Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.
Age: 29
Occupation: Architect, experience designer, and producer.
Instagram: @mariajmoyano
Hometown: Lima, Peru.
Studio location: New York and Miami.
Describe what you make: I design and produce immersive, interactive spaces centered around play. Whether an ice cream museum or a social club, my environments invite guests to interact with the built space in various forms.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: I always aim to create experiences that encourage play and connection. When I was working at the Museum of Ice Cream, I designed a phone-free experience (ironic, I know) where strangers were grouped together and explored the museum while solving collaborative puzzles. It was truly rewarding to see people be fully engaged with the my installations as well as each other and reaffirms the fact that design can influence our behavior.
Describe the problem your work solves: I find myself in an interesting battle between defining my work as art installations, interior architecture, and play spaces. While typically these are separate domains, my work combines them all into one. I create spaces that invite play, look like installation art, and blend seamlessly with the built environment.
Describe the project you’re working on now: I’m currently working on The Wonder a member’s play space for the modern family. More often than not, family spaces are only designed with the child in mind, not thinking about the millennial parent. These days, parents want to be included in their children’s play, as opposed to simply watching from the sidelines. For “The Wonder” I created a space that feels elevated and nostalgic for parents as well as stimulating and playful for the kids.
A new or forthcoming project we should know about: I’m extremely excited for my next project as it’s my own creation. In early 2023 I’ll be launching High House, an immersive cannabis lounge. Cannabis has always been a big part of my artistic career, as it allows me to tap deeper into my creative subconscious. There is a huge community out there with the same relationship to cannabis, yet there are very few social spaces centered around it in the United States. This is why I’m creating a space that stimulates all of your high thoughts. We are currently in the middle of fundraising and have opened applications for our founding members on our website myhighhouse.com.
What you absolutely must have in your studio: Music is a must, I absolutely can not work in silence. Lighting is also very important, not too much, not too little.
What you do when you’re not working: I’m either watching movies and music videos, soaking up vitamin D, or exploring new restaurants.
Sources of creative envy: I wouldn’t use the word envy but rather admiration: Tim Burton, Kendrick Lamar, and Olafur Eliasson.
The distraction you want to eliminate: The sound of a slack notification.
Concrete or marble? Concrete.
High-rise or townhouse? High-rise.
Remember or forget? Remember.
Aliens or ghosts? Aliens.
Dark or light? Dark.
