Hot Shots: X.arquitectos

founders: Ernesto Correa and Patricia Maldonado
social: @xarquitectos
project: Origen, Valencia, Spain

standout: Tasked with conceiving a jewelry brand’s 6,100-square-foot workspace, the Valencia-based studio deployed glazed partitions and a lattice of terra-cotta blocks to filter daylight across the floor plate, grounding the palette in earthy tones that reinforce the connection to the outdoors. A monochromatic sweep of red delineates social zones, while cream-toned office spaces feature round ceiling recesses and ringlike desks that recall the curves of Oscar Niemeyer. “Circular furniture helps prevent rigid dialogue,” quips Correa, who cofounded the practice with Maldonado in 2019 to execute residential and commercial projects driven by a commitment to material honesty. Built-in storage, sound-dampening curtains, and flooring of reclaimed micro-cement round out the scheme. xarquitectos.com