Professional Portfolio by Mariapaularico

selected projects 2014 -2023

Portfolio.

María Paula Rico

MARÍA PAULA RICO

Architect

New York, USA | +1 872 2187148 | mariapaulararq@gmail.com

Profiel and Experience

Architect with more than 9 years of experience designing and developing projects in Colombia, El Salvador and Costa Rica. Comprehensive experience in masterplans design, participation in public and private contests and in the execution and design of diverse scale projects including: public spaces, urban equipment, education facilities, cultural spaces, commercial and residential. Skills in team leadership, technical coordination, construction development, and detailing and specification. Passionate about architectural design, interior design, urbanism and sustainable design. Value and family driven.

Education

Columbia University -New York, USA

2024 - 2025 Candidate, M.S Advanced Architectural Design

Pontificia Universidad Javeriana -Cali, Colombia

2010 -2015 Bachelor of Architecture – Ranked 1st place

Majors Urbanism and planning, Environment and Bioclimatic Architecture

Path

2020 - Present Independent architect

2018 - 2019 Latitud / Cauce Arquitectura del Paisaje – Project manager

2015 - 2018 + UdeB Arquitectos – Head of architecture workshop

2014 + UdeB Arquitectos – Internship

Professional Projects 2014-2024

Masterplans And Urban Design

• Sabana University Masterplan, Colombia

• Sabmiller Factory Masterplan, El Salvador

• Cuscatlan Park Masterplan, El Salvador

• Tres Rios Residential Masterplan, Costa Rica

Institutional And Commercial

• Ad Portas building Sabana University, Colombia

• Levapan Tulua School, Colombia

• Educative Park Tarso, Colombia

• Cultura Music Center “La Hoja”, El Salvador

• National Gallery Salarrue (remdl), El Salvador

• Pedestrian walkways Cuscatlan, El Salvador

• Children Museum Tin Marin (remdl), El Salvador

• PAS Community Center, El Salvador

Residential

• Villa Candelaria House, Colombia

• The Nest, Experimental Residence, Colombia

• Tree Houses Residential Project, El Salvador

• La Selva House, Colombia

• Balmoral House, Colombia

• Velasquez-Estrada House, Colombia

Contest

• Sabana University, 1st Place, Colombia

• Corredor del Rio Cali, 2nd Place, Colombia

Skills

Colombia, Costa Rica

Colombia

Colombia, El Salvador, Costa Rica

Colombia

• Rionegro Cemetery Park Masterplan, Colombia

• Rionegro Liberty Square, Colombia

• Bahia Solano Masterplan, Colombia

• Medellin River Park East side 1B, Colombia

• Events Venue Piedras Blancas, Colombia

• Rionegro Botanic Innovation Center, Colombia

• Rionegro Events Venue La Moralia, Colombia

• Rionegro Cultural Center, Colombia

• Cultural Center Sabana University, Colombia

• The Bazaar of the Bridges, Colombia

• Smart Fit fitness & wellness (advisor), Costa Rica

• Medellin Steak | Whiskey House, Colombia

• Oceano Verde House, Colombia

• Lopez House, Colombia

• Sharma House, Colombia

• Mirador de Santa Elena House, Colombia

• Volta 13 House , Colombia

• Mirador de la Represa House, Colombia

• Maternal-infant Care Unit, 1st Place, Colombia

• Universidad de los Andes, Participant, Colombia

Skills: Proficiency in 3D/2D modeling, Autocad, Sketchup, Adobe Suite, Revit

Languages: Spanish (native) – English (fluent)

Awards: Academic Excellence Scholarship (2010-2014), Javeriana Order of Merit (2015), Multiple Contests (2014-2019)

Behind the genesis of each project lies a sketchbook; a world full of ideas and reflections.

My travels around the world and my participation in different projects have turned the act of drawing into the foundation of a deeper observation. These sketchbooks witness not only years of learning but also the starting point for some of the projects that are documented in this portfolio.

Content.

