About
Quicklinks
Values
The ideas that
shape us.
Buildings should work
for people
We put the human experience at the core of everything we do. Buildings and enclosures have done their job when they perform well, feel good inside, protect the architect’s intent, and respond intelligently to their environment.
Driven by curiosity
Curiosity drives everything we do. Sameer, Ricardo, and Rodrigo built Techne around that instinct, expressing it through teaching, research, and practice. Ideas tested in academia inform real projects, and lessons from built work feed back into how the team thinks about climate, materials, and performance.
Early involvement matters
The sooner we’re in the room, the faster a project finds its direction. We bring the most value by joining at the concept stage and staying involved until it’s move-in ready. We break down complex ideas so people feel informed instead of overwhelmed. It’s our steady, no-panic way of working. And it shows up in every conversation.
Upholding design
We protect design. Architects fight countless battles to keep ideas intact, and we’re right there with you. We help you hold the line, and push what’s possible by testing, proving, and backing what works.
Climate-first thinking
Environmental responsibility isn’t a separate issue for us. It’s a fundamental principle. We put climate first, guiding decisions that affect comfort, longevity, and performance.
This is how we think.
This is how we work.
This is Techne.
Contributors to facade research, teaching, and academic juries.
Contributors to facade research, teaching, and academic juries.
“I worked with Sameer before Techne, including under his tutelage, and that experience is why I continue to work with him and his team. There’s a lot to learn from his approach to enclosure design, and that thinking carries directly into Techne’s work on large, complex projects, including OBO embassy projects in Bangkok and Kinshasa.”
ELLIOT MISTUR AIA, DIRECTOR OF ENCLOSURE DESIGN, SHOP ARCHITECTS
Est. Completion 2027
New Office Annex, United States Embassy Complex, Bangkok
Origin Story
What brought us together.
Two practices and a shared pursuit
of excellence
The Facade Studio was founded in Mexico City more than a decade ago by Ricardo and Rodrigo. It became widely recognised as a pioneer of facade consulting and bioclimatic design in Mexico, with a reputation for placing climate and environmental performance at the centre of facade decision making.
In parallel, Sameer founded Techne in 2022 in the United States, bringing decades of experience in complex building enclosures, technical leadership, and global facade consulting across large-scale projects.
Although working in different regions, both practices were pursuing the same idea: a facade consultancy grounded in design, technical rigour, and climate-first thinking.
A meeting point
Sameer, Ricardo, and Rodrigo met at a conference, and quickly realised how closely aligned their aspirations were. They were, in effect, building the same kind of practice on either side of the southern border. It became clear early on that working together would be far more effective than working in parallel.
Sameer’s extensive technical knowledge and global experience combined naturally with The Facade Studio’s expertise in applying bioclimatic design to facade systems. Together, they saw an opportunity to create a first-of-its-kind facade consultancy with bioclimatics at its core. Not as an added layer, but as a fundamental design driver.
One integrated practice
Today, the practices are merged as Techne, and has one integrated studio with teams across the United States, Mexico, Colombia, and France.
Our team includes architects, designers, engineers, and specialists who care deeply about thoughtful design and the people it serves. We thrive in collaborative environments filled with sketches, ideas, and honest debate. The kind that challenges assumptions and pushes possibilities. That’s why architects keep coming back to us.
Techne today
What hasn’t changed is our commitment. We like to get in early and stay close, working alongside the people shaping the project rather than hovering around the edges.
A solution is only right when it supports the design and the people who will use the space.
That’s how Techne started.
And it’s how we still
work today.
“It feels like we’re on one team. Conversations are open, fluid, and curious - like problem solving with colleagues, not external consultants.”
PABLO SAVID-BUTELER, PRINCIPAL, SASAKI
Teaching roles at Princeton, UPenn, and universities across Mexico.
Teaching roles at Princeton, UPenn, and universities across Mexico.
The people you’ll be working with
We’re architects, specialists, engineers, and curious problem solvers who enjoy good design, tricky questions, and any challenge that rewards a bit of persistent thinking.
Here’s the team.
SAMEER KUMAR FAIA NOMA
Principal - New York City
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Expertise
Sameer is an architect first, by training and conviction. A Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, he treats facade consulting as a design discipline rooted in material intelligence and real-world performance.He moved into enclosure design early in his career, driven by a belief that understanding materials and construction is essential to good architecture.
