14TH EDITION
AD&VISION
FALL / WINTER 2021-2022 SPRING / SUMMER 2017
EMERALD VISTA INAUGURATION FEATURED PROJECT
IN THIS ISSUE • AD&V®’s first ever Impact Report. • We celebrated Emerald Vista’s Inauguration. • Monique Lugo is the elected 2022 AIA PR President. • Bayshore Villas wins the Jack Kemp Excellence in Affordable and Workforce Housing Award. • We celebrated three team members for reaching professional goals.
FEATURED STORY
AD&V®’S 2021 IMPACT REPORT 2021 was a year of new beginnings and growth for us. In January we moved into our new office space at The Hub in the Convention District in San Juan, Puer to Rico. The move allowed us more spaces to collaborate while simultaneously keeping our team safe with proper social distancing. By August, we had decided to expand our office footprint as we look ahead and contemplate our pipeline. We had 10 new hires in 2021 and we expect to grow our team by at least 16 more before year’s end. Coming out of 2020, a year that challenged and reset the whole world, we felt stronger, more engaged, focused, and ready to continue to make a positive impact in people’s lives. Members of our team completed the first ever offered SDG Ambition Accelerator Program to learn how to set more ambitious goals that align with the UN Global Agenda. Additionally, our leadership team was selected and completed the Guayacán Venture Accelerator, a program aimed at propelling established Puer to Rican companies into hypergrowth. At AD&V® we strive to become better as professionals and as people every day. We are committed to using our business as a force for good in the world. We are excited to share everything we accomplished this past year and hope it will inspire you to take action of your own. ALIGNING AD&V® TO A GLOBAL AGENDA It is a time of immense challenges to sustainable development. Extreme pover ty, disparities of oppor tunity, wealth and power, gender inequality and natural resource depletion add to and exacerbate the list of challenges which humanity faces. It is also, however, a time of immense oppor tunity. We par tnered with the United Nations Global Compact and formed par t of the SDG Ambition Accelerator initiative, challenging ourselves to set ambitious corporate sustainability targets and accelerate the integration of the SDGs into our core business management. 2
Pover ty is a reality worldwide. While a great deal of progress has been made to ensure living wages for all workers, more needs to be done to ensure we leave no one behind. Puer to Rico, for example, does not even have a benchmark to measure itself on a living wage. This is where one of our many ambitious goals begins! AD&V® has proudly teamed up with MIT to include Puer to Rico in the MIT Living Wage Calculator. By first defining the local living wage, we can then set goals to surpass the living wage for our team and inspire other companies to do the same. In the meantime, AD&V® hired a local company to define a salary scale that measures itself with national industry standards and to provide additional oppor tunities to earn more based both on individual and corporate performance. This compensation package will provide structure to AD&V®’s salaries and will provide a framework to minimize any gender or unconscious bias informing our hiring and retention strategies. We hope other companies are inspired by our work and join us in working to make meaningful, measurable progress towards achieving the SDG goals to end pover ty, protect our planet’s resources and ensure that everyone has equal access to a good quality of life. IMPACT AT A GLANCE Our work matters. People matter. Intentional, sustainable, well-coordinated, cohesive and thought-out plans allow our designs to materialize with urgency and make a positive impact on people, our communities and our planet. By designing Places of Purpose that impact and enhance people’s experience of the world, AD&V® directly impacted a total of 5,040 people in 2021 by completed projects. Now that’s something to be proud of! Determined to ensure that all human beings can fulfill their potential with dignity in a healthy environment, we will continue to design Places of Purpose aiming to positively impact 65,000 lives directly and 6 million lives indirectly by 2030. LOOKING FORWARD TO 2022 As we look back on 2021, it is extraordinary what we can accomplish when we work together, with focus and determination. Our world is under tremendous pressure and strain. We need all hands-on deck in order to tackle the challenges that lay before us; income inequality, pover ty, climate change, hunger and strained ecosystems, to name a few. It is imperative that we each become par t of the solution and not par t of the problem. AD&V® is actively seeking to become par t of the solution. By putting our talents to good use, we are using our collective skillset to run a purpose-driven sustainable business that contributes positively to the world. We each have more power than we think. Working together, we can create lasting, positive, systemic change that improves the quality of people’s lives. That is our bigger why. It is what motivates us into action each day. 2022, we are ready for you! Take a look at AD&V®’s 2021 Impact Repor t here.