The Nest | El Retiro, Colombia

Masterplan

Cuscatlan Park | San Salvador, El salvador

Liberty Square and Modern Art Museum | Rionegro, Colombia

Civic Center “Gateway to the mountains”

The University of the Andes | Bogotá, Colombia

Urban and Environmental

Corridor of the Cali River | Cali, Colombia

Maternal-Infant

Intermedial Care Unit | Bucaramanga, Colombia

Steak | whiskey house

restaurant | Medellin, Colombia

Medellin River Park

East side 1B | Medellin, Colombia

The Nest | El Retiro, Colombia

Year: 2014

Area: 70 m2 | 753.4 ft2

Design Office: +UdeB arquitectos | Felipe Uribe de Bedout

Typology: Housing | Experimental

Architectural and Technical Coordinator: María Paula Rico

Team: Alejandra Ocampo, Paul Jaramillo

Photography Credits: +UdeB arquitectos, Juan Ricardo Ramírez

How to address the complexity of Colombia’s climate and topography, generate quality housing in limited space with a budget of $20,000 USD, and respect the ecosystem?

This investigative and experimental project proposes a solution to the problem of rural housing construction and its quality in Colombia. It seeks alternatives to carry out discussions on spatiality and programmatic flexibility in small spaces and redefines the notion of that habitability is exclusive to humans. Architecture should be seen as a practice that respects the ecosystem in which it is embedded, and its goal is to foster a friendly interaction between humans and the surrounding ecosystem.

The first challenge was to understand that Colombia has mountains, and most rural populations live in high-risk flood zones with high precipitation rates and proximity to water sources. The most logical strategy was undoubtedly the use of stilt houses typology, which can adapt to any type of ter rain and allow the dwelling to have less than 1% contact with the ground, minimizing impact on the ground’s ecosystem, which is essential for the balance of larger ecosystems. The second challenge was to re-define that spaciousness is not exclusive to mansions. The result of these reflections led to a spatially rich solution, driven by the generous scale of differ ent sections and environmentally respectful design, in har mony with its surroundings.

deck

Access hall

Bathroom

Laundry room

Dinning room

Living | tv room

Main Bedroom

Kitchen

Stairs

Main deck

Studio

Bedroom 1

Bedroom 2

Balcony

I. Other animals

J. Organic matter underground septic tank (wastewater treatment system)

A. Organic matter

B. Plants and roots

C. Bacteria

D. Protozoa

E. Nematodes

F. Fungi | micro fungi

G. Arthropods

H. Birds

Cyath

Access deck

Access hall

Bathroom

Laundry room

Dinning room

Living | tv room

Main Bedroom

Kitchen

Stairs

Main deck

Studio

Bedroom 1

Bedroom 2

Balcony

Masterplan Cuscatlan

Park | San Salvador, El salvador

Year: 2015

Area: 74,000 m2 | 796,529.37 ft2

Design Office: +UdeB arquitectos | Felipe Uribe de Bedout

Qualitative Investigation: Beatriz Turbay

Typology: masterplan | urban equipment | public space

Architectural and Technical Coordinator: María Paula Rico

Team: Stefania Palacio, Juliana Arroyave, Camilo Betancur, Daniel Molina, Melissa Ortega, Carolina Zuluaga, Oscar Pachón, Nicolás Barón

Photography Credits: Glasswing, FUNDAPARK, +UdeB arquitectos, web sources

How can civic coexistence be restored through urban design and architecture? What is the role of architects and urban planners in the management of high-impact projects?

When violence takes hold of a society, dignity and values are left behind and almost forgotten. The large-scale behaviors of a population can be analyzed in how it behaves in urban settings; the city becomes a reflection of its citizens, with communal spaces either exalted and vibrant or abandoned and apathetic.

Cuscatlan Park was built in 1939 following European influences, with a French layout. For many years, it was the heart of the city, a sort of ‘Central Park’ for Salvadorans. Over time,

and under circumstances of inequality and poverty, El Salvador became one of the most violent countries in the region. Forced displacements and an exodus of its population to various countries, migrating especially to the United States, were some of the consequences of the civil war. Loss of memory and of identity in its population were reflected in the abandonment of public spaces that had previously served as meeting points and places of coexistence. When we were assigned to this project, in 2015, we found that the old Park was a hub of illegal activities that only accentuated the violence and perception of insecurity among its citizens. However, it was also a silent witness to the history and memory of El Salvador. If the park could be recovered, so too could the identity and confidence of Salvadorans.

