mi casa es tu casa

CASA provides student outreach/support in the College of Environmental Design at UC Berkeley and professional networking with alumni pre-and-post- graduation. Our conversations generate awareness about past and current issues in architecture/planning/sustainability/design+art that affect our communities. Learning from the past and present will allow us to record the novelty of Latino Architecture.

3.17.2010

Juan Ezpinoza: "I just want to be creative and live forever"



Juan Ezpinoza, a designer and builder, a philanthropist and believer. With an architecture background from UCLA and USC, and influenced directly by Frank Lloyd Wright, Juan understands the power of architecture not only as "the mother of all arts" ---as he described it, but as a way of reaching out to help his communities and people in Los Angeles and Oakland.

"I have a strong obligation to work with my people..be there to help them." Ezpinoza acknowledges the importance of an education, and the responsibility of those who are educated to create power through knowledge.

His recent works have focused on developing our notions of so-called ordinary spaces--fences, garages, thresholds. "Every night before I go to sleep I read poetry," Juan admits. He maintains firm to his dreams of keeping his "the fountain of youth" through his work. "By spreading words, and knowledge, you can help others out--you increase awareness for informing Latinos about our culture of community and togetherness, " he believes.