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UNDER CONSTRUCTION
CONDADO RESIDENCE Condado, Puer to Rico
CAGUAS MIX-USE & ELDERLY HOUSING Caguas, Puer to Rico
RESIDENCE INN BY MARRIOTT Isla Verde, Puer to Rico
AD&V® ANNEX
San Juan, Puer to Rico 4
ON THE DRAWING BOARD
DORADO URBAN REDEVELOPMENT Dorado, Puer to Rico
CONDADO LUXURY DEVELOPMENT
Condado, Puer to Rico
BERMUDA REDEVELOPMENT
Bermuda, British Overseas Territoty
BERMUDA REDEVELOPMENT
Bermuda, British Overseas Territoty 5
PROJECT UPDATE
WE CELEBRATED THE INAUGURATION OF EMERALD VISTA! On December 9th, we celebrated the inauguration of our Emerald Vista project located in Caguas, Puer to Rico. The third project of it’s kind, along with Bayshore Villas and Renaissance Square, Emerald Vista is a resilient community where everyone feels safe, connected and proud. The project is a comprehensive transformation from a former public housing project into a resilient, intergenerational, mixed-income community. It is the first project completed under the CDBG-DR’s LIHTC program, in response to the need for affordable rental housing in Puer to Rico. With an investment of $135 million of public and private funds, the project has 438 units, of which 238 were inaugurated on December 2021. Designed by AD&V®, developed by McCormack Baron Companies and built by F&R Construction Group, Inc. Emerald Vista offers apar tments for rent for families of different income levels. The residential complex is made up of two phases: the first, Villas at Emerald Vista, and the second, Senior Residences at Emerald Vista. Villas at Emerald Vista features 238 apar tment units spread over five blocks and consists of three-story apar tments that contain one to four bedrooms. While the Senior Residences at Emerald Vista will have 200 one- and two-bedroom apar tments in five-story buildings. All apar tment units include kitchen and laundry appliances, air conditioning, smar t keys and an alarm system, among other amenities. The project also features a 6,400-square-foot community building, which includes a multipurpose room, gym, kitchen area, conference rooms, a business center, and a lounge area. The development of this new mixed-use and mixed income housing community was also designed with energy conservation and resiliency measures including Energy Star appliances, photovoltaic panels, emergency power generation, insulated stormproof windows, environmentally conscious building materials and methods, as well as universal design. Mixed-income housing is a process that involves careful planning, design and implementation with the objective of promoting meaningful social interaction among diverse groups leading to new oppor tunities, healthier neighborhoods and a higher quality of life. Emerald Vista is a perfect example of how AD&V® works and how we can positively impact lives by creating Places of Purpose. To more mixed-income community inaugurations in the near future! 6
IN THE SPOTLIGHT In recent months, AD&V® has been featured in numerous publications including:
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AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS MONIQUE LUGO-LÓPEZ IS THE 2022 ELECTED AIA
PR PRESIDENT
Our President and COO, Monique Lugo-López, was named the new President of the American Institute of Architects Puer to Rico Chapter (AIA PR)! Monique is focusing the AIA PR’s work plan on equity and on highlighting the impact of women architects in Puer to Rico. “I know that by working together in a collaborative way with our Board and our membership we can build an equitable and prosperous future for our Island, and we can advance the positive impact of our profession in our communities.” added Monique Lugo-López, 2022 AIA PR President. We are sure that Monique’s hard work and determination will contribute to the Association’s growth towards a more equitable future in the architecture industry!
AIA PR ‘22 • • • • • • • • •
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Monique Lugo-López - President 2022 Emma Colón - Vice President 2022 Héctor Raralt - Past President 2022 Maricarmen Conaway - Secretary 2022-2023 Rober to Guadalupe - Treasurer 2022-2023 Raquel Marrero - Director 2020-2022 Antonio Garate - Director 2022-2023 Ligia Saldaña - Director 2022 Raphael Osuna - Director Associates
AD&V® TEAM MEMBER RECOGNIZED AS A 40
UNDER 40ECEIVES
As par t of our commitment to suppor ting gender equality, AD&V® is excited to announce that Natasha Yordán, AD&V®’s Associate Par tner, was recognized among the most outstanding young executives of 2021 in Caribbean Business’ 40 under 40 issue! Natasha’s hard work and dedication has made her an exceptional example of Puer to Rico’s new generations.
