Mariana Giraldo

Associate Principal, Planning and Strategies, New York

Growing up in Bogotá, Colombia, Mariana’s mother owned a bookstore called “La Caja de Herramientas,” which translates to “The Toolbox.” She enjoyed having this place as a respite from the dynamic and complex city outside, and still finds herself most inspired when she is immersed in the magical worlds of Latin American literature written in her native Spanish.

Her upbringing in Colombia provided the building blocks for Mariana to create her own “toolbox” to find solutions to some of today’s most pressing design questions. A student of architecture and economics with a master’s degree in design strategy, Mariana applies a human-centered approach to every project, and she strives to create work that responds to fundamental needs of security, connection, and community. She believes that being a designer is about being fully human, which means being comfortable with chaos and paradox, and questioning everything.

As the leader of the New York studio design strategies team, Mariana researches, collaborates, and distills project needs into one clear narrative. She feels most fulfilled when data gathering leads to synthesis, dots are connected, and information creates action. Mariana’s work becomes master plans, workplace strategies, and toolkits that provide clarity and purpose.

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Say hello to Mariana

WATCH NOW

Mariana's approach is to remain open, listen, and learn how to better service designers and clients. She identifies who needs to be part of a conversation and invites them to the table.

Curiosity and clarity

Mariana's superpower is identifying which variables to explore that will most radically impact a client’s project goals.

The power of community

Raising a family in Brooklyn, NY has provided Mariana with a sense of shared purpose, inspring her to think about how life can be different for future generations.

“Design is not just building facades; it is fluid, an action and a process. It is asking the right questions and listening.”

INSIGHTS

Spotlight on Services: Wells Fargo

Mariana worked with client Wells Fargo to develop an employee services toolkit that helps site managers and other stakeholders improve amenity offerings at hundreds of its office locations throughout the U.S. The toolkit, which includes an online dashboard, analyzes data on climate, security, walkability, wellness, and demographics. It helps designers consider how company-provided services at a given location could complement existing neighborhood resources.

Learn more on Insights

Unilever's new headquarters is one of the healthiest, most sustainable, and most technologically advanced redevelopments in the New York metropolitan area.

FEATURED WORK

Unilever North American Headquarters

We creatively repositioned Unilever’s corporate campus by consolidating the buildings into a highly flexible, collaborative environment. Employees that work across Unilever’s brand verticals from brands as diverse as Lipton Tea, Q-Tips, Ben & Jerry’s, and Vaseline now share common space, interact, and collaborate with one another. This was facilitated by our team of workplace planners and strategists, and is the first time in Unilever’s history to consolidate these sectors for the purpose of collaboration and innovation.

Discover the project

IN THE NEWS

Hybrid Office Design is Being Tested in Real Time by Perkins&Will

“Even before the pandemic our office space was set up to be a continually evolving learning lab,” says Mariana Giraldo, part of the planning and strategies team at Perkins&Will.

Mariana's Featured Work

Unilever North American Headquarters

Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Creating a portfolio-wide employee services strategy

Wells Fargo, United States