JERDE announced today that it has opened a new office in Mexico City, Mexico to manage expected growth within Latin America. The company has also hired Andres Shapiro to lead JERDE's business development in Latin America as well as the Mexico City office. 

"We feel strongly that Mexico and Latin America as a whole is primed for architectural growth based on our recent projects and upcoming work," said Paul Martinkovic, JERDE Chief Executive Officer. "Latin America is exhibiting economic growth and building complex cities, ready for the kind of experiential architecture and mixed-use opportunities we have been perfecting for the last 40 years."

Prior to joining JERDE, Shapiro led Business Development efforts for high-profile companies in the region, on both the public and private investment side. Shapiro served as Director of Business Development for Selina, a multinational lifestyle, travel, and hospitality real estate platform, and helped Fibrahotel extend its multifaceted portfolio across Mexico.

"Andres is a go-getter with the right kind of experience to understand what developers need and how to communicate that," said Simon Galante, Shapiro's mentor and the CEO of Grupo GDI, as well as the President of Fibrahotel (FIHO), a major hospitality, retail and residential masterplan developer in the region. "His [Andres] background in real estate development lends itself perfectly to the type of people-friendly, experiential projects developers in the region are looking to build."

JERDE's new office opening in Mexico City comes on the heels of several significant project openings and groundbreakings of JERDE-designed projects throughout Latin America.

Projects include:

Distrito Armida, located in Monterrey, Mexico, and developed by GM Capital. Situated in the south-eastern edges of San Pedro Garza Garcia, this multi-phase mixed-use development will create an essential, lively, and unique offering in Monterrey. The beautifully sleek and modern office tower that anchors Phase 1 is the most visible landmark of the site, and will open this summer.

 

Peninsula, a next-generation mixed-use project in Tijuana located at a prime gateway site just south of the Tijuana International Airport. JERDE's design for the town center portion of the development will be the epicenter of a dynamic district that offers state-of-the-art retail and dining concepts, entertainment, offices, residences, and hotels.

 

La Perla, a new town center of integrated retail, entertainment, and greenspace, set to open later this year in Guadalajara.

 

Oxígeno, located in Heredia, Costa Rica, a 1.4 million sf "Human Playground" that bridges retail, entertainment, sports, and gastronomy. More than just a shopping center or mixed-use district, Oxígeno is a dynamic extension of the local community. The project celebrates the Costa Rican lifestyle of 'Pura Vida' creating a single destination of "real living" conceived by carefully studying the community.