Glasswing International, the foundation that requested the project’s design, had a limited budget, mostly for minor adjustments. On the contrary, our proposal was to make Cuscatlan Park a city transformer, and one of the strategic projects that the city needed. We believed it was time to recover the identity of a society through urban transformation.

Once we had the project designed and with the support of the Glasswing foundation, we presented the ambitious proposal to various entities, the local government, the municipality, the U.S. Embassy, private investors, and other institutional partners. Finally, the project reached the Howard Buffett Foundation in 2016, and seeing the power it had of transforming San Salvador, agreed to finance the first stage at the end of 2016.

1900

President Gerardo Barrios introduced coffee growing in 1863. Since then this crop has been an important source of income for the Salvadoran people.

Rosales Hospital is inaugurated and i t was located outside the town center.

1932 1939 1961 1959 1929

The price of coffee went down, leading to an economic crisis.

Suppression of a peasant uprising some 30,000 people are killed.

Cuscatlan Park is built in an empty space near Rosales Hospital, which was originally used to treat tuberculosis patients. It rapidly became a gathering place for Salvadorans.

By 2015, Cuscatlan Park is cars, informal street food kiosks, Additionally, at night, it is frequented in drug-selling activities. nonexistent, and green areas

Flor Blanca Stadium ( Now Magic Gonzalez Stadium) is buit.

San Salvador started to grow rapidly and Alameda Roosevelt is constructed to connect the towncenter with the rest of the town. Animal track vehicles were replaced by cars.

(PCN) power military Painter and writer Salazar Arrué Founded the first National Gallery located in The Cuscatlan Park.

1981 1980 1977 1971

coup.

First guerrilla groups kidnapped and killed Ernesto Regalado Dueñas a local business man.

Guerrilla activities began to grow, led by the FMLN. Children are recruited. The military government's death squads increased violence and persecution.

Archbishop of San Salvador and human rights campaigner Oscar Romero is assassinated.

The violece increased at least 30,000 died by the end of this year. People fled the country due to force recruitment, fear to political persecution or seeking better economic opportunities.

is abandoned, occupied by kiosks, and homeless people. frequented by gangs engaging Pedestrian pathways are areas are filled with garbage.

2010 2003 1992

Civil war ended, FMLN is recognized as a political party. The country is divided between Arena party and FMLN party.

While politicians are fighting for the power the country is abandoned.

Deported individuals return without opportunities, contributing to the rise of gangs. Mara Salvatrucha and Mara 18 take control of the territory.

Violence escalates to a point where people live in fear, and public spaces are abandoned, enclosed by fences.

A memorial wall, featuring over 25,000 names of those killed and disappeared, is inaugurated inside the park. However, it remains somewhat concealed, and only a few people visit

During the civil war, part of Cuscatlan Park was occupied with recovery rooms for soldiers wounded by landmines. The Park also served as a temporary crematorium.

Elevated urban walkways

PAS | Community Center

Anphitheather “ La Hoja”

Music education center

Pathways and urban furniture

National Art Gallery New Wing

Memory wall pathway

Open art pathway

Tin Marin Children museum access

Coffee shop

Food court Service center

Park rangers center

Liberty Square and Modern Art Museum |

Rionegro, Colombia

Year: 2018

Area: 12,292 m2 | 132,310 ft2

Design Office: +UdeB arquitectos | Felipe Uribe de Bedout - JR arquitectos | Jaime Rendón

Typology: Public space | urban equipment

Architectural Coordinators: María Paula Rico, Juan Fernando Isaza, Felipe Campuzano

Team: Camilo Betancur, Luisa Restrepo, Clara Restrepo, Daniela Restrepo, Santiago Martinez, Santiago Zuluaga, Sebastian Vallejo, Juan David Buitrago

Photography credits: Alejandro Arango , Sergio Gómez

How to transform an infrastructure project into public space?

