Cristina Algaze Beato

Architect license #19826 / Member, Colegio de Arquitectos y Arquitectos Paisajistas de Puerto Rico (CAAPPR) / LEED Accredited Professional Building Design + Construction

Licensed Architect specialized in green building practices, an academic and a local advocate for the green building movement with more than eighteen years of experience in Puerto Rico. In the private sector, she had coordina- ted and designed multiple green buildings & high-performance projects as principal of Martínez + Algaze Sustainability Studio, as well as in collaboration with other architec tural firms such as RMA Architects. In RMA Architects, Cristina was project manager and senior architect for many federal projects for GSA and USDA FS among other federal agencies. As an aside, she led the design and collaborated in the development of the community-based project Casa Taft 169. This project is a case study that aims to demonstrate that communities can be revitalized through the reuse of buildings that once were declared a public nuisance.

In 2007 she was certified as a LEED Accredited Professional by the GBCI and since then has become a leading consultant for engineering and construction firms of LEED certifications for many high-profile projects. As an adjunct professor in the School of Architecture of the UPR, Cristina lectures design, sustainability and technology courses for their Master’s in Architecture program. She had also taught at the School of Ar chitecture of the Catholic University of PR and at the School of Fine Arts and Design. Her active roles with organizations like the CAAPPR and with the USGBC Caribbean Chapter -as the Past President and member of the Board- has enabled her a first-hand involvement in the green building movement and in numerous community-based and educational projects in Puerto Rico.

Projects by Cristina

Casa Taft 169

Casa Taft 169

Fajardo Marine

Fajardo Marine

GSA Feasibility Study

GSA Feasibility Study

  • Project Manager (PM) & Senior Architect for RMA Architects, PSC, 2015 – 2024

    • Villas Pesqueras Cibuco y La Coal. Department of Agriculture of PR, 2023 – 2024..

    • Retrofit of the Fourth Floor Court of Appeals at Jose V. Toledo U.S. Courthous, 2023.

    • Rehabilitation of Casa Roig Museum of the University of Puerto Rico Phase I, 2022.

    • Infrastructure Plan of Sabana Field Station of the International Institute of Tropical Forestry Service. El Yunque, PR, 2019 – 2020.

    • Architectural Feasibility Study for the GSA Center of the General Services Administration, 2019 – 2020.

    • Architectural Project Programming for El Portal El Yunque and Catalina Buildings of the US Forest Service, 2018.

    • GSA’s US Probation Offices in Federal Office Building, Hato Rey, PR, 2015 – 2018.

    • Accessibility Review for the US Department of HUD. Compliance, 2017

    Senior Architect for DDD Architecture, PSC, 2014 – 2015

    • Architectural Design, Project Management and Green Building Principles implementation. GSA’s Fajardo Marine, Parcel #46, Roosevelt Roads, Ceiba.

    Principal in Martínez + Algaze Sustainability Studio, LLC, 2007 – Present

    • PM and design of Casa Taft 169 Community Organization. Santurce, 2018 – 2022

    LEED Certification Processes. Various projects among many, 2007 – Present

    • PR Army National Guard Building 16, San Juan, PR. Certified Silver.

    • PricewaterhouseCooper Offices, Hato Rey, PR. Certified Silver.

    • PR Army National Guard Readiness Center Salinas, PR. Certified Silver

    • José de Diego, Ecological Elementary School, Dorado. Certified Gold.

    • Environmental Protection Agency – R2. Caribbean Division. Certified Gold.

    • Hacienda La Esperanza, Puerto Rico Environmental Conservation Trust.

    Adjunct Professor, 2006 – Present

    • School of Architecture, University of Puerto Rico

    • Member of the Advisory Group. Puerto Rico Energy System Recovery and Resilience Project. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and six National Laboratories. (2022 – 2024)

    • Treasurer of the Board of Directors. Casa Taft 169 Inc. Non-Profit. (2021 – Present)

    • Director of Sustainability and Environmental Affairs Committee. College of Architects and Landscapes Architects of Puerto Rico [CAAPPR] (2021 – Present).

    • Member of Community Outreach Committee. CAAPPR. (2019 – Present).

    • Director of Technical & Professional Committee. Board of Directors. CAAPPR. (2018 – 2019)

    • President of the Board of Directors. U.S. Green Building Council. - U.S. Caribbean Chapter. [USGBC-CC]. (2010 – 2011)

    • Member. Board of Directors. USGBC-CC. ((2009 – 2013)

  • Masters in Bioclimatic Architecture and Environmental Studies

    • Superior Technical School of Architecture. Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain, 2005

    Masters of Architecture

    • College of Architecture and Urban Studies, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, Virginia, 2002

    Bachelor in Environmental Design

    • School of Architecture, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 1998

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