Category: Member Spotlight

Meet Marilyn Castro, AIA!  Marilyn offers an excellent blend of managerial skills and technical aptitude, with more than 15 years of experience in the field of architecture.  Marilyn is accomplished in overseeing construction and implementing design concepts throughout all phases of a project.  She is skillful at translating project scope into a plan of action to meet schedule, and is passionate about seeing the client’s vision and design intent come to life through the actual constructed building.

Marilyn is Central American, born in Guatemala, migrated to the United States when she was 13. She is the first generation of her family to obtain any type of higher education.  Marilyn graduated from UC Berkeley in 2004, with a double major and Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and Spanish Literature. She started her professional career in Architecture working with K-12 Education and is currently employed by Cuningham and working on Healthcare Projects as an Associate Architect. She is passionate about seeing the client’s vision and design intent come to life through the actual constructed building.

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Meet David A. Santana, AIA, LEED AP, who has been an AIA Long Beach / South Bay Chapter member for over 12 years! He graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with a Bachelor of Science, Architecture, and a Bachelor of Architecture, respectively.  After graduation, he was hired by Jon Jerde Architects to assist with design tasks for the UCLA Venue for the 1984 Los Angeles International Olympics.  Subsequently, he refined his architectural skills working for various firms including Architects Orange and W. Wayne Collins.

dSantana Arquitectura was established in 1990, and provided traditional architectural design and project management services.  However, in 1992, the studio was commissioned by Los Angeles County to provide various construction management services including design management, project scheduling, cost estimating, as well as, design services for temporary health centers after the 1994 Northridge earthquake.  As a result, the firm’s capabilities and services transitioned from traditional architectural services to include construction management for various Public Sector agencies.

For nearly four decades, David has programmed, managed and designed, various unique projects for both the Private and Public sectors.  Some career highlights include: 

• Participation in the UCLA venue for the 1984 Los Angeles International Olympics

• Participation in the LA County $1.0 billion Health Services 1992 Improvement Program

• Design and Construction Manager for the Hollywood Bowl renovation

• Design and Construction Manager for the City of Long Beach Public Safety Building

• Program Manager for Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Local District G

• Senior Design Manager for LAUSD $12.5 billion New Schools Construction Program

• Design firm for Union Rescue Mission – Angeles House

Recent project highlights include:

• Design firm for the City of Lynwood – Caltrans Lease Agreement Master plan

• Design firm for the City of Lynwood – Burke Ham Park Renovation

• Design firm for Marin City Community Services District – Center for Community Life 

• Whittier ADU and Dempsey ADU

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Meet Ozzy Sandoval, Associate AIA, LEED. After receiving his B. Arch degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology and gaining a few years of valuable experience in the architecturally rich city of Chicago, Ozzy trekked west with a passion for environmentally friendly design and attention to detail. He joined the team at Rockefeller Kempel Architects in 2018 and feels firmly at home on the westside. As a project manager at RKA, he deals with a wide variety of project types and clients from the beginning phases on through construction administration. With a focus on the commercial side and a handful of historic adaptive re-use projects currently under construction, from Hollywood to Pasadena to DTLA, Ozzy has quickly become familiar with the cities eclectic neighborhoods and the historic built environment LA has to offer. Outside of the office, he can be found cycling the coast or taking in live music.

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Meet Mark Cuellar, AIA, LEED AP, who established his architectural practice in Chicago in 2002 and gained recognition as a specialist in single-family residential and commercial interiors. Award-winning projects have been located world-wide, with projects throughout the US, Australia, Angola, and the Middle East. Mark now runs his own local firm, MARK A CUELLAR DESIGN + BUILD.

Mark spent 6 years, between 2012 and 2018, working with Argo Tea Cafes as a full-time development specialist helping to build the brand from the 2nd location to over 60 locations world-wide. Responsibilities extended outside typical architectural duties to that of construction management, project management, and cross-functional team leadership.

Having relocated to Southern California in 2015, Mark is now focused on design build services for custom single-family residential projects and commercial interior design and development consulting with a focus on brand, experience, and place-making. We are lucky to have added Mark to our chapter membership and look forward to seeing him and many others at our coming events, virtual and in-person.

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