José Pérez Orozco

Architect from Barranquilla, graduate of Universidad del Atlántico (1981) with a postgraduate degree in Architectural Design from Universidad Autónoma del Caribe. Founder of Arquijoe, the studio he jokingly calls his "toy shop" — the place where the most irreverent ideas in this portfolio are born.

He has taught architecture since the age of 19, at institutions including Universidad Autónoma del Caribe, Universidad del Litoral and Corporación Universitaria de la Costa. He also served as Secretary of Public Works and Secretary of Planning for the Barranquilla District, an experience that gave him deep territorial knowledge of the city he continues to transform.

In November 2024, Colombia's Congress awarded him the degree of Knight, and the Chamber of Representatives conferred upon him the "Simón Bolívar" Order of Democracy, in recognition of his career shaping Caribbean architecture.

He describes himself as "anarchic, irreverent and passionate about spaces." For him, architecture is "the realization of dreams, a vehicle to enhance our identity" — a conviction visible in the Caimán del Río as much as in every house, restaurant and building in this portfolio.