A parking lot with limited capacity was being built beneath Liberty Square, a focal landmark in the city center of Rionegro. This would only exacerbate traffic congestion in the city, and the residents decided to halt the construction, demanding a different solution. When the challenge reached the workshop, we had to seek a creative approach with the constraint that the initial project had already begun construction. To solve the issue, we replaced the parking lot with the Modern Art Museum, a cultural haven the city lacked. We reconfigured the Square preserving heritage monuments, and provided landscaping with trees to deliver shade. We designed the furniture and pedestrianized the entire block, keeping cars outside of the intervention.

Civic Center “Gateway to the mountains”

The University of the Andes | Bogotá, Colombia

Year: 2016

Area: 22,382 m2 | 240,917.8 ft2

Design Office: +UdeB arquitectos | Felipe Uribe de Bedout

Typology: Private Contest | Educative Equipment | Masterplan

Architectural Coordinator: María Paula Rico

Team: Daniel Molina, Carolina Zuluaga, Melissa Ortega, Juan Camilo Solis, Daniela Ramirez, Nicolás Baron, Alejandro Muñoz, Oscar Pachon, Juliana Pérez

How to merge a university campus with the surrounding nature and the city? How to seamlessly integrate the natural environment with public space?

The University of the Andes is one of the most prestigious educational institutions in Colombia, located at the foothills of the Bogota Hills. Over time, the campus has expanded to meet the university’s needs. The contest requested a specific program for new areas required by the University. Our proposal aimed to locate this program in a project that would act as an organizing element for the campus, fostering connection with the city and the surrounding nature, transforming the campus into a vibrant cosmopolitan civic center.

Three key urban strategies were employed for the contest proposal: freeing up areas on lower levels to allow flow between forests, green areas, and pedestrian traffic; establishing a physical and symbolic threshold connecting the campus with the city; and reimagining the Partial Plan of Fenicia Triangle to create an extensive Espinosa Park. The proposal includes the construction of an emblematic tower serving as a viewpoint and center of direction, as well as the strategic relocation of the Rectorate.

The design emphasizes the interaction between nature and public space, promoting socialization, mobility, and sustainability. A stratigraphic approach is proposed, incorporating terraces, balconies, stairs, viewpoints, and more, creating an

integral urban fabric that respects and enhances existing heritage. This project aspires to be a lasting reference highlighting the leadership of the University of the Andes in urban planning and the creation of meaningful civic spaces.

Urban floor plan

Learning and Research Center

University Directors Meeting room

Offices

Debate room

Law faculty

Education faculty

Public Space

Learning and Research Center

Research

Digital media

Services

Info center

Administration

Public Space

Classrooms

Public Space

Coffee shop

Classrooms

Storage

Data center

Art Gallery

Book Shop

Public Space

Black Box (flexible events space)

Theather

Amphitheater

Coffee shop

Food court

Anatomy

Lab

Museum

Access public space

First level public space activity alternatives:

Urban and Environmental Corridor of the Cali River | Cali,

Colombia

Year: 2018

Area: 55,000 m2 | 592,015.1 ft2

Design Office: Cauce Arquitectura del Paisaje | Sebastián

Monsalve - Colectivo 720 | Luis Tombé , Mario Camargo

Typology: Public Constest | Masterplan | Urban Equipment

Team: María Paula Rico, David Mesa, Juliana Suaza, Sebastián González, Maria Camila Ospina, Andrés Santiago Fajardo, Laura Muñetón

How to recover an environmental and landscape axis deeply rooted in the memory and culture of a city but abandoned? How to use an environmental urban project to connect and revitalize a city?

This contest required a project for the requalification of the Urban Environmental Corridor of the Cali River, between 26th Street and its delta into the Cauca River.

The project is structured around three main criteria: recover, adapt, and consolidate, addressing issues such as the loss of vegetative cover and environmental pollution. A socio-ecological-urban system is proposed to weave the desired fabric of action, seeking integration between public

Cali River

Aguacatala River

Cañaveralejo River

Melendez River Lili River

Pance River

Problematic

space, city, and territory with this biotic corridor. The intervention proposes an approach based on intervention strips that allow integrating the city to the river and vice versa, fostering citizen appropriation and urban restoration.

First, the ecological strip, focuses on the riverbank, proposing restoration and landscaping interventions to improve biotic conditions and promote environmental education. The materials proposed in this strip are natural and lightweight.

