HABITABLE studio
DESIGN / ARCHITECTURE / ARTinfo@habitable.studio
t. (+1) 530 507 8896


HABITABLE activities can be divided into human-scale urban research, micro-living research, and applied projects ranging from educational, micro residential, and modular furniture, all of which are linked by the common theme of “small is beyond beautiful.”

PHILOSOPHY

Economy + Ecology + Elegance

A Habitable space is
one that changes
just as our lives change.
Habitable spaces emphasize precise proportions and a sense of spatial freedom.

We believe that design contributes to ecology, health, and economic progress. In our projects, nature and architecture coexist in a symbiotic relationship.
MISSION

Habitable Studio creates
transformable environments
for living, working, and playing.
HABITABLE emphasizes flexibility and elegance across projects of multiple scales.

Our designs embody thoughtful simplicity, meticulous materiality, and adept play with light and proportion.
DESIGN SERVICES

Dynamic Co-working Spaces
Flexible Living Environments
Joyful MicroLiving
Online Design Consultations 
     ARCHITECTURE / ART / URBAN DESIGN
Our work introduces an adaptable form of architecture. To transform your space, we will act as an emissary between the building's potential and your needs and wishes.

We carefully study the natural and cultural context before developing our ideas. With our culturally rich perspective and decades of design experience, we are skilled in infusing your environment with efficiency, harmony, and joy.
“Marta’s expertise of maximizing small spaces is without compare.” Jay Marroquin, client.
FOUNDER



“Small is not only beautiful, small implies experimentation, ecology, economy, efficiency, and intimacy. Small things make a big impact!”

MARTA RODRIGUEZ

PH.D. ARCHITECT & DESIGN CONSULTANT
MARTA@HABITABLE.STUDIO

Marta Rodriguez started her career as an architect in 2004 at OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture)/Rem Koolhaas in Rotterdam. She was part of the team that won the international competition to design the New Court Rothschild Bank in London.

In 2006, while working at an Engineering company (Ingenor) in Madrid, she won the first prize in the competition for designing the new University Library of the South Campus of the UPM in Madrid. From 2007 to 2009, Marta collaborated with Lahoz Lopez Architects in designing and developing schools and hospitals, including the expansion of the Toledo National Hospital of Paraplegics and San Gil Abad Public School in Cuenca.

In 2008, she initiated her own practice in Madrid, winning several awards in public architectural competitions. These included the first prize in a competition for designing a University Research Center for the University of Valladolid (2010), the second prize for designing a research & classroom building facility for the UVA (2009), and the second prize in the architectural competition for building Affordable Housing for Young People in Cordoba (2008).

In 2013, after extensive studies at UC Berkeley and Science Po in Paris, and research in Tokyo, Marta earned her Ph.D. in Architecture (ETSAM), specializing in Japanese architecture and French Design. Interview

Subsequently, she moved to Houston in 2014, becoming an Associate Professor (tenured since 2020) at the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design. She teaches the "Intergenerational, Compact, Communal Living" architectural design studio and the "Design for Dignity and Ethics for the City" seminar. Her research primarily centers on collective housing, joyful micro-living, and inclusive human-scale urban design.

In 2020, Marta founded HABITABLE Studio, a design firm focused on creating healthy, sustainable, inclusive, and transformable environments, indoors and outdoors.

Marta's research-driven design approach has been featured in numerous design and architecture publications. In 2021, she authored a book on Charlotte Perriand and Kazuyo Sejima, a manifesto reflecting her philosophy that advocates bringing a more humanistic and ecological sensitivity into the built environment. Marta has also created an online journal, Habitable City, which promotes a more egalitarian, connected, safe, and livable city.

HABITABLE TEAM

+  Marta Rodriguez
Founder & Principal - Architect, Professor, Author, and         Architecture & Design Consultant.

+ Michael LindemannArchitectural Designer.

+ Collaborators since 2008:
 Lené Fourie, Alejandra Velazquez, Dijana Handanovic, Tuan Mai, Ghazal Saliman, Ingrid Selse, Emine Canak, Eirik Erstad, Marta de las Heras, Alejandro Sanz, Rafael Ureña, Natalia Varela.


HABITABLE studio
 DESIGN / ARCHITECTURE / ARTinfo@habitable.studio
t. (+1) 530 507 8896



PUBLICATIONS



MEDIA
Instagram
Linkedin

Habitable City
Promoting a more egalitarian, connected, safe, and LIVABLE city    
Subtle Revolution
 SMALL is not only beautiful but sustainable and has enabled architectural subtle revolution beyond borders and times.


