rGLOBE was founded in 2013 by Lourdes Sanchez-Espinell as a multidisciplinary design studio driven by a deep appreciation for the value, power, and beauty of built work—and its enduring impact on context, society, and urban life.
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Sanchez-Espinell began her career in New York before relocating to London in 2004 to join the office of Pritzker Prize–winning architect Zaha Hadid. There, she led key projects including the Guangzhou Opera House and the winning proposal for the Dubai Opera House and Hotel competition. She now leads her practice from Miami.
Her professional experience spans Hospitality, Luxury Residential, Mixed-Use, Cultural, and Entertainment projects. She has directed and collaborated on work in China, Russia, the United States, the Caribbean, and the Middle East.
Sanchez-Espinell has taught at FIU and Columbia University’s Barnard College, and has served as a juror at Columbia University, Barnard College, the University of Brighton (UK), and Florida International University, among others. She holds a Master of Architecture from Columbia University and a Professional Degree in Architecture from Syracuse University.
rGLOBE specializes in Hospitality, Mixed-Use, Commercial, Cultural and Custom Residential projects. The studio brings together a passion for architecture with a rigorous understanding of evolving technologies, site context, economics, environmental performance, and functional integrity—crafting both the architectural object and the experience of space.