Second, the active strip focuses on improving areas with recreational and sports zones potential within the river axis; trails and programmatic spaces are proposed to generate a sequence of activities and connect these strategic points.

The proposed materials are recyclable and permeable to fa cilitate water filtration and minimize environmental impact.

Third, the urban strip addresses the disorganized configuration of the urban edges of the river, proposing a consolidated and secure edge in the short term through sidewalks that connect with the city and the bikeways. Materials such as clay pavers are proposed.

The intervention strategies prioritize the continuity of pedestrian circulation, ensuring safety, protecting the river’s ecosystem, and encouraging a sense of belonging through activities involving the river. This project aspires to a new urban imaginary in the public and environmental spheres.

Ecological intervention strip

Cali “the seven rivers city”

Cali River

River

Cauca River

Proposal

Active intervention strip

Urban and Enviromental Corridor of the Cali River

Soil restitution | housing relocation

Pedestrian Bridges | Biotic corridors Sports

Maternal-Infant Intermedial Care Unit | Bucaramanga, Colombia

Year: 2019

Area: 95,000 m2 | 1,022,571 ft2

Design Office: Cauce Arquitectura del Paisaje | Sebastian Monsalve, David Mesa

Typology: Public Contest | Urban Equipment

Architectural coordinator: María Paula Rico

Team: , Sebastián González, Viviana Velázquez, Victor Mejía, Juliana Suaza, Estefanía Ortíz, Laura Muñetón, Billy Hurtado, Laura Ossa

How to re-define the traditional hospital conception to improve the conditions and experience of children and women in Colombia through a humane approach? How can architecture influence moods and play a key role in the patients’ recovery?

This contest sought an innovative proposal for a new intermediate maternal-child unit for the city of Bucaramanga. Our proposal advocates for a comprehensive, humane, and sustainable approach to maternity, using architectural innovation as a catalyst to enhance the quality of life for women and their families in Colombia. It challenges the conventional hospital conception, prioritizing the needs of patients. The project responds to current deficiencies in maternal and

child care in the country, such as the lack of options for natural childbirth, the almost mandatory nature of cesarean sections, the absence of comfortable environments, and the incorrect categorization of pregnancy as an illness.

The concept of “Healing Environments” was proposed, going beyond a simple spatial reconfiguration. It includes different architectural strategies, such as transforming the traditional layout of the delivery room to maximize the comfort and closeness of mothers with their newborns. Color is used as a therapeutic strategy, aiming to generate feelings of calm and proximity. Nature plays a central role, both in exterior landscaping and in the incorporation of plant species throughout the building, serving a dual function: aesthetic

and medicinal. The project also suggests creating public spaces integrating the hospital with the city. Colombian cities consistently lack these platforms of integration, and each building should be conceived as an urban element that promotes the creation of meeting places, fostering permeability and connection with the community. A spacious urban lobby is provided to serve as a versatile area, accommodating both the building’s functional programs and educational initiatives for families within the community. The choice of local materials and facade colors aims to adapt the building to the urban environment of the city. The use of terraces seeks to generate bioclimatic and energy efficiency in the building. Within the building, efficiency and optimization of people flow are sought through a compact design.

Urban Permeability

Traffic and circulation study Natural Ventilation Study Sunlight analysis Irrigation System

Urban Lobby Flexible program

Pre-natal care

Basic neonatal care

Nursing station

Services

Operating rooms

Nursing station Services

Birthing room

Hospitalization

Pediatric hospitalizacion

Nursing station

Services

External consultation

Pediatric consultation

Gynecology and obstetrics

Services

Family planning classroom

Diagnostic imaging

Clinical laboratory

Archive Services

Plant nursery

Access urban lobby

Access control

Emergency

Ambulances access

Nursing station Services

Administration

Hospital kitchen

Cafeteria

Electric power plant

Hospital waste storage

Parking

Technical area

Vaccine storage

Administration

Parking

Technical area

Water treatment

Laundry

Morgue

Extruded rigid PVC alveolar panel

Masonry with dirty clay bricks, finished with stucco plaster and natural pigments

According to technical designs

Metal structure 4”x4” in black painted steel

Clay tile facade in terracotta color, measuring 17.9x8.5x3.07 “, protruding 11“ from the masonry wall to function as passive thermal insulation

