enLAce Rapido is an opportunity for professionals to meet and network with Maestros- Latino firm owners, principals, and industry leaders from a variety of Houston firms that we are recognizing for their professional journey and accomplishments. Registrants will be paired and rotate to meet several Maestro engaging in 15-minute conversations. They will have the opportunity to network, share ideas, seek advice, and potentially find a mentor.
enLAce Rapido is open to all professionals looking for career development and growth.
Maestros
Luisina Basilico, AIA, Principal, Design Director, Page
Hector Covo, AIA, Principal, HKS
Dr. Luis Matias Barajas Saldaña, Sustainability Design Advisor III, Perkins&Will
Benito Guerrier, AIA, Partner & Managing Director, Government Practice, Kirksey
Rogelio Hernandez, AIA Principal, English + Associates
Silvana Micolich, AIA, Principal, RDLR
About the Maestros
Luisina Basilico, AIA, Principal, Design Director, Page
Luisina is an award-winning architect that started her professional career in Washington D.C. working on modern residential design. Graduate school at Rice University brought her to Houston and Page. Her prolific time at Page has run the gamut on project scale and program complexity including international master plans to laboratory buildings for national academic clients, and regional pediatric hospitals to municipal aviation facilities.
Luisina co-leads the Design Studio in the Houston office, and it doesn’t take long to recognize that she thrives in a team environment and excels at rallying her colleagues behind a cause and integrated process to get a job done. Luisina is inspired daily by being part of a studio that aspires to make lives better through design by challenging prescribed ideas and staying engaged on advances in the architecture and construction industry.
Mentoring others, encouraging professional growth, and fostering a collaborative environment are fundamental drivers for Luisina. She was one of the founding members of a group at Page focusing on women in leadership development. She also has served in leadership roles such as Chair of the Design Awards Committee for AIA Houston Chapter, which afforded her a valuable opportunity to observe the annual design awards jury deliberations. Knowing that professional development goes beyond the workplace, she has volunteered in several youth organizations that expose elementary school girls to a wide range of careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, math, and of course, art.
Dr. Luis Matias Barajas Saldaña, Sustainability design Advisor III, Perkins&Will
Dr. Luis Matias Barajas Saldaña is an applied physics in architecture PhD with expertise in building physics, focusing on regenerative design. He holds a master’s in technology in architecture, from Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, is a licensed architect from Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila with a minor in domotics. Barajas has worked with building performance and participated in the Smart Energy Regions initiative from the European Union Cooperation in Science and Technology program, and the Scientific National System of Researchers of Mexico. He has collaborated with the New York City Building Performance Lab as an applied research scientist. Barajas is a former faculty member of Rice University School of Architecture, the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture, and currently faculty in the Science Department at John Jay College at the City University of New York. And works as the sustainability design advisor at Perkins&Will Houston Studio, and as co-director of the Perkins&Will High performance lab.
Hector Covo, AIA, is a Principal at HKS. He believes that architecture is a tool to elevate the human spirit and improve the quality of life for those who experience it, inside and out. He strives for his work to have a positive impact on the built environment and the community. He has been involved in organizations, which focus on design and policy issues that have industry-wide and local impact, and others that provide scholarships and mentoring for students. He speaks to promote higher education and architecture as a career to at-risk youth in urban schools.
He has 25 years of experience in a wide variety of project types including healthcare, senior living, education, performing arts, worship spaces, entertainment, hospitality, and commercial interiors. Prior to joining HKS, he led his previous firm’s senior living group nationally, with a particular focus on the continuum of care for seniors in urban environments.
Benito Guerrier, AIA, Partner & Managing Director, Government Practice, Kirksey
Benito oversees Kirksey’s Government Practice and business development efforts for all public projects in Texas, and has dedicated his decades long career at Kirksey to ensuring the satisfaction of our client base. He frequently interacts with policy makers and government officials when managing the firm’s public projects, thereby promoting firm awareness and environmentally responsible design. Benito has also been involved with several community organizations committed to enhancing the quality of life in the state of Texas.
Rogelio Hernandez, AIA Principal, English + Associates
Rogelio received a Master of Architecture from Texas Tech University and began his career in Corpus Christi, TX. Since moving to Houston in 2021 he has been active with the AIA Houston Chapter on Small Firm Roundtable committee and TAC committee. He is the Managing Principal of English + Associates Architects, a multi-discipline firm focused on delivering civic, educational, aviation and commercial projects. Rogelio is passionate about school design and impacting human well-being through thoughtful building design.
Silvana Micolich, AIA, Principal, RDLR
Silvana Micolich, AIA, NCARB, received her professional degree in architecture from the University of Buenos Aires (2001) and has extensive experience in high-end commercial interiors, retail, hospitality, civic, and education sectors. Her professional journey brought her to Houston, where she leverages her bilingual fluency in Spanish and English. Her bicultural background has given her a deep understanding of diverse construction methodologies, and her design philosophy emphasizes integrating these methods to harmonize projects with their local environment, meet programmatic needs efficiently, and utilize materials effectively. Silvana is actively involved in the AEC community and contributes to the strategic vision of projects. Her passion for design extends beyond architecture, encompassing painting, photography, jewelry making, and 3D printing, which enriches her creative perspective and approach.
