Hispanic Architect In The High Life

Mr. Leyva’s knack for designing high-rise residential interiors has led some to compare him favorably with Rosario Candela, widely viewed as New York’s finest pre-war apartment designer. Such comparisons are flattering, says Mr. Leyva, though he is wary of being thought of exclusively for his interior work.

He is also sensitive to being associated with a particular design style or material. While his personal preference is for dramatic glass exteriors, he insist that architecture should be first and foremost about serving clients’ needs and responding to a building site’s immediate surroundings.

He underscored the point by recalling his work on the Chatham, his first commission as an independent architect.

“It was a prewar type of building, as opposed to a modern building, and my clients wanted certain things because of the neighborhood. Prewar apartments are known for having a big entry foyer or gallery, with the other rooms connected to that central hall. My clients felt that people would want that kind of old-fashioned layout. So we designed the Chatham with high ceilings and main rooms,” he says.

“And I did Time Warner, which is completely the opposite. It’s a very modern building, all glass. Some clients come to me and say, ‘I don’t want a glass building, I want you to use brick.’ Some people say, ‘I feel this building should be for a young crowd. I want everything to be modern. I want glass.’ So you adapt and do the best no matter what material you use. Some architects have a very particular way to design, certain materials and certain shapes. I don’t believe in that.”

Today, Manhattan-based Ismael Leyva Architects  has completed projects in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Philadelphia. The firm has also done work in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Despite repeated attempts, he has been unable to land jobs in Mexico, though he hopes one day that will change.

In the meantime, this son of a barber and a housewife makes a point of visiting his family in Veracruz at least twice a year. He says he has no desire to see Ismael Leyva Architects expand beyond its current size.

“I don’t think I want to grow more because I’m a hands-on person. I’m involved very much in the design of every single building that leaves this office, and I just feel if I grow more I’m going to start losing that con-tact with the jobs. The reason people come tome is they know they get my attention, they know that I’m the guy in charge of the design, and I want to keep it that way.”

Editor’s note: This piece by John Domingues was originally printed in our classic Latin Business magazine. From time to time we will feature these select classic articles as readers request them. The main photo is the Diamante House designed by Ismael Leyva Architects.