EMERGENT DESIGN

We aspire to work with with like-minded clients, partners and construction professionals, to transform private and public spaces into inspiring environments for individuals and their communities. Our commitment to cultural responsibility, design innovation and value creation underpins our practice’s ethos.

Established by experienced professionals in London and Mexico City, we have built a reputation for designing and delivering innovative projects across the residential, retail, hospitality and education sectors. Underpinned by 25-years experience in UK-based and international projects, we design, manage and administrate the delivery of complex projects in challenging sites.

Our portfolio is diverse in type, scale, value and delivery complexity. All projects share ultimately our focus on their relationship between the user, site and context. Our record of securing challenging planning consents and approvals is exemplary, including comprehensive interventions to listed buildings and sensitive sites.

Emergent Design is a RIBA Chartered Practice sustaining offices in Clerkenwell, led by Marco Ortiz – Rafael Viñoly’s former Design Director in London.

Open House, London, 2023 / Photography © Peter Landers Photography

“We were delighted to work with ED on our new Flagship Store in Savile Row in 2014 - very impressed and satisfied with the design and quality of the end product.”

— Sean Dixon, MD, Richard James

“The ED team restored and converted exciting new venues for our growing public house and hotel business. Their talent, skills and dedication contribute to our attractive projects being executed on time and budget.”

— James McCulloch, Owner, Harcourt Inns

Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, 2014 / Courtesy of Rafael Viñoly Architects

“Following his experience managing our large scale projects internationally, Marco lead our scheme for Oxford University’s New Mathematical Institute. His leadership and enthusiasm for design were key to consistently achieving key milestones for this complex job. Marco has inherent passion for design and communication with clients, which combined with strong experience provides him an ability to adapt to different working structures and project scales.”

— Rafael Viñoly, Principal, Rafael Viñoly Architects

OUR TEAM

Our team's compact and efficient working structure allow us to provide personalised and bespoke services to our clients. Working on a number of commissions also enables us to assemble and dedicate the best possible skill-set to work with clients and project stakeholders, ultimately delivering high quality design and added value. Our multi-disciplinary team of professionals in London and Mexico City works in an ‘open structure’ studio model, in which we believe that every team member’s contribution is key to the success of our practice.

Marco Ortiz RIBA ARB DipArch UIA MArch AA | Design Director

With a track-record spanning nearly 25-years, Marco Ortiz acts as Design Director of Emergent Design. Having previously worked for 7-years with acclaimed architect Rafael Viñoly as Design Director of RVA’s London office, Marco has also collaborated with London designers including Michel Mossessian, Tom Dixon, Andy Martin and TTSP, delivering ambitious building commissions internationally. A Chartered Architect in the UK and Mexico, he received the 2012 Honorary Award recognising design merit and is an elected board member at the Royal Institute of British Architect's SPG since 2014. Marco lectured at the Royal Academy of Arts in 2015 on the theme of Housing in Mexico as part of the RA's Architectural Programme and more recently at the RIBA on International Practice in 2017.

Julian Kinal RIBA ARB | Technical Director

Álvaro Gutiérrez Gutiérrez ARB | Architect

Matthieu Courtade | Architectural Assistant

Candela Ramundo | Architectural Assistant

Alex Torchio | Architectural Assistant

Beatriz Cantal | Architectural Assistant

Giulia Trupo | Architectural Assistant

Ania Popielarska | Architectural Assistant

Magdalena Fernández Solís | Architectural Assistant

Lily Ganotaki | Interior Designer

Mariano Galindez

Maximilian Klein

Neethu Babu Raj

Regina Ortega Barbedillo

CORE VALUES

DESIGN INNOVATION – Our track-record in designing and delivering state-of-the-art architecture internationally is underpinned by our past collaboration with renowned architects and designers. We ensure that all our projects surpass the highest design standards: we have proven experience in delivery through BIM or equivalent systems and in sustainable design delivering LEED / BREEAM certified buildings internationally.

CULTURAL RESPONSIBILITY – Commitment to local culture and building technology is a core principle of our methodology. We aspire to create buildings and public spaces that engage and elevate local culture as much in its tradition as in its future aspiration. We believe in the transformational nature of architecture: our focus on every project begins by conception of an end-user experience that defines the architecture around it.

VALUE CREATION – A deep understanding of the due diligence, strategic planning and investment strategy underpinning every project is key to achieve commercial success and value creation. Our team has over 10-years experience working with commercial and private clients in London and Mexico City ranging from site acquisition stage to completion/hand-over ensuring value creation in all projects we are involved in. ED has delivered a number of feasibility studies in recent years ranging from small scale bespoke residential projects to multi-million commercial developments internationally.

Marina da Gloria, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2010 / Courtesy of Rafael Viñoly Architects

COLLABORATION

Our teams in in London and Mexico City comprise design and construction professionals trained in some of London’s most prestigious architectural firms, exposed to the delivery of landmark architectural projects around the world. We collectively have a proven track-record working and delivering high-quality schemes alongside some of the most recognised engineers, project managers, surveyors and designers internationally. Emergent Design Studios current and past collaborators include:

- Techniker (London)
- RVdG (Mexico)
- James Frith Ltd (London)
- Eckersley O’Callaghan (London)
- EMBYA (Brazil)
- ECOstudioXV (Mexico)
- KVR (Mexico)
- SBP (Germany)
- Transsolar (Germany)
- AECOM / Davis Langdon
- Buro Happold
- Arup
- Tom Dixon RDS