Manhattan, NY Marvel, a 159-person architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, interior design and graphic design practice has appointed seven new partners. One director and 10 associates were also promoted. Three new partners will lead the San Juan office, formerly known as Marvel Marchand. The name change from Marvel Marchand to Marvel reflects the synergy between the two offices.

Jonathan Marvel, FAIA, founding principal of Marvel, said, “This group of extraordinary professionals, along with our proprietary approach to design and research, propels our firm to produce the big ideas that solve urgent problems for our clients and communities. By promoting talented individuals, we acknowledge their diverse voices, strong performance and a results-driven attitude. Having Marvel as the name for all offices reiterates our ability to lead, take collective action, and support clients to create meaningful and accessible buildings and spaces for communities and end-users.”

The expertise of the new partners—many of whom have been with the firm for decades—augments Marvel’s capabilities to address the most critical issues facing contemporary cities and the natural environment; advocate for social equity; and create inclusive and livable communities that represent the firm’s core principle, Design everywhere, for everyone. This group reflects the diverse perspectives of Marvel’s team members, as well as the multiple user and resident groups for whom Marvel designs buildings, open spaces, and neighborhoods.

The expanded leadership team joins founding partners Jonathan Marvel, Guido Hartray, and Lissa So who established Marvel in 2013. In 2019, landscape architects Yadiel Rivera-Díaz and Tyler Silvestro were promoted to partner, representing the firm’s multidisciplinary approach to design, which includes architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning and design, and interior design.

New partners:
Scott Demel has a proven record of guiding broad visions and needs into unified solutions. His education and experience ranges from historic preservation to new construction, with direct knowledge in urban design, infrastructure and landscape work, plus approaches to sustainability and resiliency. Scott is currently overseeing historic renovation of Hotel Chelsea and Lexington Ave. Armory, and design-build work for the City of New York. Recently completed projects include renovation of Building 77, design of the New Lab and Naval Cemetery Landscape—all in in the Brooklyn Navy Yard; a residential high-rise at Pearson St.; plus, streetscapes, waterfront and planning work for the Battery Park City Authority. Demel earned a Graduate Certificate in Real Estate from New York University, a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Texas Tech University and a Master of Science in Historic Preservation from Columbia University.

Edna Echandi-Guzmán has spent the past 17 years contributing to some of Marvel and Marvel Marchand’s top projects in Puerto Rico, including the recently revitalized El Portal Visitors Center at El Yunque National Forest, Academia San Ignacio in San Juan, and urban rehabilitation plans for the cities of Camuy, Ceiba, Naguabo, Mayagüez, and Fajardo. Recent work in New York includes the 25-story Arlo Midtown Hotel in Manhattan. She is currently working on several hospitality projects around Puerto Rico, as well as Master Plans for local educational institutions. Echandi-Guzmán has been published in the Docomomo Journal and the Re-View magazine of Tulane University. She received Bachelor and Master degrees in Architecture from Tulane University and a second Master of Architecture from Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona, Spain.

Tim Fryatt has for 25 years developed meaningful places that leverage latent value and inspire delight. Highly awarded projects include the landmark Battery Maritime Building adaptive reuse, the Pierrepont Brooklyn apartment towers, Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden Masterplan and NYSE District Streetscapes and Security. Currently, he is spearheading an office building at 29 Jay St. in Dumbo, a lab building in Somerville, MA, a waterfront Hotel and Residences in Portland, ME, and the FiDi and Seaport Climate Resilience Masterplan. Known as a prolific designer and a creative catalyst, Fryatt founded the “MaD” Marvel Design Group to promote the firm’s design culture and directs many of its complex Planning and Urban Design efforts. Tim studied Architecture at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and serves locally on the Maplewood Township Planning Board and Springfield Avenue Partnership.

Raquel Marrero-Maldonado has worked in a variety of roles at Marvel and Marvel Marchand for 20 years, where she has completed major commercial, residential and hospitality projects, including the award-winning renovation of the Vanderbilt and La Concha Hotels in San Juan, and the US HUD initiative for elderly housing at Valle Dorado in Utuado. Past New York projects include Roosevelt Park in Queens and the Bedford Union Armory in Brooklyn, and, currently, she is currently overseeing a historic adaptive reuse project of a hotel and school in San Juan. Marrero-Maldonado received a Bachelor of Architecture in Environmental Design from the University of Puerto Rico and a Master of Architecture from UCLA, where she received an AIA scholarship and won the Hazel Fellowship for Design Excellence. She is currently a member of the board of directors of Puerto Rico College of Architects and manages Marvel San Juan’s staff and operations.

Annya Ramírez-Jiménez, AIA is a passionate advocate for equity and focuses on building spaces and cities that serve all citizens. She leads both civic and affordable housing projects and oversees architecture collaborations among all three Marvel offices. Current projects include the new development of Rockaway Village, re-envisioning of the Bronx Museum of the Arts, renovation of the historic Orchard Beach Pavilion and an Animal Care Facility for the City of New York.  Ramírez-Jiménez received Bachelor of Architecture in Environmental Design from the University of Puerto Rico and a Master of Architecture from Columbia University. She is an active leader in the community, serving on boards of The Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation, The Sato Project, The Clemente Center and the AIANY Honors Committee.   

José Juan Terrasa-Soler has spent the past 25 years practicing at the intersection of ecology and design. He has applied his expertise in landscape architecture, environmental science, and physical planning to green infrastructure and sustainable urban design projects in Puerto Rico and New York, including the revitalization of El Portal Visitors Center at El Yunque National Forest and Resilient Power Puerto Rico, a designer-led effort to foster sustainability and resiliency in Puerto Rico in response to climate change. Terrasa-Soler received a Bachelor’s Degree from Mount Saint Mary’s College (Maryland), as well as Master’s Degrees in Ecology from University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, in Environmental Studies from Yale University, and in Landscape Architecture from Harvard University.

Dennis Vermeulen joined Marvel 11 years ago, merging design and visual art expertise with a strategic eye toward sustainability. Dennis aims to engage, activate and foster vibrant, inclusive urban communities through the built environment. Recent cultural and civic work includes Marvel’s re-envisioning of the Bronx Museum of the Arts, resiliency efforts for Manhattan’s Seaport and Financial Districts and complex projects of Pierhouse and the 1 Hotel in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Vermeulen received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Boston University and a Master of Architecture from Columbia University, and prior to his tenure at Marvel, worked with major institutions and design firms, including Frank Gehry Architects, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the Guggenheim Bilbao.

New San Juan Leadership
Marvel’s office in San Juan will be led by partners Edna Echandi-Guzmán, Raquel Marrero-Maldonado, and José Juan Terrasa-Soler, representing a continuity of leadership in San Juan and nearly 50 years of combined experience in the San Juan office.

Additional Promotions
Marvel has made the following promotion to director: Zack Griffin. New associates include: Cynthia Dorta, Caroline Frantz, Santiago Garcia, Marisa Irizarry, Ramon Irizarry, Brad Leibin, Juan Guzmán Palacios, Wil Rodriguez-Joglar, Diego Varas, and Sadie Winslow.