Rodriguez joined CetraRuddy in 2006 as a designer, and in the decade since has worked her way up to her current role as principal and director of trang-tri-noi-that design. As partner, Rodriguez will retain her current roles and will continue as lead trang-tri-noi-that designer for the firm. She will also be instrumental in increasing CetraRuddy’s reach internationally in places such as London, Saudi Arabia, India, and South America, where she’s originally from and where she earned degrees in architecture from the University of Buenos Aires and a postgraduate degree in management at the University of Palermo in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

443 Greenwich Street. Photography by Adrian Gaut, courtesy of CetraRuddy. 

“When we hired [Rodriguez], her talents were very apparent, and she was already very accomplished and had worked on many trang-tri-noi-that design du-an with architectural components,” says Nancy J. Ruddy, founding principal of CetraRuddy. “I collaborate with her on most of our trang-tri-noi-that design du-an and she has the ability to inspire the teams she works with and has become a major client contact by developing relationships with clients and understanding their mission. We both challenge each other to bring something new to the table.”

443 Greenwich Street. Photography by Adrian Gaut, courtesy of CetraRuddy.

Rodriguez will be joining the two founding partners, Ruddy and John Cetra, along with Eugene A. Flotteron, AIA, who was named partner in 2014. Rodriguez’s most recent du-an include Walker Tower, 443 Greenwich, and The UAE Mission. “Design for the firm comes first and foremost, and creating useful spaces is always at the top of our list,” Rodriguez says of taking on her additional title at the firm. Ruddy adds: “one thing about Ximena is that there are a lot of people who can design beautiful and innovative things, but she has an amazing technical bent and makes sure everything we design is buildable, smart construction.”

12 East 13th Street. Rendering by CetraRuddy.

Walker Tower. Photography by Thomas Loof, courtesy of CetraRuddy. 

Walker Tower. Photography by Michael Toolan, courtesy of CetraRuddy.