
Our
Studio.
Curioso is a collective of designers, architects, and artists working together to create meaningful and memorable experiences. We are one studio with two locations in Mérida, Yucatán (MX), and Chicago, IL (US)—50 creative individuals of diverse cultures, backgrounds, and expertise. As a human-centered design studio, we’re committed to creating connections between people, places, and cultures.
We work with our clients around the world to design unique interior spaces and brand identities, all through the lens of hospitality. We understand that the secret to doing this is not simply having the best idea or the most creative vision – It’s about having the right people at the table.
Daniel Pierce
DESIGN PRINCIPAL
Danie is Design Principal & Co-Founder of Curioso, focused on finding design solutions that create high-impact experiences for each project that comes through the studio.
MANAGING PARTNER
Nina is Managing Partner & Co-Founder of Curioso, where she focuses on creating meaningful, smart projects that impact the way humans interact with physical space.
Nina Grondin
-
Isabel Barbosa
Inspired by her love of traveling and experiencing new cultures, Isabel approaches every project with an open mind and innovative spirit. After over 14 years as a licensed architect, her experience is wide-ranging, and her impact is great.
-
Zoe Browning
Zoe designs memorable hospitality experiences that allow every guest to feel a sense of adventure and belonging. A master at selecting finishes & furniture, her warm spirit brings an empathetic, human-focused perspective to each of her projects.
-
Tatiana Bryant
Balancing her creative nature and attention to detail, Tatiana s a multi-faceted designer with a passion for dreaming up well-rounded, unexpected, and memorable experiences. Her love for textures, materiality, and craftsmanship informs her work and inspires new levels of design bringing gorgeous vision into the tangible, physical space.
-
Adrian Cardenas
Adrian brings a fresh, optimistic perspective to each design challenge. From student housing and cannabis dispensaries to a hotel bar or lobby, he’ll conceive an idea then tell the story from 3D rendering all the way to documentation.
-
Cecilia Carmona
With a holistic perspective on design, Cecilia creates from a place of understanding human emotions & connections. Her work explores hospitality through the lens of meaningful and memorable experiences as she layers compassion and story into every project.
-
Caitlin Daly
A conceptual thinker with all the skills to back up her carefully-considered approach, Caitlin is a solutions-focused designer who takes any project from concept straight through to documentation and on-site administration, all with grace and aplomb.
-
Mario Dunson
With quick wit, an endlessly positive outlook, and an enviable style, Mario brings his unique background and whole self to his role as Business and Operations Assistant. Always willing to dive in and collaborate, his ‘can-do’ energy is infectious across the studio.
-
Marifer Echeverría
A skillful graphic designer and master of details, Marifer weaves together brand stories through visual interpretations, transforming initial concepts and ideas into tactile realities. Her creative process and imaginative illustrations elevate every project she touches.
-
Jasmine Esquinca
With a curiosity for holistic design & deep experience in creating restaurant environments, Jasmine is a warm presence in the studio. Her devotion to critical thinking and curiosity results in beautiful, functional, and solution-driven spaces across branded & independent spaces alike
-
Juan "Pope" Garcia
Juan blends passion, perseverance and fun to make miracles happen! His details and documentation have great results, too. All in the name of amazing design, incredible experiences and functional spaces.
-
Elizabeth Hutchinson
A multi-dimensional designer, Elizabeth is an integral part of the design team at every stage of the process. Her creative spirit and artistic core bring inspiration and creative thinking to every project she touches.
-
Katrina Hoernig
Katrina is a method designer and Brand Storyteller, deeply immersed in the story of every place and every space, learning the why behind every choice and delivering projects so full of meaning and impact, they feel as though they were meant to be.
-
Samuel Farías
An artist at heart with a passion for music, Samuel has always been drawn to the creative process. As an architect, his insatiable curiosity keeps him inspired and continuously learning in order to design uniquely beautiful spaces.
-
Erika Garcia
A true dreamer and passionate designer, Erika sees every project as an adventure. Her artistic, poetic nature enables her to look deeply into details, always with a mindset to achieve creative, functional design solutions which also provide unique guest experiences.
-
Emily Green
Inspired by people, places, and pets, Emily’s artful blend of strategic thinking and creative instinct helps tell the Curioso story. As Marketing & Communications Leader, she is the driving force behind our studio's brand narrative.
-
Michelle Jacobo
With a keen eye for detail and impeccable taste, Michelle views design as a transformative power for communities and culture. Passionate and creative, her work fosters connections between built environments and their diverse inhabitants, ensuring that each spaces promotes a sense of belonging for every individual.
-
Cat Joss
Inspired by spaces that effortlessly balance form and function, Cat is an expert on the guest experience. She approaches every stage of a project with care, focusing on creating unique, context-driven spaces through thoughtful research and design.
