draw you have to picture something in your mind which your brain then translates into hand movements to represent that idea on paper using a pencil. This process transports the idea from the ethereal, where there are no limits, to the material, where lots of forces directly influence the pencil's behavior, which could lead to unpredictable deviations from the original idea that may or may not add value. It is up to me, guiding that pencil to take advantage of the unpredictability inherent in reality. That is why it is important for me to continually strive to master my craft and be able to recognize opportunities and act on them in a timely and skillful manner. For me, drawing was the beginning of my journey of gaining, maintaining, and improving new skills that push forward my architecture and design practice.

That lifelong interest of creating things with my hands led my to architecture. I studied architecture at Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, finishing in 2008. Soon after graduating, I became a member of the 15 person-team that represented Mexico in it’s bid to host the Second Youth Olympic Games, responsible for all issues related to the Olympic Villa, Transportation, and the design portions of the proposal. These responsibilities included such things as the architectural project of the Olympic Villa, research regarding the city's plans for its transportation infrastructure and the role it would have in connection with the Youth Olympic Games, and coordinated the design of the team’s brand identity of the project. We presented our proposal to the International Olympic Committee and made the final three shortlist. That experience taught me a lot about the power of interdisciplinary collaboration (our team disciplines ranged from aerospace engineering to written arts) and about the importance of sticking to tight schedules and meeting the meticulous standards of international events.

In 2009, I joined the Panamerican Organizing Committee for Guadalajara to host the 2011 Pan American Games. As part of that effort, I supervised a team of architects and graphic designers in designing the layout and fields of play for each sport. We analyzed existing sport venues to make them compliant with the regulations of each sport's federation, the Pan American Sports Organization, and all applicable broadcast requirements. Our responsibilities included: verifying each sport venue and propose solutions to any problems, routing logistics, and designing the many fields of play . This gave me invaluable experience in understanding and addressing the unique challenges of highly specialized buildings, allowing me to efficiently utilize all resources to achieve project objectives.

Since then I've been helping people to achieve their goals by using the design process to understand the project's context and purpose, define its goals, uncover its potentialities, to materialize fulfilling solutions for everyone involved.