“One of the most important expectation I had when I decided to study architecture was that it would be FUN.

For a subject called PFC I & II (final degree project), the possibility of carrying out a cooperative exercise between the university (UVM – Laureate International Universities, Mexico) and the Laboratory in Progressive Architecture LEAP was considered.

The academy and students agreed that we would develop a proposal for the Penang Rifle Range contest in Malaysia and that the exercise would be held at the LEAP offices.

Working this project in a professional environment was a new and different experience, which quickly exceeded my expectations.

The workflow was very different from the academic one, so you had to adapt quickly and trust that each one of us were doing what was his or her due, it was very enriching.

The project developed quickly since we had little time, many ideas flowed in a short time.

As it was the first time that I participated in a firm, I felt a certain pressure for discipline and adherence to the methodology proposed by LEAP.

The design process was similar to the academic one, but more mature, with quick and justified decisions.

One of the things you learn when you enter a contest is that time is an extremely important resource.

One day we received news as unexpected as they were wonderful, among more than 600 participants in the Professional category we won the Jury Commendation, which corresponds to 5th place!

As a result of that experience I was invited as a Design Workshop teacher at the same university, even though I was still in my 20’s.

I can assure you that the methodology I learned from that experience with LEAP completely defined the structure of my Workshop experience.

One of the things I am most grateful for having participated in this very different experience is that most of academic subjects are plain, to rigorous or simply not out of the box enough to be exciting and appealing. It´s always the same method. Project, blueprints, construction methods, models. But there they allowed us to let our imagination run wild, thank you!

I think that my design process was completely influenced by this experience. Even today, most of the design decisions I make are based on that same methodology.

It is definitely an experience that all students should live, not only in Architecture but in any area related to design.

Since then, LEAP has been my home on different occasions, this was not the last exercise with them. I even was part of a First Place winning team ( https://www.archdaily.mx/mx/762118/fachada-edificio-de-software-ijalti-leap-laboratorio-en-arquitectura-progresiva ).

I can assure you that Heriberto Hernández and Raúl Juárez have the competence and aptitude to carry out a program that encourages students and new architects to be better prepared to face the real world”.

Penang Competition – 2010