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José Bruguera AIA

Driven by a passion for detail grounded in geometric precision, José Bruguera is committed to architecture as an art of place making, with built works that respect their context while embodying the highest standards of craft.

As lead designer for many of the firm’s recent projects in Europe, he has focused his practice on engaging diverse contexts and cultures, embracing the challenges and opportunities of international practice while leading multidisciplinary teams to realize large-scale projects in complex urban and campus settings.

José’s portfolio reflects his broad expertise in a variety of building types, from hospitality and interiors to civic, university, and corporate headquarters projects. Recent work includes the award-winning Soyak Kristalkule Finansbank Headquarters, which adds an emblematic prismatic profile to Istanbul’s skyline while respectfully addressing an adjacent historic neighborhood. Palazzo Lombardia, a 1.5-million-square-foot government complex in Milan, incorporates a series of spectacular public spaces that have made it one of the city’s most popular destinations. Other major projects include Torre Espacio in Madrid and the World Trade Center and Grand Marina Hotel in Barcelona.

His fascination with design for higher education began with the space-shaping building he created for Universidad Europea de Madrid, which artfully integrates the hillside campus with local material traditions. He is currently at work on a major campus expansion for the Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico in Mexico City that reorients the university around an array of landscaped outdoor spaces and new buildings, more than doubling the footprint of the existing campus. In Brazil, he has designed a suite of three campuses for the Instituto de Educação Superior de Brasília, each to accommodate 8,000 students. While addressing very different conditions in their respective cities of Brasilia, Valparaiso, and Aquas Claras, the campuses are united by an emphasis on public space and indoor-outdoor facilities integrated with the landscape, reflecting a sustainable approach that incorporates local materials and shared design elements, such as glass surfaces with screens in the Brazilian tradition.

José has contributed significantly to the firm’s interior design practice, with carefully detailed spaces that draw inspiration from local cultures and traditions while relating closely to a building’s overall architecture. His recent interiors for Finansbank Headquarters in Istanbul have been widely recognized for their sensitive integration of modern and traditional details, establishing a distinctive corporate identity entirely through interior design.

Education

State University of New York at Buffalo
MArch 1984

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
BArch 1980

Professional Experience

Pei Cobb Freed & Partners
Partner 2009–
Professional staff 1989–2009

Cossutta & Associates, Architects P.C., New York
Architect/Job Captain 1984–89

Corporación de Desarrollo Turístico y Urbano, Mexico City
Architect 1980–81