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AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS AD&V® LEADERS GRADUATED FROM THE 2021 GUAYACÁN VENTURE ACCELERATOR ECEIVES After spending countless hours working on the firm’s goals and its future, our AD&V® leaders graduated from the 13th edition of the Grupo Guayacán, Inc. Venture Accelerator. The accelerator is an executive development program designed to propel the growth of existing companies. The AD&V® Leadership Team completed a curriculum of 18 workshops and lectures, immersing themselves in advanced business education topics, techniques and tools needed to implement robust growth plans. Bravo!
BAYSHORE VILLAS WINS THE
JACK KEMPT EXCELLENCE IN AFFORDABLE AND WORKFORCE HOUSING AWARD We’re honored to announce that our mixed-income housing project, Bayshore Villas was recognized with Urban Land’s Institute 2021 Jack Kemp Excellence in Affordable & Workforce Housing Award! The award honors developments that meet affordable & workforce housing needs & that help create mixedincome communities.
BAYSHORE VILLAS RECEIVES PRBA’S
AFFORDABLE RESIDENTIAL IMPACT AWARD Bayshore Villas also received the Puer to Rico Builders Association’s Affordable Residential Impact Award. Bayshore Villas is a wonderful example of how a mixed-use development can improve the lives of mid- and lower-income families in Puer to Rico.
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SPECIAL APPEARANCES
EQUITY, IMPACT OF WOMEN ARCHITECTS, PUERTO RICO’S DEVELOPMENT & SMART CITIES During this season, AD&V®’s President, Monique Lugo-López and CEO Ricardo Álvarez-Díaz, were invited to speak about equity, the impact of women architects, Puer to Rico’s development, and smar t cities. As par t of Monique’s role as new president of the American Institute of Architects Puer to Rico Chapter (AIA PR), she spoke at the 2021 AIA PR Annual Convention where she gave her f irst message as incoming president and shared her transformative impact work plan focused on equity in the industry. Monique was also an invited guest at the Contigo Siempre TV program where she promoted the The Impact of Women Architects in Puer to Rico Exhibit that will showcase the impact of over 60 women architects in the practice, the profession, and the community of Puer to Rico. Ricardo gave a commencement speech at the Habitat Builds Graduation that took place at the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón. He also gave a speech at the Emerald Vista open house in which he spoke about the impor tance of the project and its impact on the local community. Ricardo was invited as a guest panelist for the Novogradac Affordable Housing Developers Conference, where he gave his insight and best practices on accessing Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and other federal funds. He also presented at the Puer to Rico Builders Association 48th Annual Convention were he presented his vision for Smar t Cities, how they’re created, and how they are the future based on a case study he worked on as par t of his Harvard University GSD program.
AD&V® BIRTHDAYS!
NATASHA YORDÁN September 6 GLORY RIVERA September 11 ESTEFANÍA ALEJANDRO September 15
SOFÍA ZARAGOZA September 28 JOAQUÍN HERNÁNDEZ October 7 EMMA COLÓN October 10
CRISTINA VILLALÓN November 29 CARLA JOAN December 1 JUAN CARLOS RAMOS January 8
ILLIAN PÉREZ January 18 NEISHALY RIVERA February 4 MONIQUE LUGO February 19
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AD&V CARES TAKING CARE OF OUR
PEOPLE
PLANET &
During the past months, we have implemented new sustainable effor ts in our office. We purchased a Tais Borikashi Kit and we are encouraging our team to dispose of all food residue in a container in order for Tais to be able to compost the waste and permit the organic matter. We also added recycling bins so that the AD&V® Team is able to recycle magazines, glass, cardboard, aluminum, plastic #1 and plastic #2. Additionally, we are collecting cardboard cup carriers and cardboard tubes for local ar tists so they can use then for their creations. In December, we encouraged our team members to positively impact the lives of those less for tunate through the Operation Christmas Child initiative, which assembled shoebox gifts to bring light and hope to children living in hardto-reach communities across the world.