Polished grain tile floor, 1” thick, suitable for heavy traffic. White grain on a white background

Half-round finishing with the same characteristics, plus mortar for fixing

Masonry with dirty clay bricks, finished with stucco plaster and paint

PVC rainwater ducting for the irrigation of green roofs/gardens

membrane geotextile,drainage sheet on waterproofed and sloped leveling mortar, substrate and vegetation

Aluminum Mesh for Vegetation Growth

Steak | whiskey house

restaurant| Medellin, Colombia

How to contribute to city transformation through small projects?

Year: 2023

Area: 430 m2 | 4,628.4 ft2

Design Office: habb.estudio | María Paula Rico

Typology: Commercial

Architectural and Technical Coordinator: María Paula Rico, Team: Gloria Espinosa, Yuliana Ospina, Felipe Escobar

Estructural Design: Andrés Naranjo

Constructors: habb.estudio | Espinosa Arango Arquitectos

Photography Credits: habb.estudio

This small commercial project was developed comprehensively, from urban concept, interior design, furniture details, to construction. It is in one of Medellín’s most touristy yet urbanistically complex areas. The challenge involved interpreting new sector regulations for a mid-block lot to optimize space usage and transforming the project’s surroundings. The facade design breaks the urban line of closed-off buildings that are out of sync with the context. Despite facing a setback due to regulatory constraints, the facade was transformed into an open terrace and the front’s ‘lost space’ was used to benefit the restaurant and extend it towards the city. The interior patio typology ensures a continuous flow of ventilation, while the use of local artisanal brick enhances spatial and thermal comfort.

Medellin River Park

East side 1B | Medellin, Colombia

Year: 2018

Area: 86,926 m2 | 935,663.6 ft2

Design Office: Latitud | Juan David Hoyos - Cauce Arquitectura del Paisaje | Sebastián Monsalve

Typology: Urban project | urban equipment

Architectural and Technical Coordinator: María Paula Rico

Team: Viviana Velázquez, David Mesa, Sebastián González, Luís Jimenez, Daniel Zuluaga

Structural Design: OHL construcción

Constructor: OHL construcción

Landscape Advisor: Nicolás Hermelín

Photography Credits: Juan Sebastián Saldarriaga, Mauricio Carvajal

How to rethink the infrastructure associated with the mobility of the city through a landscape element like a river to turn it into an element of urban, social, and environmental cohesion?

Medellin River Park emerges as a large-scale project aimed at revitalizing, from a comprehensive perspective, the relationship between the city and its river. Its conception responds to the challenge of overcoming decades of traditional approaches in metropolitan planning and addressing the environmental degradation and disconnection of the river after its canalization in 1946 and the subsequent development of mobility infrastructure on its edge, such as a highway and the Medellín Metro. While these infrastructure

projects provided an alternative mobility solution and boosted the city’s economy, they also created a physical barrier between the region’s inhabitants and the river as an environmental and landscape connector.

The Master Plan was developed between 2012 and 2014. From 2015 to 2017, Stage 1A was constructed, focusing on integrating the river to a populous residential area, the Conquistadores neighborhood. In 2018, the design of Stage 1B began, covering the same area but on the eastern side of the city, connecting Conquistadores to the City Hall, the Metropolitan Teather and other public spaces. This specific 1B section considered three fundamental strategies: first, to use the river as the structural axis of public space by channeling the

road corridor underground; the goal was to reestablish citizen contact with the river by promoting quality public spaces with areas for activities and contemplation of the river, and prioritizing pedestrian over vehicular mobility. The second strategy was urban transversal integration through “park bridges”, that aimed to connect both sides of the city, promoting social and urban integration through pedestrian, biotic, and bike routes. The third strategy was environmental restitution of the territory, which sought to enhance the ecological system with native plant species, creating a botanical park integrated into the city’s infrastructure. The objective of the project is to drive regeneration processes, promote sustainable mobility, and ensure the coexistence of natural and urban fronts.

Conquistadores neightboorhood

Alpujarra City Hall Metropolitan Teather Epm building (Public Enterprises of Medellín)