When looking back on why he decided to pursue architecture as a career, Giovanni Martinez points to an intimate family portrait based in the creative process.
His father and godfather work in the construction industry. His mother is an artistic person as well, whether it be drawing or crochet.
He inherited the same urge to transform products of the imagination into reality.
“I just love to create,” the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning senior said. “I love to design. It’s something that comes naturally to me.”
At U-M, Martinez, a first-generation college student and California native, served on the Bursley Hall Council and mentored students for Living Arts, a residential community that brings together students to explore creativity.
He was the operations and development chair for Assisting Latin@s to Maximize Achievement, an orientation program for incoming students that introduces them to faculty, staff and resources. As the American Institute of Architects Huron Valley liaison, he helped organize professional development events for Taubman students.
Martinez said he values how Taubman has shaped his thinking as an architect, as well as the connections and experiences he has gained through other extracurricular and leadership activities.
“Having the opportunity to come here is amazing for me because there was a point where I realized it may not have been possible due to the projected cost to attend,” Martinez said. “But I was able to attend, and I’ve grown so much since I started here.”
Martinez now hopes to gain further experience at architectural firms before eventually earning a master’s degree in architecture.
“One of the main goals I want to work on through architecture is community engagement, especially serving those populations which are often neglected, overseen or seen as valueless.”
