El Cielo is an Architectural and Urban Design practice founded in 2004 by Armando Hashimoto and Surella Segu. Their work has been selected to participate in the Chicago, Venice, Beijing, Seoul and Pamplona Biennials. Their projects have been published in national and international media and presented in exhibitions such as Contemporary Mexican Architecture in Australia, and México in Italy.
Mr. Hashimoto and Ms. Segu have been professors at the Iberoamericana University, Anahuac University and Centro University. Mr. Hashimoto is currently professor at the National University (UNAM) and at the Rhode Island School of Design.
From 2013 to 2018, they worked at the Institute of the National Housing Fund for Workers (Infonavit) in the Sustainability Area, where they were responsible for the generation and implementation of urban strategies and regeneration programs at national level; the development of measurement tools for housing deterioration; and comparative research of international best practices, research on the impact of programs and on communities; as well as organization of students design competitions on affordable housing, discussion forums and networking with the academia.
Ms. Segu is LOEB Fellow of the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Ms. Segu and Mr. Hashimoto are members of the National System of Art Creators in Mexico.
Since 2019, El Cielo has expanded to encompass architecture, urban planning, research and consulting projects in urban development, housing and community. Recently, they presented the Housing Urbanism Mexico, Collective Representation and its Impact in the City exhibition at the Seoul Architecture and Urbanism Biennial 2019 and The Opportunity of Scarcity exhibition at the Chicago Architecture Biennial 2021 and at Arc en Rêve in Bordeaux, France in 2022..
Surella Segú
She is Monterrey's Chief Heat Officer and Global Architecture and Urbanism Consultant of the Arsht - Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center, a strategic position that is part of a network of specialists who work together to respond in a unified way to the challenges of heat to reduce the impact and risks of extreme heat for people.
She is a Loeb Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, a Master of Science in Architecture and Urban Design from Columbia University in New York, and an Architect from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education. She is a member of the National System of Art Creators of CONACULTA, she obtained the Fulbright scholarship and the FONCA Young Creators.
Surella is a Strategic Advisor for the Agrarian,Territorial and Urban Minister.
She is currently conducting an applied research on collective space as an activator of sustainable urban environments, with a gender perspective, in formal and informal housing areas.
Since 2004, she has co-directed, together with Armando Hashimoto, El Cielo, an office that encompasses architecture, urban planning, research and consulting projects in urban development, housing and community. Her work has been selected to be presented at various biennials and exhibitions abroad, published in national and international media.
From March 2013 to September 2016 she held the position as Head of the Urban Development Area at INFONAVIT, where she was responsible for the generation and implementation of urban strategies and regeneration programs in deteriorated housing complexes and abandoned housing nationwide; the development of measurement tools for housing deterioration; and comparative research on international best practices, as well as research on the impact of programs aimed to improving the capacities of the communities in these developments.
She is an Adjunct Professor in the Master in Urban Development at Monterrey's Tech. And has been a professor in Architecture for more than ten years at the Iberoamericana, Anahuac and Centro universities, where she also taught the housing policy module of the Master's in Housing. She has participated in national and international juries and workshops.
Armando Hashimoto
Architect from ITESM, Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design, from Columbia University in New York. He was a member of the National System of Art Creators and a FONCA Young Creators Fellow.
Armando is an Adjunct Professor in the Interstitial Architectural Degree Seminar at the UNAM and professor of practice in the Advanced Studio on the formal/informal relationship in housing; thesis project studio; alternative architectural practice at the Rhode Island School of Design. He was professor in Architecture for more than 15 years at the Iberoamericana, Anahuac and CENTRO, where he also taught the housing policy module of the Master in Housing.
From 2013 to 2018 he worked at INFONAVIT as Head of Housing Quality and Head of Inter-Institutional Collaboration of the Center for Research for Sustainable Development. From these positions, he promoted the transformation of social housing in our country by implementing programs nationwide and developing research involving architects and networking with the academy.
He is Co-Founder of El Cielo, together with Surella Segú since 2004. El Cielo, an office that encompasses architecture, urban planning, research and consulting projects in urban development, housing and community. Her work has been selected to be presented at various biennials and exhibitions abroad, published in national and international media. Recently, they presented the Housing Urbanism Mexico, Collective Representation and Its Impact in the City exhibition at the 2019 Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism and The Opportunity of Scarcity exhibition at the 2021 Chicago Architecture Biennale and at Arc en Rêve in Bordeaux, France in 2022.
