José Atienza

Design Director

Focusing on enhancing human experience while seeking endless benefit for natural ecologies, José’s design leadership spans over twenty years of professional practice in the realization of diverse typologies at multiple scales that include award-winning architectural and urban design projects throughout the U.S. and Europe. As Design Director, his ability to lead teams towards synthesizing and materializing primary concepts into unique, sensitive and sustainable design solutions that embody a project’s vision, principles and goals while integrating site, form, and systems has led to many successful collaborations.

Working closely with clients and project teams, José employs a collaborative and multi-disciplinary approach that explores relationships between form and energy, architecture and landscape, and culture and nature while also advancing and developing the role of Cradle to Cradle Circular Economy Design within the built environment through the integration of healthy material protocols, design for disassembly strategies and flexible modular systems. Most notably, José has led the design and realization of nine innovative buildings at Park 20l20 in the Netherlands, the first Cradle to Cradle-inspired development implementing Circular Economy Design strategies. Additionally, José has taught design studios at the University of Virginia School of Architecture, contributes to and produces published articles, and speaks publicly on behalf of the office on issues around sustainability and circularity.

Selected Projects: