Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Cano.
Hi Daniel, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Growing up in Yonkers, New York, my earliest interest in architecture emerged through a fascination with space, composition, and the creative expression of drawing. Before I understood architecture as a discipline, I explored spatial relationships through crafts and play. Growing up in a dense low-income apartment and with both my parents being immigrants from Mexico, as a first-generation Latino the highest priority in our family was education. This early exposure between people, environments, and creativity became the foundation for my interest in architecture as a field capable of shaping experience, identity, and opportunity.
My professional experience has shown me the value of pairing practice with academic inquiry. My internship at the office of Enric Miralles Benedetta Tagliabue – EMBT Barcelona expanded my understanding of architecture’s creative and cultural possibilities. As I advanced to Perkins&Will and currently Gensler, I began to recognize how a more comprehensive creative framework could further shape the way I approach design decisions, research questions, material strategies, and the broader social and environmental implications of each project. At Perkins&Will, working on healthcare projects exposed me to the complexity of large-scale architectural systems and how the demand of human experience can shape the expanding medical campus. Most recently at Gensler, serving as a project designer has required me to synthesize design intent, leadership, mentorship, and how concept design shapes the architectural built environment. These experiences have given me a strong foundation in practice and allowed me to critically examine architecture beyond project delivery to develop more rigorous methods of design research, design exploration, and teaching.
Throughout my time as an architectural designer, I have developed a passion for design exploration, research, and sustainable design. Recently, one of my independent studies received Gensler’s firmwide Research and Innovation Award. This project investigated micro-housing as a spatial and environmental intervention for asylum seekers and refugees in Houston’s underserved fence-line communities, where environmental discrimination has shaped inequitable living conditions.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Alongside these professional and academic experiences, I have also learned to navigate moments of self-doubt and uncertainty. At times, feelings of imposter syndrome have challenged my confidence, yet my faith in Christ has remained a steady source of strength, grounding, and perseverance. The support of my family has also been a constant reminder of the sacrifices, values, and encouragement that have shaped my path. These experiences have deepened my resilience and reinforced my commitment to continue growing as a designer, researcher, and member of a broader architectural community.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As an architectural designer, I am driven by a belief in design’s ability to shape communities, people, places, and culture. Rather than defining my work through a single specialization, I have learned to embrace design across multiple scales, from the built environment to product design, as a way of understanding how ideas move between concept, material, and experience. Receiving Gensler’s firmwide Research and Innovation Award in Transformative Solutions shortly after joining the firm was especially meaningful because it affirmed the value of this curiosity and initiative. Beyond my professional responsibilities, I continue to pursue design competitions independently, using them as opportunities to test ideas, expand my creative discipline, and remain actively engaged in architectural inquiry. This commitment to creative exploration also extends to music; as an electric guitarist, songwriter, and producer, I approach composition as another form of design, one shaped by structure, rhythm, atmosphere, and emotion.
What’s next?
Looking ahead, I hope to continue developing as a well-rounded designer whose work engages multiple fields of design while remaining grounded in architecture’s capacity to shape people, places, and culture. My goal is to become a licensed architect and pursue a Master of Architecture, using graduate study as an opportunity to deepen my design research, expand my critical perspective, and further connect my professional experience with academic inquiry.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_dcano
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielcanoprofile
