AIA LS Candidacy Speech
Where I Come From
I was born in Manta, Ecuador, a small coastal city on the Pacific, and I am the youngest of nine siblings. Growing up in a big family taught me things no classroom ever could: how to listen before speaking, how to find common ground, and how to build consensus when everyone sees things differently. As I like to say, I would not be here if I was not a good compromiser.
I came to the United States as a first-generation immigrant with a belief that architecture could change lives, not just for the clients who commission buildings, but for the end-user and the communities that live in and around them.
I pursued that belief at the City College of New York, the Spitzer School of Architecture, earning both a Bachelor of Architecture and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture. CCNY isn't an Ivy League school. It's a public institution, a pathway for working-class students, immigrants, and first-generation college students like me. I earned my way. And that experience shaped how I think about access, opportunity, and who gets to call themselves an architect.
"As a first-generation Ecuadorian immigrant, I know what it means to build something from nothing, and I know what architecture can mean for communities that are too often overlooked."
Building a Practice
In 2005, I founded my own studio, Zambrano Architectural Design. ZAD is a minority-owned, MBE-certified, award-winning design firm based in Freeport, Long Island. Today we're a 9-person multi-disciplinary team registered in six states, doing the kind of work that most AIA members will recognize as their own reality: meaningful projects, tight budgets, complex codes, and a deep commitment to the communities we serve
We're not a global mega-firm. We're a dedicated team doing work that matters and navigating the same challenges that 75% of AIA members face every day.
2005 Founding Zambrano Architectural Design Studio
Vision & Values
Design That Serves Communities
Over more than two decades, our work has centered on design that directly impacts people's lives.
Healthcare and wellness are at the core of what we do, including skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation centers, hemodialysis clinics, and behavioral health centers. These are spaces where design decisions affect human outcomes: recovery, dignity, comfort, and hope. Post-pandemic, the connection between the built environment and human health has never been clearer, and I believe architects should be leading that conversation.
Assisting and representing religious institutions to maintain their existence within the community by evaluating and analyzing their underutilized real estate to monetize their investments while fulfilling the “Great Commission” to which they are called to serve.
Adaptive reuse has been another defining thread, projects like Liberty View Industrial Plaza, a 1-million-square-foot historic preservation that now houses Brooklyn Grange's rooftop farm, and Spire Lofts, the transformation of a former Roman Catholic Church campus into 102 units of housing. These projects honor a community's fabric while creating new life.
International work has expanded my perspective, including contributing to the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, designing venue clusters for an Olympic-scale events plaza.
Every project we take on embodies the same principles: resiliency, sustainability, and an unwavering focus on strengthening the community's fabric while providing comfort and wellness to its occupants.
A Leader at Every Level
I am not running for AIA president because someone told me it was my turn. I ran because I've served this profession at every level, and at every level, I saw opportunities to do more than just impact.
In 2009-2013, I was elected Treasurer of the AIA Queens Chapter. It was my first leadership role, and I learned how the institute works from the ground up, literally, from the chapter checkbook.
In 2015-2016, I was elected President of AIA Queens, becoming the first Latino president in the chapter's history. That same year, I co-founded the Brooklyn + Queens Design Awards to celebrate design excellence in boroughs that had been overlooked for too long.
In 2017-2018, I was elected Vice President of Knowledge for AIA New York State, where I connected architects statewide with education, professional development, and created a disaster assistance training program that has since trained over 400 architects.
At the same time and as Past President of the AIA Queens Chapter, I founded the Queens Foundation for Architecture, the scholarship foundation of the AIA Queens Chapter. a 501(c)(3) non-profit that raises financial opportunity annually in scholarships for under-served students pursuing architecture.
In 2019-2021, I was appointed to the AIA Strategic Council as the New York Region Representative. There, I co-convened the "Technology Impacting Practice" study group with 20+ AEC technology experts, led the XR Cross Reality study group, and created the "No Firm Left Behind" Digital Transformation Roadmap, a framework for ensuring that emerging technology reaches firms of every size, not just the largest offices.
During the Post COVID-19 pandemic era, I immediately collaborated with the AIANYS and AIANY Unified as One Task Force City and State to converge, collaborate efforts, troubleshoot issues, mobilize, pro-act and build support for initiatives that helped state-wide governments, organizations and businesses on health, safety and welfare for all .
In 2024, I was elected President of AIA New York State, the first Latino to lead the second-largest state chapter in the country, representing over 9,600 architects across 13 chapters. During my presidency, I transformed governance practices, created transparency across all chapters, and built unified advocacy coalitions that brought multiple chapters together for the first time.
In the same year, I released the Disaster Assistance Resource Guide, and very proud to have collaborated with volunteer experts across the state to equip NY State Architects with resources and information for emergency response and recovery during and after natural and man-made disasters.
At every step, I didn't just hold a title, I created something.
Rooted in Community
My work extends beyond the profession and into the communities where I live and practice.
I’m the Founding Member of the Queens Foundation for Architecture, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that raises over $10,000 annually in scholarships for underserved students pursuing architecture. The foundation also brings architecture education into K-12 classrooms through hands-on workshops at the Queens Museum, Dream Space programs, walking tours, and community events. It started with a simple idea: if young people in our neighborhoods can't see themselves as architects, we need to show them the way.
I chair the Baldwin Civic Association Economic Development Committee, where I oversee the impact of new development, reviewing zoning overlays, design guidelines, and ensuring that growth serves the people who already live here, not just the people investing in it.
I serve as a Commissioner on the Landmark Preservation Commission of the Village of Freeport, protecting the heritage and character of the community I call home.
I spearheaded the Baldwin Community Bike Route, a community connectivity initiative poised to be the first of its kind in Nassau County and a model for other communities across Long Island.
I've taught as an Adjunct Professor at NYIT, delivered keynote addresses to organizations like the National Association of Women in Construction, and co-authored the NEF CAD Competition Design Project that reaches 180+ schools and 400+ students annually.
I live in Baldwin, work in the Village of Freeport, Long Island, the same communities I serve.
Why I'm Running
I've spent my career building a practice, a foundation, a community, and a path through every level of AIA leadership. I've seen how intentional design can restore hope, build resilience, and create pathways to justice. I've also seen what's broken, the barriers that keep talented people out of our profession, the small firms that struggle without support, the communities that are designed around but never designed for.
Now I'm asking for the opportunity to amplify our collective voice, to build a profession where every architect, regardless of firm size, background, or geography, has the support, the tools, and the voice they need to do their best work for our planet.
Architecture is for everyone. This is my why.