This month, we are back with another interview for our In The Spotlight series; we are talking to Cinthya Herrera, an Architect at HAC Arquitectura.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your journey in architecture.
I remember that from about the age of 7, I enjoyed seeing and appreciating architecture, from the smallest to the biggest spaces, its materials, the connection between spaces, etc. That´s why I decided to study architecture: I was very interested in knowing what is behind all the themes surrounding architecture. After studying, I've had the opportunity to work on housing projects, from which I learn day by day.
What has HAC Arquitectura meant to you professionally?
Working at HAC, I've learned much about different subjects that have helped me grow personally and professionally. For me, HAC represents that we can always be better and that there will not only be a solution, but we must always look for the best.
Being part of the design team, you have already had the opportunity to attend directly to several clients, listen to their ideas, and design for them. What has been your greatest challenge in working with them, and what has been your greatest lesson?
I think the biggest challenge is to really listen and understand what the client wants, and I mean that there are times that, as architects, we focus on that there is only one favorable solution, but you may not really be taking into account the ideas and perspective of the customer; to which we later realize that it may work, because with our knowledge we can make that happen, maybe not in the same way, but with the basics of what the customer is looking for from the beginning. And my biggest lesson is that all customers are different, they have different tastes and ideas, to which we have to learn that this communication you have with them is very important, both to understand their ideas and to know how to express them.
You started assisting in designing houses in Guadalajara, and now you work designing homes in Los Cabos. What are the significant differences in designing houses in the two cities, and what are the main physical and spatial characteristics that differentiate them?
I believe that the spaces and language of a beach house are completely different from those of a house in the city. This is true both in the connection of spaces and materials and their different resistances to the weather, shades, conditions of space, etc., as well as the use that will be given to the house and space within. The spaces for houses in the city are designed for everyday activities, unlike the Cabos, which are usually houses for holidays and rest.
What recommendations would you make to someone about to start designing their home?
Let them imagine their home, both in the aesthetic aspect and how they want to feel when entering and being inside it. Clearly externalize all these ideas for us as architects to shape them so that the project is as functional as possible and can meet all the needs that they seek.
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