GR Design Lab

GRDL are design innovators

GR Design Lab (GRDL) is an MBE-certified design practice focused on impactful, innovative architecture. With over 20 years of experience, GRDL specializes in design with a value-driven, inclusive and synergistic approach. Our goal is to improve the world, through thoughtful, transformative and environmental sensitive design, one project at a time.

Our work balances complexity with clarity, aligning all decisions with a strong design vision. Our work is shaped by listening and engaging all stakeholders. By weaving together diverse perspectives, we create cohesive outcomes that resonate with all parties involved. Our process builds consensus and trust, resulting in designs that feel unified, intentional, and greater than the sum of their parts.

GRDL are creativity catalysts

We are known for rigorous, creative, and context-sensitive design. Great design isn’t imposed—it’s revealed through an open, disciplined process that leads to innovative, lasting solutions that foster harmony between buildings, cities, and landscapes. Our spaces are flexible, intuitive, and emotionally resonant—designed to surprise, connect, and inspire. From concept to construction, we focus on materials, proportion, and craft.

GRDL brings expertise in high-density, complex urban projects, including towers, mixed-use, hospitality, educational, and convention center work. We combine global knowledge with local insight, crafting solutions rooted in context, climate, and culture. We believe every project carries social and environmental responsibility. By embedding ecological thinking and inclusive values into our process, we create spaces that uplift both people and the planet.

GRDL are synergy experts

GR Design Lab reimagines design delivery through innovation, experimentation, and synergy. GRDL blends big-firm expertise with small-practice agility, offering tailored, flexible services that allows you to find the right match between design expertise and project needs. Depending on project scope, GRDL can serves as:

Design Advisor - Offering strategic guidance and high-level design expertise to teams and developers.

Design Consultant - Architectural design services and expert advice tailored to project-specific needs.

Design architect - Taking primary or partial design responsibility within a larger team.

Architect - Full-service architectural solutions, from concept to execution.

Our value driven design process.

Our approach is grounded in collaboration, clarity, and the belief that great design emerges through dialogue and shared purpose.

Pre-Meeting

We research the site, study the program, and begin to understand your drivers, generating understanding and uncovering possibilities from the start.

Kickoff & Strategy Alignment

Together, we align goals, define roles, and explore early opportunities. Our critical eye helps clarify the path forward, turning complexity into strategy.

Design Exploration

We consolidate input and test concepts, integrating the strongest into a cohesive vision. finding synergy, and shaping design through active dialogue.

Design Development

We work together to resolve details without losing sight of the whole, ensuring the design remains clear, compelling, and aligned with all requirements.

Final Deliverables & Submission

We craft a comprehensive package that tells the full story of the project. Every element reflects our shared vision and rigorous process.

Our Holistic Design Expertise

Design Process Leadership

GRDL excels in orchestrating complex design teams, ensuring smooth collaboration between architects, developers, engineers, and consultants. Expertise in workflow structuring, project durations, and interdisciplinary coordination helps clients navigate large-scale projects efficiently.

Technical coordination, Craft & Materiality

Expertise in facade systems, advanced building materials, and innovative detailing allows GRDL to develop architecturally refined, technically efficient, and contextually appropriate solutions that enhance performance, durability, and aesthetic impact.

Sustainability & Resiliency

GRDL integrates climate-responsive design, energy-efficient envelopes, and passive strategies to create resilient, high performance buildings. Expertise in material selection and envelope optimization ensures long-term environmental and economic benefits.

Gustavo Rodriguez AIA, CODIA, LEED AP Founder and Principal

GR Design Lab was founded in 2024 by Gustavo Rodriguez to drive innovation and synergy in design. His passion for creativity and collaboration informs his approach to the built and natural environments. Born in Santo Domingo, his tropical upbringing and love of Lego shaped his sensitivity to design and context. “I am really interested in the relationship between the pieces; The rules (and bending of the rules) that generate compelling design ideas that have a positive impact on the environment and our cities.” Gustavo holds a Bachelor of Architecture from UNPHU in the Dominican Republic, where he is licensed, and a Master’s in Design Technology from MIT. As a former Design Partner at FXCollaborative, he led major sustainable projects including 1 Willoughby Square and 3Eleven. With two decades of leadership, Gustavo brings deep expertise in shaping large-scale, award-winning architectural work.

Education

M.S. Design Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

B.Arch., Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña, Dominican Republic

Professional Registrations

Registered Architect in New York and the Dominican Republic

LEED Accredited Professional by the US Green Building Council (USGBC)