Michel Rojkind
Design Principal & Founder, Rojkind Arquitectos, Mexico
Last updated: June 29, 2024 Mexico City, Mexico
He presented a keynote address at the 3rd Holcim Forum 2010 on “Re-Inventing Construction” and was a guest lecturer at the Holcim Foundation Awards Lab in Mexico City in 2018.
Rojkind Arquitectos was established to explore new challenges that address contemporary society, to design compelling experiences that go beyond mere functionality, and to connect the intricacies of each project at a deeper level. Architectural Record recognized Rojkind Arquitectos as one of the ten leading “Design Vanguard” firms in 2005.
Michael Rojkind studied architecture and urban planning at the Universidad Iberoamericana (IBERO) in Mexico City (1989-94). He spent over a decade as a drummer in pop-rock band Aleks Syntek y La Gente Normal, an experience he credits with sparking his interest in architecture. After working independently for several years, he established Adria+Broid+Rojkind (1998-2002) with Isaac Broid and Miquel Adria. His work seeks new directions in architectural practice by evoking common identities through the exploration of uncharted geometries that address questions of space, function, technology, materials, structure, and construction methods related directly to geography, climate and local urban experiences.
Michel Rojkind’s design for the Nestlé Chocolate Museum in Toluca de Lerdo, Mexico received the International Architecture Award (2008) as one of the best realized designs internationally, and was nominated for the British Museum Award (2008) for the ten best buildings of 2007. He has contributed to Contemporary Corporate Architecture (2009), Phaidon Atlas of 21st Century Architecture (2009) and Open House: Architecture and Technology for Intelligent Living (2006).
He has been a visiting professor at the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) in Los Angeles, USA; at the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IACC) in Barcelona, Spain; and at University of Pennsylvania, PennDesign (UPenn) in Philadelphia, USA.
In 2010, Michel Rojkind was named as one of the “Country’s Treasured Architects” by the Mexican Civil Registry; he was named among the “Face to Watch in 2010” by the Los Angeles Times; and he was selected by the Architectural League of New York as one of the “Emerging Voices”. In 2011, he was named by Wallpaper* magazine as one of the “150 Movers, Shakers and Makers that have Rocked the World in the Last 15 Years”; and Forbes magazine named him “one of the most influential architects of contemporary Mexican scene” in 2013.