-
Riley Kalinowski
Riley seamlessly leads clients to discover what a space was always meant to be. With a deep and broad understanding of the design process and the skills to match, she touches every facet of a project from branding and specs to CDs and CA.
-
Remiko Kitazawa
Energetic and passionate, Remiko brings in-depth knowledge, creative solutions, and smart coordination to every project. With 20 years of experience as a technical designer for luxury & lifestyle hotels, Remiko leads project teams to the finish line with gustoDescription goes here
-
Isis Magaña
Always ready for a new challenge, Isis is an architect, designer, and perpetual learner. With extensive experience across multiple industries, Isis’s work represents a thoughtful blend of poetry and pragmatism, emphasizing harmonious design and impactful final results.
-
Jennifer Medina
Jenny explores the world through graphic design, giving her imagination space to expand and create. With a background in photography and fashion, Jenni brings a fresh perspective to every project, translating initial ideas into cohesive narratives and digital works of art.
-
Juan Moreno
Always on the prowl for fresh inspiration, architect and designer Juan contributes to every project with an eye toward creating spaces that inspire guests to explore new experiences and unexpected chapters in their own unique stories, as well.
-
Mamie Oelerich
Extroverted and full of energy, Mamie is a self-proclaimed “people person” who radiates positivity. Born and raised in Chicago, her lifelong fascination with architecture inspired a career in design, where her attention to detail and problem solving expertise elevate every project team.
-
Lupe Patiño
Inspired by the diverse architecture of her hometown of Chicago, Lupe is a passionate designer with boundless curiosity and a talent for furniture design. Always eager to learn, Lupe brings creativity and vision to every project, transforming simple spaces into extraordinary experiences.
-
Daniel Perez
Daniel leads with an understated and reassuring presence, sharing his knowledge and nuanced three-dimensional rendering skills on everything from architectural facades and streetscapes to luxurious lobbies and restaurant bars.
-
Jocellyn Quiroz
A passionate designer with a keen eye for detail, Jocelyn turns project values and vision into practical, purposeful, and beautiful spaces. As a seasoned Interior Architect, she uses her experience to maximize a project’s positive impact on communities and cultures around the globe.
-
Maria Quiroz
A licensed architect in both Illinois and Colombia, Maria approaches her work from a posture of listening and with a passion for creating positive-impact design. Focused on developing high-quality finished products, Maria ensures attention to detail and precision are brought to every phase of design.
-
Esau Ramirez
A master artist, Esau translates concepts into visions, illustrating views with such grace and spirit that one is almost magically transported to a space, bringing confidence and more thorough understanding to all design stories and decisions.
-
Carolina Rodriguez
A conceptual thinker and expert in coordination, Carolina weaves together seamless collaboration between project teams, partners, and clients. As an architect, she’s a champion of spaces that support the wellbeing of people and the reunification of communities.
-
Ian Sullivan
Ian’s design expertise is wide-ranging and intentional, with a passion for storytelling that shapes every phase of the design process. Through thoughtful, innovative design, Ian’s work brings to life spaces that are authentic, meaningful, and inspired by purpose and place.
-
Iri Paz Trejo
With a lifelong devotion to art and design, Iri approaches the world with an empathetic and enthusiastic mindset. Well traveled and full of curiosity, her international experience inspires interior design that is poetic, pragmatic, and leaves a positive impact on every person it touches.
-
Milena Todorovic
Pragmatic and creative, Milena is an unflappable architect whose sense of order and formidable technical skills are powered by an intense curiosity. This respect for every angle of a project, results in better artistry as well as business for our partners.
-
Angie Traconis
Focused and analytical, Angie - also known as eagle eyes - has an abiding love for details. Her predilection for fine points and technical minutiae is the perfect match for her nimble mind, always willing to adapt, problem solve and learn.
-
Vy Truong
With experience spanning interior, landscape, brand, and production design, Vy’s creative energy is endless. She approaches each project with contagious enthusiasm and a design philosophy rooted in the shared human experience.
-
Pedro Uch
An open mind, eyes and heart inform Pedro’s design perspective as he crafts emotive, three-dimensional images. Creative impulses and architectural rigor are reflected in visualization and documentation that tell beautiful stories ending with amazing spaces.
-
Evelina Urbonaite
Evelina is detail-oriented and highly technical, creating spaces that seamlessly blend beauty and functionality. Driven by this passion for both poetry and pragmatism, Evelina produces innovative deigns that are creatively inspired, rigorously executed, and perfectly tailored to deliver exceptional guest experiences.
-
Giovanni Villanueva
A former Industrial Designer with a business-savvy mindset and marketing expertise, Giovanni is always on the move. His passion for curiosity and creative storytelling guide his work as Curioso’s Business Development Associate.