072 - Starchitect’s Next Frontier

Our next guest is Natalia McLean, the Head of Design at leading Ecuadorian architectural development firm, Uribe Schwarzkopf. Based in the vibrant city of Quito, Natalia brings an encyclopedic knowledge of interior design to luxury residential projects throughout the city. Uribe Schwarzkopf is distinguished by its collaborations with major international architecture and design companies, including Bernardo Fort-Brescia’s Arquitectónica (Peru-Miami), Tatiana Bilbao (Mexico), YOO (London), Philippe Starck (Paris), Marcel Wanders (Amsterdam), Carlos Zapata (Venezuela-Miami), Jean Nouvel (France), Moshe Safdie (Canada-Israel), Bjarke Ingels, and BIG (Denmark). Natalia’s role involves liaising with these international firms to achieve the interior aesthetic they have planned while engaging local craftsmen, materials, and design. Natalia McLean is passionate about the culture, history, and design sensibility of Latin America, and brings a deep respect for traditions and heritage to her work. Originally from Medellin, Colombia, and after traveling the world for many years, Natalia moved to Quito nearly two decades ago, and has made her city her home, working to promote the growing metropolis as a center for design, and championing arts and culture in the community. We’re excited to give you a different perspective on design with this interview with Natalia McLean as we cover architecture in Latin America. Thanks for tuning in, be on the lookout for our next podcast! Send us a DM or email at [email protected] to provide us with your thoughts and comments on our dialogue with designers!