Greater Sevilla Metropolitan Area
Maria is an ARB/RIBA/COAS Registered Architect who graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Architecture and Construction Engineering. She later obtained a Master’s degree in Sustainable Environmental Design from the prestigious Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, acquiring a strong foundation in sustainable design principles. With over ten years of experience in the UK and Spain, she has worked across education, commercial, residential, healthcare, and transport sectors, managing international projects from initial planning to completion. She began her professional career in the United Kingdom, where she spent over six years working for renowned design consultancies and architectural firms such as Atkins and Pascall+Watson. As a Project Architect, she contributed to landmark projects including Farringdon Crossrail Station and the expansion of London Stansted Airport. This international experience enabled her to oversee the entire architectural process, from the initial design phases to on-site execution, successfully managing multidisciplinary teams. In 2018, she returned to Spain, joining the construction company Detea, where she led the Technical Office team. In this role, she was responsible for the Design & Build business line, overseeing sustainable construction certification processes and implementing BIM methodology within the company. She further strengthened her expertise by obtaining the BREEAM Associate certification and completing a Master’s in BIM Management that same year. Before joining PLANHO, she worked as a BIM Project Coordinator for an international BIM consultancy, contributing to large-scale projects and enhancing digital workflows for efficiency and sustainability. In 2021, she joined PLANHO as Project Leader and Sustainability Lead, heading the Sustainable Architecture division and supporting strategic BIM initiatives. She integrates sustainable practices across all project phases—conducting impact assessments, selecting eco-friendly materials, ensuring compliance with international standards (BREEAM, LEED, VERDE, WELL, LEVELS), and promoting energy-efficient solutions. In parallel, she collaborates as an environmental design consultant in international competitions, delivering performance analyses—orientation, wind, solar, daylight, thermal, and energy simulations—to define passive design strategies. This dual role allows her to bridge architecture, sustainability, and digital innovation, ensuring projects achieve both high environmental standards and outstanding design quality.
| SUSTAINABILITY | HEALTHCARE DESIGN | PUBLIC BUILDINGS | • Cluj Napoca Children’s Hospital - BREEAM Outstanding
| SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH GROUP | TRAnSHUMANCIAS : Architecture, Technology, Science and Art | RESEARCH AREAS | • Architecture and Environment • Sustainable Design - Passive Strategies • Circular Economy Strategies for Buildings • Net Zero Carbon Buildings • Sustainability and Heritage • Inhabit Contemporary Environments • Science vs. Art • Technology and Innovation • Re-Planning + Re-Flexion / In-Transit
| ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN | Environmental analysis of buildings, focusing on wind, orientation + form, solar radiation, and daylight studies in conjunction with thermal simulations. Advising on the most suitable passive design strategies to optimise energy performance in diverse climate contexts. Guidance in achieving BREEAM, LEED, WELL, VERDE and LEVEL(S) credits. Design Competitions: • La Paz 2032, renovation of La Paz Hospital in Madrid (Spain) • Hospital in Rissani, Errachidia (Morocco) • Hospital IBN-Sina in Rabat (Morocco) • Office building and auditorium for the University of Málaga (Spain) • Primary School in Almeria (Spain) • Isla Chica Medical Centre in Huelva (Spain) • Civil Hospital renovation in Malaga (Spain) • Lecture Hall for University of Seville (Spain) Refurbishments: • Facade refurbishment of existing hospitals in Lima (Peru)
| INTERNATIONAL BIM CONSULTANCY | • Responsible for coordinating international high-end residential projects (UK), interpreting construction work in progress for adherence to architectural standards, designs and contract specifications. • BIM implementation and management.
| TECHNICAL OFFICE LEAD | • Head of the Design and Construction department – Technical Office. • BIM Manager • Management of environmental assessments of buildings using BREEAM, LEED, WELL, VERDE and Passivhaus Standards • Project design and optimisation.