Architect turned social impact consultant. Fascinated by untapped innovation and chaotic cities. Interested in the role of design as a catalyst for development. Loves discovering unexpected interactions between people and place. Originally from Bogotá, Colombia; has lived in the US, Italy, India, and France. Currently based in London.
Venice Architecture Biennale for Beginners; Making the most of your trip to Venice, Wed, Apr 11 '18
The 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale is just around the corner, opening to the public on May 26. From then until its closing on November 25, this year’s exhibition titled FREESPACE will have architects flocking from around the world to see it. Set in a stunning but already overcrowded place ...
Jenny Sabin Discusses 'Lumen' as MoMA PS1's 2017 Young Architects Program Opens, Thu, Jun 29 '17
Jenny Sabin, principal of Jenny Sabin Studio and director of the Sabin Design Lab, has been selected as the 2017 winner of MoMA PS1's annual Young Architects Program, which kicks off today, June 29. Sabin is active in academia and the cultural sphere, often showcasing her work in pavilions and ...
10 Essential Skills for a Life Beyond Architecture, Fri, Mar 24 '17
The decision to study architecture feels like choosing a path for a lifetime at the age of 20. As you enter university, you think that architecture is about drawing and building as you get ready to become the next Mies van der Rohe. What you may not realize, though, is that architecture school ...
Aravena's discomforting Venice Biennale: taking on "Reporting from the Front", Mon, Jun 13 '16
This year’s International Architecture Exhibition at the Venice Biennale feels refreshing. It showcases, for the most part, attempts at real architecture for real people. Titled Reporting from the Front, the Biennale is curated by 2016 Pritzker Prize winner Alejandro ...
Previewing the 2016 Venice Biennale: Spain's "Unfinished", Thu, May 12 '16
Iñaqui Carnicero, principal of RICA Studio, has been selected along with Carlos Quintáns to co-curate the Spanish Pavilion at the 2016 Architecture Biennale in Venice, “Reporting from the Front”. Iñaqui is active both in the academic field and in professional ...
Archinect's Guide to Presentations, Part II: The Lecture, Mon, Apr 25 '16
Just like planning out the look of your presentation, taking your time and planning ahead will take you a long way when putting together your script. Practicing again and again will give the polish you need to seal the deal. Take a few friends out for coffee and talk them through it. Refine your ...
Archinect's Guide to Presentations, Part I: The Visuals, Tue, Dec 29 '15
It’s 4:30 in the morning, and you are just heading to bed after polishing your latest project. The client meeting starts in three hours and you have yet to go home, change, and come back to whip up a quick presentation. What you don’t realize in the wee hours of the day is that ...
An interview with Bogotá-based Giancarlo Mazzanti, Wed, Sep 30 '15
Giancarlo Mazzanti is the Colombian architect behind such transformational works as the España Library in Medellín and El Porvenir Kindergarten in Bogotá. Founder and principal of El Equipo de Mazzanti, he has developed an innovative aesthetic based on high ...
Interview with Alfredo Brillembourg, founder of Urban-Think Tank, Fri, Apr 10 '15
Alfredo Brillembourg is the founder and co-director of Urban-Think Tank, an interdisciplinary design practice dedicated to high-level research and design on a variety of subjects, concerned with contemporary architecture and urbanism. He's also Co-chair for Architecture and Urban ...
FSG, London, GB, Social Impact Consultant
Laura now works in social development to help foundations, businesses, nonprofits, and governments around the world create large-scale, lasting social change.
Project work has taken her to work across sectors in multiple corners of the world: from formulating a strategy for expanding access to family planning in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh (India), to advising large energy and extractive companies in her native Colombia.
She is based in London, previously having worked in FSG's Mumbai office.
168LAT.com, Co-founder
On her spare time, Laura co-curates content for www.168lat.com, an online culture archive reporting daily from different locations globally.
Catering to a rapidly growing, diverse follower base, the team of 4 co-founders (spread across Bogotá, New York, Geneva, and Mumbai) look after the editorial calendar, a monthly newsletter, and platforms across web and social media sites.
Perkins Eastman, Mumbai, IN, Architectural Designer
As a member of the urban design team, Laura worked on the conceptual development and planning of projects on behalf of commercial and governmental clients. Regionally focused in South and Southeast Asia (India – multiple regions, Bhutan, Papua New Guinea) and in conjunction with Perkins Eastman teams both in India and the US, she participated in multiple engagements with regards to land use, urban design, and master planning.
Project contributions include:
- 2015: T.O.D. Policy Advisory (Gurgaon, Haryana - National Capital Region, India)
- 2014: Regional Development Plan (Greater Mumbai, India)
- 2014: Stud Farm Redevelopment (Pune, India)
- 2014: Mixed Use Complex (Mt. Hagen, Papua New Guinea)
- 2014: Bangalore Residential Master Plan (Bangalore, India)
- 2014 - 2015: Ashoka University Master Plan (Sonepat, Haryana - National Capital Region, India)
- 2013: Bhutan Education City (New city in Bhutan)
ECOSSUR, Bogotá, CO, Architect
Laura also worked in Colombia, where she participated in different stages of an innovative public-private partnership (PPP) affordable housing project. Her work included assessing market opportunity for social housing in Bogotá, and subsequently collaborating on the urban implementation model and landscaping design of the 3-acre project.
Cornell University, BArch, Architecture
In addition to her architecture studies at Cornell, Laura specialized in urban and regional planning, with emphasis in Latin America.
As a recipient of the prestigious Hunter R. Rawlings III Presidential Research Scholarship, Laura conducted extensive independent research (including 14 weeks fieldwork) on affordable housing and urban integration models in Latin America, with a focus on Colombia, Venezuela, and Brazil. The project evaluated census data, development policy, and best practices to formulate a set of strategies targeted at bridging the divide between the formal and informal Latin American city.
She also lived in Italy, where her studies revolved around the archaeology and urban history of Rome and the influence of the Roman Empire in present-day Italian cities.
Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, CO, Experimental Housing Laboratory
Laura spent a summer in her native Bogota (Colombia), working on a prototype module that could inform incremental growth housing models in Latin America's informal settlements. The results can be found on the link below:
https://vimeo.com/32642291
