Rafael Morales, AIA, ICAA, Principal
Rafael’s passion and appreciation for the importance of architecture stems from growing up among grand colonial architecture in Guanajuato, Mexico. Rafael received his Bachelor of Architecture summa cum laude from the University of Houston. While in school, he interned at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) in New York. Upon graduation he was honored with the Gerald D. Hines Undergraduate Design Award for his fifth-year thesis. Rafael is an excellent listener who believes that great buildings result from a mutual understanding between architect and client. In his view, architects are called to interpret clients’ needs and use the architect’s talent and creativity to design for a better future that fulfills those same needs. Rafael has a great love for liturgy, its timeless connection to the history of the Church, and the beauty that is created when architecture, music, and liturgy come together. Rafael is on the Board of Directors for Transcend Architecture, a nonprofit that promotes human unity and dignity through architecture, service, and education. He is also the co-host of “Beauty Ever New,” a podcast about the intersection of art, architecture, and Catholicism.
Rafael enjoys spending time with his wife Colleen and being a great father to their four children.