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Formally established in 1998, DATUMZERO is an interdisciplinary firm integrating architecture and allied fields committed to innovative and
sustainable design practices. It targets to provide a continuous and cohesive delivery of ideas from conception to crystallization.
Datumzero has offices located in New York City, San Jose, Costa Rica and Kigali Rwanda.
Datumzero has created an Inquiry based platform
of work in pursuit of new and progressive responses to design. The office places particular emphasis on the collection of knowledge
through a creative approach of research, clear planned strategies, and measured execution.
The office believes in the integration of
disciplines, often drawing references from other fields outside of architecture, such as art, science, cinema, social / cultural systems,
and historical references.
Where possible, integrating important and relevant aspects of sustainability.
The office was founded in New York City in 1998 by Guillermo Garita after an exhausting run of academic work.
In 2003, Datumzero South project office was founded in San Jose, Costa Rica, a studio concentrating in the development of
sustainable and bioclimatic projects for the hospitality, residential and tourism industry. Such office has grown into a
fully staffed practice with projects ranging from single residences to sustainable and socially integrated master plans.
Our office has collectively conceptualized and delivered high profile projects for the HOSPITALITY, SPA, HOUSING and PRODUCT
industry, in addition to highly published residential projects in the US and Overseas. DATUMZERO's work has been widely
published nationally and internationally, including its latest publication in the World Atlas of Contemporary.
The office profoundly believes in adaptability, adaptability as a form of contextual integration not as a form of surrender.
Each project has a context, not just physical but also experiential.
During the process of design all contextual conditions
are analyzed, land, climate, program, user, materials, social aspects, local architectural vocabulary, reach of human
resources, and local methodologies of construction. This condition of adaptability yields an architectural response of
permanence and stability.
The practice of architecture has always been an economic and market driven discipline, since the opening of Datumzero the office has experienced market booms such as the Web Startup company trend in the mid 90’s, real estate development as the new frontier in the late 90’s and turn of the century, as well the dark downturns such as the economic freeze in NYC due to Sep. 11, and the market crash of 2008 as a result of speculative real estate practices. Inherently, surviving architecture has been a topic of most small offices practicing the field of design.
María José González |
Gustavo Fernandéz |
Alex Hidalgo |
Alberto Chinchilla |
Javier del Risco |
Jose Fabio Fernandez |
Daniela Solis |
Tamara Caldera |
Rebeca Cisneros |
Natalia Solano |
Luis Diego Quiros |
Alexis Bravo |
Adrian Guevara |
Emmanuel Gomez |
Carlos Solano |
Daniela Valverde |
Steven Leandro |
Ximena Rojas |
Monserrat Sanchéz |
Natalia Cascante |
Mauricio Quiros |
Elizabeth Brenes |
Valeria Pacheco |
Bernice Chan |
Claudia Perez |
Jose Vargas |
Liz Burr |
Carol Levesque |
Julia Mock |
Damian Webster |
Arthur Haritos |
Arthur Atlas |
Vanessa Atchuen, |
Vanessa Betancourt |
Camila Anderson |
Guillermo Garita has taught at various Universities; as an Adjunct Professor at CUNY, City University of New York, NYCTECH, guest professor at various universities, Uqam, The Université du Québec à Montréal School of Architecture, guest summer professor at Veritas University School of Architecture, San Jose Costa Rica. As well, he has been a visiting critic at Columbia University, Pratt Institute, Cooper Union, Yale, among others.
In 2017 served as a Panelist and presenter at the 10th MUNDANEUM (Re-thinking Architecture and Cities in the Americas), a Conference in architecture and urban planning.
His work has been widely published.
He has taught an experimental design studio for many years called “Experimental Architectural Acts“
The Studio aims to restore our thinking process to our most basic intuitive and rational mechanisms. It attempts to heighten the awareness of creative process Through Making, Inventing, and oscillating from reality to fantasy, pushing our thinking boundaries outside the realm of memory.
Our office has collectively conceptualized and delivered high profile projects for the HOSPITALITY,
SPA and PRODUCT industry, in addition to highly published residential projects in the US and Overseas.
The firm has, as well, developed business Prospectus, performed research and structure organization for
potential projects overseas. DATUMZERO's work has been published numerous times nationally and
internationally, including its latest publication in the World Atlas of Contemporary Architecture.
In 2003 we founded DATUMZERO SOUTH OFFICE, a satellite office in San Jose, Costa Rica concentrating in
the hospitality and tourism industry.
In 2018 we founded DATUMZERO EAST OFFICE, a office in Kigali, Rwanda concentrating in the residential and
commercial industry.