At Techne, Sameer leads strategy and quality across complex building enclosures, guiding projects from early design through to delivery.
Motivation
Sameer is driven by finding the most appropriate solution to a problem. One that reconciles ambition, constraint, and performance over time.He is equally motivated by teaching and mentorship, focused on building shared understanding so teams can make better decisions earlier and raise the standard of design.
Favourite project
Prince Brighton, one of the earliest projects by Techne. We worked closely with artist Nick Cave to accomplish an extraordinary mural at the Princeton University Art Museum.Beyond facades
Outside the studio, Sameer is an avid cook and bartender who loves hosting friends. There’s usually Indian classical music playing in the background, and almost always a story from his past to go with it.
RICARDO DANIEL DÍAZ GARCÍA
Principal | CEO - Mexico
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Expertise
Ricardo works at the intersection of architecture, science, and art. He brings a scientific mind to facade design, and has a talent for making complex ideas easy to understand. That, combined with an entrepreneurial mindset, makes him a connector that links Techne with people across the globe.Motivation
He’s driven by the idea that buildings should work for people. He believes climate should shape facades, otherwise the opposite happens. His background in bioclimatic architecture keeps him attuned to performance, environmental responsibility, and the small adjustments that change how a building feels.Favourite project
Centro Cultural Juan Soriano Morelos, one of our earliest projects. We designed a glass roof for a museum where light was both an opportunity and a risk. With artworks highly sensitive to exposure, we carefully calibrated spectrophotometry, energy efficiency; simulated light diffusion, luxes, and color render alongside the structural design.Beyond facades
Ricardo is a bit of a Renaissance man. He draws, cooks, composes music, and plays more instruments than he’ll admit to. He keeps Moleskine notebooks filled with watercolours from his travels and daily notes written with his beloved Aurora fountain pens.His two dogs nap under the piano while he plays, which he insists is their version of applause.
RODRIGO BORGHINO DE LA PEÑA
Partner and Founder, Engineering /
Technical Director - Mexico City
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Expertise
Rodrigo brings a refreshing outsider perspective to facade design. Trained as a chemical engineer, he approaches problems by questioning assumptions and testing ideas on their merit.He treats facade design as a complex system rather than a fixed discipline, building expertise through research-led thinking, hands-on problem solving, and close collaboration with manufacturers, contractors, and designers.
At Techne, Rodrigo leads technical direction and quality. He shapes how the studio operates, mentors teams, and steps into specialised project work when new methods are required, all while helping guide the practice’s long-term direction.
He holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from Universidad Iberoamericana, and is currently completing a Masters in Bioclimatic Architecture at Isthmus University.
Motivation
Rodrigo is motivated by solving complex problems that don’t fit neatly into one box.He sees facade design as central to architecture, where performance, constructability, carbon impact, safety, and human experience are resolved together. His focus is on making sustainable development practical and achievable rather than theoretical.
Equally important to him is building strong teams. He’s invested in mentoring, growing technical capability, and doing meaningful work together.
Beyond facades
Rodrigo is a self-confessed history nerd with a particular interest in ancient Rome. He’s played drums since his teens, has been in multiple bands, and still plays music with Ricardo. When he’s not working or studying (or down a historical rabbit hole), he’s usually running, reading, or outdoors with his kids.
CHARLOTTE ESCUDIER
Director
JESSICA VÀZQUEZ
Project Manager
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Expertise
Jessica keeps projects organized and moving. She wrangles schedules, coordinates teams, and makes sure drawings look the way they should. She likes getting into the mechanics of how things work and using whatever resources available to solve the problem in front of her.Motivation
She cares about buildings that respond to climate and actually hold up over time. Sustainability isn’t a buzzword for her. It comes from living through the realities of climate change and wanting to do the work properly.Beyond facades
Jessica’s the friend everyone trusts. She’s warm, honest, and quietly hilarious. She loves the outdoors, animals, and any excuse to learn something unexpected: from horse riding to geography to the lifecycle of snails.Most weekends she’s travelling, riding, or out with her dogs, who fully believe they run the household.
ARMANDO MONTES DE OCA
Project Manager