News
2021
Status Report
May 4, 2021
A couple days ago someone pointed out that our news section had not been updated for exactly a year… and what a year it has been. The earthquake swarm appears to be over, and even if we got through the worst of the lockdown, there are still precautions and protocols to follow when dealing with the virus. Still, it is great to report that all of our staff is back in the office, fully vaccinated, and ready for a busy 2021 that is well underway.
The new year brought changes in personnel at ARA. Architect Maria Julia Escalona has relocated to the north coast and is establishing her private practice with a handful of projects that are sure to bring her even more work in the future. Needless to say we were sorry to see her go but wishing her the best in this next phase of her professional development. New at ARA is a group of young architectural professionals providing their talent and abilities, with plenty of enthusiasm for the opportunities that these coming years are already bringing. Check out our PROFILE section to get to know our current team.
At the moment, the one project under construction is Casa del Arco, in Ponce. If you follow our IG account you might have seen it, or maybe during you last ride from Ponce to San Juan, just before reaching Juana Diaz, looking towards the north.
We will be posting more often this year to keep the few that actually read this section well informed of our endeavors. Have a great 2021 everybody!
[It is now June 25. Sorry to inform that the earthquake swarm is definitely not over yet. Yesterday we woke up to the very sad news regarding the building in Surfside, Florida, and then at around 4:00 PM, while toiling away at the studio, we felt another earthquake that insisted on making a point by reminding us of the frailty of this whole thing.]
2020
Reminder: The Earthquake Swarm is Not Over Yet
May 2, 2020
Today we woke up with another shakedown. At 7:13 in the morning, an earthquake of 5.5 magnitude with an epicenter a few miles from Ponce was felt throughout the island. As the aftershocks pounded, images of damaged buildings in the historic center of Ponce started to emerge through the networks, again. Calls from family members and clients followed. It all served to remind us that the swarm that started in early January is not over: the seismic activity felt today is part of the same system that has caused so much damage and heartbreak for Puerto Ricans in 2020. There’s a joke about how January is not over yet and we are anxious to finish the first month of the year to get on with our lives… But then Covid happened. And now hurricane season is a month away.
It’s time to keep up the pace, to keep working in the projects that matter, time to think in terms of community, time to be ready for whatever comes next. It’s also time to remind ourselves that the glass is half full, we don’t have to look far to remind ourselves how lucky we are. There is always someone having a tougher day than we are. So let’s give a hand whenever we can, and keep moving forward.
LAR
Work During Lockdown
May 2020
The Coronavirus Lockdown in Puerto Rico started two months ago, and everyone at ARA is still working from home. Everyone in the office, and their family, is well and safe. As far as we know, all our consultants and collaborators are also well. Work hasn’t stopped though. Key personnel at ARA has been working with ongoing projects involving design, presentation, permitting and documentation work, for projects ranging from single family residences to a conceptual design for a hotel.
We’ve been busy, and consider ourselves fortunate to be able to carry on from the safety of our homes. Meanwhile, a whole bunch of first responders and people that work in the essential commerce sector leave home everyday, putting their lives and the lives of their loved ones at risk. We are grateful for their sacrifice and the service they provide.
What we can do is keep staying home, support small business by ordering take out every few days, and work with the projects that will help Puerto Rico come out of the crisis that started almost three years ago with the damage caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
LAR
2019
AIA Puerto Rico Honor Awards
December 2019
Our project Casa Abierta was recognized with an Honorable Mention Award for Excellence in Architecture at the 2019 AIA Puerto Rico Honor Awards. The Jury for this year included renowned architects Angela Brooks FAIA and Lawrence Scarpa FAIA of Brooks + Scarpa, and Michael Halflants of Halflants + Pichette.
Read more about this project here.
MJE: Registered Architect
November 2019
Our associate Maria Julia Escalona has completed her professional licencing requirements, becoming a fully registered architect in Puerto Rico. All of us at ARA are proud of her achievement and wish her the best in her professional development through the coming years. Architect Escalona can be reached at mescalona@ayalarubio.com.
FxA: De Aquí y De Allá
October 2019
Fundación por la Arquitectura extended Luis Ayala Rubio an invitation to participate in the conference series De Aquí y de Allá, which is focused on the work being produced by Puerto Rican architects and designers working at home and abroad. The ongoing conference series is curated by Victor Nieto AIA and Maricarmen Conaway AIA, both local architects who became Trustees to the Foundation earlier this year.
The conference took place on October 13 at the Colegio de Arquitectos y Arquitectos Paisajistas de Puerto Rico. The presentation concentrated in the work produced by Ayala Rubio and his collaborators in recent years, with special attention given to residential projects such as Casa Abierta, Casa del Arco and others currently in production. After a Q&A section the group enjoyed a reception sponsored by HUB/CLC and FloorCon.
ARA Awarded Key Ponce Projects
September 2019
Ayala Rubio Arquitectura was one among eleven local architecture and engineering firms awarded key FEMA-funded projects by the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. The occasion was highlighted with a short ceremony at which Maria “Mayita” Meléndez Altieri, Mayor of Ponce, took time to sign contracts for 19 projects affected by Hurricane Maria considered key facilities for the city. At ARA we are extremely happy and proud to be trusted with the survey/design projects for two significant structures: the historic Teatro La Perla, and the Biblioteca Mariana Suárez de Longo. The damage sustained by these buildings was considerable, and an equally considerable amount work will be required to survey existing conditions, analyze required tasks for repairs and mitigation, establish costs and procedures with FEMA and the Municipality, prepare construction documents, and supervise each construction project. Both are programmed to start construction in 2020 and expected to be completed within a year. Find out more about the Ponce projects here.
2019 Premio Obras Cemex
September 2019
Casa En San Jacinto was recognized at the 2019 Premio Obras Cemex with an Award for Residential Project. The project, completed in 2015 by Serrallés Construction Corp. was designed through the firm Arquitectura 3av, cofounded by Luis Ayala Rubio in 2012. Read more about this project here. Find out more about the 2019 Premios Cemex here.
2019 Summer Internship
May 2019
Attention PUCPR School of Architecture Students: ARA will offer Summer Internships for one to three students during the months of June and July. We are interested in offering "first professional architecture experience" to students at all levels. To apply please send a cover letter, resume and portfolio (5mb max) to luis@ayalarubio.com.
2018
We’ve Moved!
June 2018
Our new office located at the 401 Suite of the Gomez Building is fully functional. If you need our services, give us a visit! The Gómez Building, originally Edificio González, is located at the corner of Marina and Cristina streets, in the very center of town… exactly in front of the Parque de Bombas.
Please call us at 787-841-0002 for an appointment.