Founded in 2001, CÚRE & PENABAD aspires to create an architecture of place. The practice seeks to find beauty in differences and is drawn to what makes an environment unique. Inspiration is found in both the vernacular and the academic; in the ancient and the contemporary; in the commonplace and the extraordinary. As such the architectural output of the firm is eclectic, molded by the particular circumstances of each setting and client. The portfolio of projects, both domestic and international, displays an intense commitment to the discipline of architecture, its material culture, and constructional conventions. The work challenges the double tyranny of program and diagram that have come to dominate the design process today; relying on a broader understanding of history and typology for a looser- and therefore more sustainable- fit between program and form. Projects are invested in building techniques that are culturally relevant as much as performative, searching to capitalize on the intelligence sedimented in building morphologies that have evolved over millennia to tackle the challenges of the environment and sustainability with the ultimate goal of creating new buildings and places of identity and wholeness. The practice has won recognition, receiving numerous national awards, among them over ten American Institute of Architects design awards and a Silver Medal at the Miami Biennale.