María José Fuentes

María José Fuentes is an architectural designer at Valerio Dewalt Train in Chicago, IL. Her professional interests include sustainable design strategies, community integration, and the architectural performance of color. She holds an M.Arch from the University of Pennsylvania where she completed her thesis on the architectural implications of color and authorship.

With both domestic and international experience, María José spent the past few years in Philadelphia, actively engaging in youth mentorship programs, Women in Design (WID) and local architectural initiatives. Most recently, she collaborated on the design and publication of Bio/Matter/Techno/Synthetics, an edited volume featuring 28 authors, alongside colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania. Beyond architecture, she enjoys writing at coffee shops, reading, and hiking - when the weather permits.