Urban Design, Architecture, Interiors, Exhibition Design and Exhibition Curator
Tierra | Selva | Mar, 150 private residential development, a hotel and amenities
at a jungle site, Tulum, Mexico, 2021-2022
The Opportunity of Scarcity, Chicago Architecture Biennial, Chicago, USA, 2021
Study of Public Life in Public Space in the First, Second and Third Section of Bosque de Chapultepec, Bosque De Chapultepec, Mexico City, 2021
Thematic-Ethnobotanical Garden and Environmental Cultural Center, Bosque De Chapultepec, Competition, Mexico City, 2020
Remodelation, Kay Internacional, office space, Mexico City, 2020
Suhi-O Restaurant, Competition, Sonora, Mexico, 2019
Housing Urbanism, Seoul Biennale of Urbanism and architecture SBAU 2019,
Seoul, South Korea, 2019
Community Park, National Urban Rehabilitation Program, SEDATU-UNAM,
Piedras Negras, Mexico, 2019
Sports Park, National Urban Rehabilitation Program, SEDATU-UNAM,
Piedras Negras, Mexico, 2019
The Landmark Design Competition, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 2019
Big Ideas for Small Lots, Competition, New York, USA, 2019
African School Project, Competition, Malawi, 2019
Rupee´s Pharmacy, programming and zoning, Santa Fe, USA, 2019
House for Post Earthquake Reconstruction Program, Ocuilan, Mexico, 2018
Strategic Master Plan for Tacubaya, Mexico City, 2016-2018
Rural house prototype, Zacatecas 2016-2017
Cuernavaca Railway competition, Mexico City, 2016
10 Most Prosperous Block in Mexico, urban consulting, México city, 2016
Curatorial and exhibition design: Piso Piloto
Mexico City - Barcelona, Mexico City, 2016
Cuautla house, Mexico City, 2012
Red Friends Run Sporting store, Mexico City, 2012
Apartment Homero, Mexico City, 2012
Sarten house, Aspen, Colorado, USA 2012
Villaseñor house, Monterrey, Mexico, 2012
Apartment Reforma 222, Mexico City, 2012
Rural House CEMEX prototype (massive produce housing), Mexico, 2011
Station 20 competition, Sofia, Bulgaria 2011
Lobby, office building Varsovia, Mexico City, 2011
Workshops space design, Pepenafest, Recycling Festival, Zocalo Mexico City, 2010
New image design for Potzolcalli restaurant chain, Mexico City, 2010
Mog restaurant, Mexico City, 2009
Kasuga house, Mexico City, 2009
Master plan for Jamaica, Gobierno del Distrito Federal, Mexico City, 2008
El Encinar pavilion, Mexico City, 2008
Golf Tower, apartment building competition, Lima, Peru 2008
Security guard booth, La Primavera, Mexico City, 2008
Plaza Bicenternario, competition, Mexico City, 2008
Lobby, office building in Lomas de Virreyes, Mexico City, 2008
Amesi, office space, Mexico City, 2008
Solidaridad, office space, Mexico City, 2008
Lomas de Virreyes, office space, Mexico City, 2008
9 apartment towers and sport complex, Xochitepec, Morelos 2007
Land use and program strategic plan for Asociación México Japonesa, Mexico City, 2007
Punta Norte housing development, competition, Mexico City, 2007
Stand design for Philips “House of Simplicity”, with Christian Magaldi, Mexico City, 2007
Ache Producciones, office space, with Christian Magaldi, Mexico City, 2007
Housing Development in Cuernavaca, Mexico, 2007
Design annual exhibition: Ikebana Internacional, Mexico City, 2007
Daruma Parque Hundido, restaurant, Mexico City, 2007
Sai restaurant, Mexico City, 2007
Landscape: HE house, Mexico City, 2006
Mexico Japan Cultural Center, Asociación México Japonesa, Mexico City, 2006
Kay Internacional, office space, Mexico City, 2005
Exhibition design: “Mexico City Dialogues: New Architectural Practices”, Center for Architecture (AIA), New York, USA 2005
Asociación México Japonesa restaurant, Mexico City, 2004
Curatorship and exhibition design: Mexico Hot Spot,
Beijing Architectural Biennial, China 2004
Exhibition design: Ikebana Internacional. “Evolución”, Mexico City, 2004
Exhibition design: Handcrafts, Mexico City, 2004
Congress building, competition, Mexico City, 2003
Mendiola house, Guadalajara, Mexico, 2003
National Library José Vasconcelos, competition, Mexico City, 2003
Nakamura house, Mexico City, 2002
Urban Development, Architecture and sustainable housing, competition,
Guanajuato, Mexico, 2002
H(ache) store, Mexico City, 2002
Hisaki house, Mexico City, 2002
Pérez house, Merida, Mexico, 2002
García house, Merida, Mexico, 2001
Exhibitions and Awards
Chicago Architecture Biennial, Chicago, USA, 2021
Latin American Architectural Biennial, Pamplona, Spain 2019
Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism. Seoul, South Korea 2019
Architectural Object, Capitales, Mexico City, Mexico, 2019
One day in the life of a Loeb. Photographic exhibition at Harvard Yard,
Cambridge, Massachusetts 2018
Letters to the Mayor: Mexico City. Storefront for Art and Architecture.
Spanish Cultural Center, Mexico City, 2016
Chapultepec Gates, Mexico Japan Cultural Center, Mexico city, 2014
Architectural Venice Biennial, Venice, Italy 2014
Villaseñor House, Mexican Architecture Exhibition, Rome, Italy 2013
Villaseñor House, CEMEX award, innovation 1st place, Mexico City, 2013
Work of the Year 2013, Villaseñor House, Housing Category Finalist, Mexico, 2013
SAIE-Mexico VI International Building Exhibition, Mexico City, 2013
Villaseñor House Exhibition, Sustainable Architecture Conference, Tecnology Museum (MUTEC), Mexico City, 2012
Latin American Architectural Biennial, Pamplona, Spain 2011
ARCH-AUSMX 2010 Mexican Contemporary Architecture,
Melbourne, Australia 2010
20 Years FONCA 1989-2009 Mega Retrospective Exhibition, Mexico, 2009
Latin American Architectural Biennial, Pamplona, Spain, 2009
Creación en Movimiento, National Center for the Arts, Mexico, 2005
Creación en Movimiento, City Museum, Queretaro, Mexico, 2004
First Architectural Biennial, Beijing, China, 2004