When speaking with our Dallas office Design Director Clemente Jaquez, his passion for the practice of architecture and how it can positively affect communities is abundantly clear. Design is his main driver. He is constantly exploring new ideas and ways to collaborate with just about everyone he comes in contact with. He is truly an “equal opportunity collaborator.”
Last month, that passion and dedication was honored when the 30-year-old architect was named the Kansas State University Distinguished Young Alumni for 2016. On Feb. 23, Clemente will be accepting the award and giving a keynote speech at the Little Theatre within the Kansas State Student Union.
“One of the most exceptional things about Clemente is his innate desire to share not only what he knows, but share the exploration of ideas,” says our Dallas office leader and Partner, John Castorina. “He truly represents what is great about young architects in practice today.”
Clemente grew up in Garden City, Kan., and graduated from Kansas State in 2008 with a master’s degree in architecture. While in Manhattan, he was heavily involved in university and community organizations, always wanting to get to know more and more people. He was an active member of Mortar Board Senior Honor Society, National Organization of Minority Architecture Students, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and a Kansas State Alumni Association Anderson Senior Award recipient. Clemente was also a national Rhodes Scholarship finalist.
After graduating from K-State, Clemente visited architecture firms in several major cities including Chicago and New York, seeking the vitality and energy a big city has to offer. However, it was his last minute trip to Dallas that intrigued him the most, there he found a deep sense of community and a profound design sensibility in the Metroplex area.
At his new firm, Clemente met John Castorina, who asked the young architect for his thoughts and help on a day care project. Clemente fully immersed himself into the project and explored different design ideas, sketched and made models. John was thoroughly impressed. Since that moment, John and Clemente have collaborated on winning design competitions around the world.
“He is an extremely intelligent and passionate young man,” says John. “It is rare to find someone so devoted not only to his craft, but to his community as well. The biggest compliment I can give him is that I would not be at where I am today without him as my partner for the last eight years. I’m truly indebted to him.”
John, along with a whole contingent of us from Hoefer Welker will be there to support Clemente on Feb. 23. Congrats, Clemente!
For more of Clemente’s thoughts on design and community, check out his article for AIA Dallas: ARCHITECTURE: Inherently Social