LET’S TALK!
info@habitable.studio t. (+1) 530 507 8896

VIRTUAL Design Consulting Services / Health Design

“Weaving together my experience as an architect in Europe, a researcher in Japan, and a Professor in the US, I infuse my work with a culturally rich sensibility.”


DESIGN CONSULT for Homeowners: 


Increasing the feeling of flow and harmony in your home contributes to your wellbeing and health.

 Are you going through a life change, like the birth of a child, a marriage, divorce or pass away of a family member, kids moved to college, etc. and you want to make your home to have a new life?

 I know how to listen to your necessities and the necessities of your space.

 Do you want to buy a new property or renovate your own and need a vision of the possibilities of the to create new spaces, bringing more light, order, and harmony, etc

 Stayner Architects
 MALL


Consults Include:

+ My services go for the scale of the structure to the detail of the paint color and art choices and all in between. 

I have over 18 years of experience, from being an architect in Europe, a researcher in Japan to a architectural profeor in the US, I bring a fresh, culturally rich sensitivity to your workspace or your home. 


Design decisions for your new or old home

For decoration to construction possibilities,

How to improve the health and harmony of your space 



If you want to improve the creativity of your colleages, create more collaboration, or even have a more profitable, space can have a crucial role on that. How we relate, the color of our spaces the cofort of our furniture, the natural light…



Do you work on the health facility, from pleasant, relaxing waiting areas, to cousy welcoming rooms. As a volunteer myself of several institutions working with patients and older people, I have observe how space affects their life quality. I belive in holistic heath, I am currently running new programs on meditation, mindful movement, and breath work. The proportions of the space, the quaioity of the materials, the light qualification, all affect heath, and my own volutier practices as a healer. 





REMODELS & BUILDING PROJECTS


The Deep Dive. Starting a remodel? Building an ADU? You’re embarking on a big journey. It will be exciting, stressful, time-consuming, and in the end, amazing. We know. We can help you with the practical stuff: finishes, lighting, plumbing fixtures, cabinets, and all the other details. We will also help you navigate the technical, emotional, and psychological process of renovation. We’ll be a sounding board, a voice of reason, and your most loyal supporter. Think of us like a construction doula, guiding you through the intense but exciting birth of your new home.


FURNITURE & DECOR


The Splurge. Full design services including space planning and layout, selection of furniture and decor, sourcing, purchasing, and installation. Whether you are starting from scratch or just looking to refresh a room or two, we work with you each step of the way to create a space that makes your heart sing.


HOURLY DESIGN CONSULTING


The Brain Picker. You’re pretty certain you know what you want, but wouldn’t it be great to run it past a pro, just to be sure? Or do you have a few different ideas and need an outside opinion to help make the final decision? What if you have no idea what you want or where to begin and could use someone to walk you through some options? Hourly design consulting is here to save the day! We’ll give you our thoughts, ideas, tips, recommendations, and honest opinion so you can forge ahead to the next step with confidence.


PAINT & WALLPAPER CONSULTING


The Quick Fix. Paint and wallpaper are two of the best, fastest ways to elevate your space and give it new life. But let's be honest, it's a daunting task to find the perfect white paint, the ideal teal, or the moodiest blue. And while today's wallpapers are infinitely cooler than what adorned your grandmother's sitting room, choosing the right one can make your head spin. We love picking paint colors, and poring through wallpaper swatches makes us absolutely giddy. Leave it to us and you'll be sitting pretty in a fresh new room before you can say "Wedgewood Gray damask."


 For ORGANIZATIONS



The entire project utilizes modular systems and prefabrication, which makes it economically wise at the same time creates interactive boundaries. It is a flexible and adaptable system according to the dweller’s needs as well as urban conditions, that can be built in phases. 




Most of the apartments have more than one entrance. Different access-points allow for flexibility of the dwellings: renting rooms, living independent from the family nucleu, or adapting to changes in the familial environment.


Some units have a terrace with the ability to be open or enclosed, allowing the space to act as a dining room, playroom or relaxing area during the day and a guest bedroom at night.



Private orchards on the habitable roofs further contribute to the building’s integration with nature, through extending vegetation to multiple levels.



We develop Petite ADUs in the Bay Area: comfortable/creative micro-living structures that utilize healthy materials, minimize cost, and maximize garden space.