Interview w/ Laurinda Spear of Arquitectonica & Cecilia E. Ramos of Lutron
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| Laurinda Spear of Arquitectonica |
Laurinda H. Spear, FAIA, PLA, LEED AP,
IIDA
Principal
BIO
As a founding principal of
Arquitectonica and ArquitectonicaGEO, Ms. Spear has been active from the
beginning, and has participated in the design of many projects undertaken by
both firms. She studied fine arts at Brown University, received her Master of
Architecture degree from Columbia University and later a Master of Landscape
Architecture from Florida International University. She has taught at Harvard
and the University of Miami. Ms. Spear is interested in educating others in
design excellence, she has lectured around the world, and her work has been
exhibited in many prestigious museums.
Laurinda has designed many of the
firm’s signature projects, and her designs have won over a hundred design
awards. Many of Ms. Spear’s projects have been featured in books, as well
as prominent magazines and professional journals. She was also instrumental in
the expansion of Arquitectonica into design fields beyond architecture and
planning. She first established the interior design practice,
Arquitectonica Interiors, which earned the firm its place in the Interior
Design Hall of Fame. She also created the design products group, Laurinda
Spear Products, which has over 150 products on the market under dozens of
global brands. In 2005, Laurinda established the landscape architecture
practice ArquitectonicaGEO, focusing on environmental land
planning, sustainability, innovation, and landscape design.
Laurinda is a Fellow of the American
Institute of Architects, a Registered Landscape Architect, a member of the
American Society of Landscape Architects, and a LEED Accredited
Professional. She is a recipient of the AIA Silver Medal, the Rome Prize
in Architecture and the ULI Lifetime Achievement Award.
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| Cecilia E. Ramos of Lutron |
Cecilia E. Ramos of Lutron
Cecilia leads Architecture & Design
at Lutron where she drives strategy, creative direction, and design engagement
globally. She holds degrees in architecture from MIT and
Princeton and has traveled the world as a lighting designer for luxury
brands including Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, and Dior Parfums. A
frequent international speaker and co-author of the book Architectural
Lighting: Designing with Light and Space (Princeton Architectural
Press, 2011) she finds creative energy though hiking the world’s
stunning landscapes, painting, and designing jewelry for her own
brand.
LINK TO PODCAST W? LAURINDA SPEAR & CECILIA RAMOS
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| Design Talks Theater by Laurinda Spear of Arquitectonica and Cecilia Ramos of Lutron |
Past, Present, Future: A Celebration of Design Visionaries
To mark the 20th year of Design Miami, Arquitectonica Products created a space reflecting Glenn Adamson’s theme, Make.Believe, showcasing reflections from past, present, and future visionaries of design.
The Design Talks Theater celebrates design across history—past, present, and future. The space integrates Vitruvius’s principles of good design from De Architectura (c. 30–15 BCE)¹—Firmitas (Durability), Utilitas (Utility), and Venustas (Beauty)—through light-filled lenses that cast bold, geometric shadows onto walls finished with earth-derived, mineral-based paint.
The Vitruvian word pattern on the lenses is inspired by the entrance gates of Arquitectonica’s office. Another historical reference is the Knoll Saarinen Executive chairs on the stage, originally specified for Eastern Airlines offices in Miami in the 1970s and now part of Arquitectonica’s main conference room².
Audience seating features Laurinda Spear’s Ripple Benches, designed in the early 2000s and upholstered in modern, sustainable, and smart textiles made from natural fibers, recycled content, and bio-based materials. Twenty benches, signed and numbered by Spear and produced by Coalesse³, commemorate the 20th year of Design Miami. They are arranged in a vibrant ripple of color that echoes her earlier work—from the five shades of pink walls in her Pink House project (1970s)⁴ to the warm copper, clay, and rust tones of the window mullions at Arquitectonica’s headquarters (1980s).
The environment is illuminated with Ketra lighting by Lutron, seamlessly integrated into to create an immersive experience where technology, design, and ecology converge. In four distinct scenes—Earth, Water, Air, and Fire—the light transforms the space, shifting in tone and intensity to mirror the beauty and rhythm of Miami’s natural elements, while revealing the rich textures, fibers, and pigments woven throughout the design.
Footnotes:
1. Vitruvius. De Architectura. Book I, Chapter 3. c. 30–15 BCE.
2. Arquitectonica. “Firm History and Projects.” Arquitectonica.com.
3. Coalesse. “Ripple Benches by Laurinda Spear.” Coalesse.com.
4. Arquitectonica. “Pink House.” Project archives, 1970s.
Laurinda's Three Classic Buildings:
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| Wikipedia Villa Savoye |
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| Wikipedia: Chrysler Building |
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| Wikipedia: Twin Towers |
Cecilia's Three Classic Buildings:
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Chaco Canyon
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