Understanding the Challenge
Juan Valdez is a Colombian coffee brand that celebrates the country's coffee culture through premium products and retail experiences. The company launched a design competition for a new store in a recently opened shopping mall in Cúcuta. The proposal needed to:
Develop a distinctive concept for the competition.
Reinterpret the Juan Valdez brand without replicating existing stores.
Design a functional café with seating, service, back-of-house, and terrace areas.
Create a memorable customer experience rooted in the local identity.
Design Solution
To meet these objectives, we developed a concept that combined Juan Valdez's brand identity with regional storytelling. The design aimed to:
Create a site-specific concept inspired by the Santurbán Páramo.
Translate the narrative into materials, colours, textures, and lighting.
Organize an efficient layout for both customers and staff.
Deliver a warm, contemporary café experience with a strong sense of place.
The design focused on three key objectives:
Create a central gathering space that organized circulation and connected the café's different functional areas.
Translate the landscapes of immediate natural context into an interior design language through materials, colours, lighting, and form.
Strengthen the connection between the café and the local community by creating a space inspired by a landscape that reflects the region's identity and sense of place.
Understanding the Context
Our research explored different cultural and environmental references before identifying a concept that could create a meaningful connection with the local community. Three key insights shaped the final direction:
The strongest concepts were rooted in authentic regional landmarks rather than literal representations of the city.
The Santurbán Páramo emerged as the most compelling source of inspiration due to its distinctive landscapes and ecological richness.
Located in Norte de Santander, the Colombian department where Cúcuta is the capital, the Santurbán Páramo is a vital water source for the region and an important symbol of local identity, environmental heritage, and regional pride.
The concept translates the Santurbán Páramo into a spatial experience through a circular system that organizes the café across three interconnected layers: ground, occupation, and atmosphere.
Ground layer: A continuous circular field structured by a radial terracotta pattern that defines movement and gently orients circulation within the space.
Occupation layer: A spatial logic based on a central inhabited core and a continuous perimeter circulation, where furniture is integrated as flexible occupation rather than isolated objects.
Atmospheric layer: A suspended ceiling structure composed of a metal framework, hanging vegetation, and warm spherical lighting elements. This composition acts as an abstract interpretation of a blooming frailejón, translating its organic form and flowering moment into an immersive spatial atmosphere.
After winning the competition, the project entered a collaborative development phase with the client, where the concept was refined through iterative feedback, feasibility, and construction constraints.
Central seating iteration (high impact): The original layout evolved into a semi-circular bench aligned with the radial floor geometry and the frailejón-inspired concept, strengthening spatial continuity between circulation and occupation.
Ceiling system simplification (high impact): A proposed gypsum ceiling was replaced by an exposed structure due to cost constraints, allowing lighting and vegetation to become the main atmospheric element.
Client collaboration & material validation (process): Material palettes were reviewed in client meetings through curated sample boards (fabrics, laminates, finishes), ensuring alignment between concept, aesthetics, and feasibility.
The final spatial resolution of the concept, where all design layers come together in built form.
A cohesive experience where structure, atmosphere, and materiality converge into a single spatial narrative.
Renderings and Diagrams
Built Project
Built project in Cúcuta
I participated in the design and construction of the project in Cúcuta, working within an iterative process between the Bogotá office and an in-house on-site team, adapting the design to real construction constraints.
Core design contribution
I worked closely with another designer across concept and development phases, defining the three-layer spatial system (ground, occupation, atmosphere). The design evolved through continuous feedback loops that refined spatial hierarchy, circulation, and material decisions.
Learning through execution
I learned to translate design intent into buildable solutions by working under real-world constraints, participating in client meetings, and coordinating with the project manager while iterating construction drawings based on feedback from both design and site teams.