Name // Emmanuel Torres Reyes, AIA, NCARB, ENV-SP
Position & studio // Project Leader in Oakland Higher Education Studio and San Jose PreK-12 Studio
Years at HMC // 2 years on April 1
Memorable projects // Chabot College Library and Randall Elementary School Multipurpose Room
In my free time I like to…// Swim, eat/cook (especially desserts), hike, spend time at the beach, burn hours on YouTube learning how to fix things that need repair around the house, collect passport stamps and fridge magnets.
Secret Life // I am a competitive swimmer. Last year I got to spend a Friday with our colleagues in Phoenix swimming in the USMS National Championships. I got a very pretty medal out of it too.
Favorite architect + why // I think that it is hard to pick just one favorite architect, so I’ve set the criteria of visual representation as the main selection parameter, architects are visual beings after all. Under the previous assumption, my favorite architect would be Paolo Soleri because of the way he imagined the world and his approach to the graphic representation of the utopias his psyche fabricated. Zaha Hadid’s representation style I find highly evocative as well. She was able to convey movement and dynamism through the conceptual 2D representation of her projects that transcended the canvas into the built environment.
If I weren’t a(n) architect I’d be a // Veterinarian/Zookeeper
Favorite TV show // When the Olympics are not on I like to watch The Golden Girls, Game of Thrones, Grey’s Anatomy and a lot of Netflix comedy specials.
First Job // Swimming instructor
Most recent book I read // “A Song of Ice and Fire” saga
Favorite Quote or life motto // “No Pain, No gain.” I believe that there are struggles that you need to push through (learning curves, time investments, plateaus, muscle soreness, etc.) but make us stronger in whichever facet of our lives they happen. My goal is to always stay driven, maintain a positive attitude, keep my cool, and embrace the process through whatever “adversity” these life phases may bring.
