Mariana Costa Escobar

Mexican architect and sustainability pioneer driving green building practices in Latin America

Mariana Costa Escobar is a Mexican architect whose work has redefined sustainable construction practices in Latin America. Born in 1975, she founded Arquitectonica in 2001, a firm that became renowned for its innovative eco-friendly designs. Her projects, including the Cancún Sustainability Hub, integrate renewable energy systems and biophilic design principles to create buildings that harmonize with natural environments.

Escobar's advocacy for green building standards led to the creation of the Latin America Green Building Council in 2012. This initiative established certification programs for energy-efficient buildings, influencing over 500 projects across 15 countries by 2023. Her work with UN-Habitat on urban resilience strategies has shaped policies in cities like Rio de Janeiro and Bogotá.

Her TED Talk 'Architecture That Breathes' (2019) highlighted the importance of climate-responsive design, reaching over 2 million viewers. Escobar also co-authored Sustainable Design in a Latin American Context, a textbook now used in universities across the region. In 2022, she launched the EcoConstruction Initiative, training over 3,000 builders in sustainable practices.

Her most ambitious project, the Carbon Garden Tower in Mexico City, uses algae-based facades to absorb CO2 while generating biofuel. This innovation has inspired similar projects in Singapore and Dubai, proving that sustainable design can be both functional and profitable.