EL NODO
TEAM BUILDING
Strengthening our effor ts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage, AD&V® par tnered with El Nodo, a Foundation in Ponce that seeks helping hands in the economic development, and conservation and rebuilding of the city’s rich architectural heritage. AD&V®’s team members par ticipated in a team building activity where they were asked to bring craft materials they already had in their homes, to design and build with their teammates a mockup Christmas ornament that drew inspiration from the architectural elements of various historic proper ties in Ponce. The idea was for one of these ideas to materialize into objects that could later be sold for profit to sustain the Foundation’s effor ts. Our team generated a total of 15 creative and amazing ideas to suppor t this initiative!
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OFFICE CULTURE WE CELEBRATED OUR TEAM MEMBERS FOR ACHIEVING
PROFESSIONAL GOALS Two of our AD&V® team members became licensed architects, Estefanía Alejandro and Natasha Yordán. Architect in training, Illian Pérez completed her academic training. They all demonstrated strong leadership skills and a commitment to the growth and advancement of women in the architecture industry.
AD&V® WELCOMES NEW
TEAM MEMBERS
Not one, not two, not three, but FOUR new team members were hired between September 2021 and February 2022! AD&V® welcomed Katerina Marchán, Glory Rivera, Sujeira Rivera, and Neishaly Rivera as new additions to our team.
Katerina Marchán
Business Development & Marketing Assistant
Glory Rivera
Sujeira Rivera
Neishaly Rivera
Accounts & Permits Assistant
Production Team Leader
BIM Coordinator & Production Staff
Welcome to the Team! 13
OFFICE CULTURE A SPOOKTACULAR HALLOWEEN As usual, the AD&V® Team got into the Halloween spirit by wearing amazing and unique costumes to the office. On Halloween, the team finished off the celebration with a spooktacular happy hour at our office terrace.
OFFICE CULTURE COUNTING ON BLESSINGS We had our Thanksgiving lunch at our new office terrace where the AD&V® Team shared what they were thankful for while enjoying a traditional Thanksgiving meal. The AD&V® Team was also notified of who they were gifting to for our annual Secret Elf Gift-Exchange.
SPREADING THE HOLIDAY CHEER Even though the pandemic prevented us from having our annual Christmas celebration last year, our amazing team was still able to spread some holiday cheer by wearing Christmas themed clothing and accessories to the office.
REVIEWING OUR 2021 GOALS At the end of 2021, a vir tual end of year meeting was held where we reviewed the firm’s 2021 goals in the areas of culture, sustainable development, work, marketing, recognitions, scaling the business, financials, and impact. It was awesome to see all that we were able to accomplish in 2021!
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LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP As par t of our professional development oppor tunities, the AD&V® Team par ticipates in leadership development workshops provided by UpTurn, in order to keep growing and improving our leadership and management skills.
SECRET ELF GIFT-EXCHANGE Even though we had to postpone our office holiday celebration, at the star t of 2022 we were able to have our annual Secret Elf Gift-Exchange vir tually and it was a blast! During the vir tual celebration the AD&V® Team exchanged their gifts by singing their own “Bomba” about each other. Nothing could stop our holiday spirit. We had so much fun!
2022’S FIRST IN-PERSON TEAM MEETING The AD&V® Team held the first in-person team meeting of 2022 and discussed the success rates of the firm’s proposal submissions, RFP submissions, and RFQ submissions. Our success rates are evidence that our hard work is paying off!
RESIDENCE IN BY MARRIOT SITE VISIT The AD&V® Team had a great time during the Residence Inn by Marriott site visit! The Residence Inn by Marriott project is the first extended stay hotel in Puer to designed by us, and developed and built by Interlink. Sustainability measures are incorporated throughout the entire project and the hotel’s design focuses on placemaking while formalizing the street block and creating economic oppor tunity at an abandoned government lot in Isla Verde. 15
SAN JUAN
MIAMI
200 Convention Blvd.
9000 NW 15th St., Unit 5,
Suite 201 San Juan, Puer to Rico 00907
Doral, FL 33172 t: 786. 703 5737
t: 787. 754 1381 info@advfirm.com www.alvarezdiazvillalon.com
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