QVALIA
QUALIA (noun, singular form: quale)
A term used in philosophy to refer to individual instances of subjective, conscious experience. 1
1 Wikipedia
INTRODUCTION
QVALIA is a multi-disciplinary design firm that blends the concrete parameters of architecture with the magical exuberance of set design. Its objective is to create new & transformative experiences that help stimulate the subject’s senses. Captained by architect Luis López Baquero and production designer Lizzie Cuello Gebetsberger, QVALIA brings together the best professionals in all fields and the latest technologies to attack the types and scales of projects that aim for a lasting impression.
SENSE
Stimulate the subject’s senses and perceptions by experimenting and playing with light, color, sound, and form. Our aesthetic proposal responds to physical, emotional, contextual and psychological aspects and is not limited by trends, yet might anticipate or create them.
MULTI-DISCIPLINES
Bring together the best professionals in related (and seemingly unrelated) fields to create provocative projects that fuse and lie somewhere between art, architecture, and technology.
INTEGRATED DESIGN
Our process starts with a concept…a story. Our proposal consists of an integrated design, where each and every element responds to that unifying concept, thus making it stronger. Everything is connected and reads as a whole. And every element is indispensable.
SCALE
Our approach works for projects large or small, from an urban master plan down to a corporate logo. Notwithstanding the scale, design is always at service to man. Thus, every design decision must take into consideration the human need and the human experience.
ARCHITECTURE + SET DESIGN
Building on our combined experience in projects both architectural and cinematic, we present design options that blend the concrete spatial definition of architecture and the magical law-breaking world of set design.
EFFICIENCY
Good design is a collaboration. Good communication with our Clients is essential to reach that optimum design in the shortest amount of time. Information about the Client's needs, budget and time restraints helps us prepare a proposal that meets and exceeds Client's expectations.
TEAM
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PARTNER
Lizzie Cuello gebetsBerger
Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Lizzie Cuello Gebetsberger is a production designer with over 35 years of experience in the film industry who has helmed over 500 commercials ads; numerous feature and short films; documentaries; and other special events including concerts andTV specials. In 2010, she cofounds QVALIA, a design firm that blends the magical exuberance of film with the concrete parameters of architecture.
EARLY YEARS
Lizzie started working in film at an early age. Her first commission, at age 15, was to produce giant butterflies for a scene in "Días de ilusión" (1980). She later assisted a sculptor and created sets for burlesque theater shows. As Set Sculptor at Baires Films in Argentina, she participated in several of Roger Corman's B-movie gems, including "Deathstalker" (1983) and "Amazons" (1986). She complemented this practical experience with a Bachelor Degree in Art History from Universidad de Buenos Aires and Interior Design studies at Universidad de Belgrano.
FILM
Following her years at Baires Films, she moved up and mastered all design positions in the Art Department. Her projects in Argentina include "La noche de los lápices" (1986, Assistant Art Director); "De los Apeninos a los Andes" (1990, Set Decorator); and "De eso no se habla" (1993, Set Decorator). During this period, designers like Jorge Sarudiansky, Mario Vanarelli, Emilio Basaldúa, and María Luisa Bertotto were great teachers and mentors.
Director Marco Zurinaga worked with Lizzie in an Argentina-Puerto Rico coproduction, "Tango Bar" (1987, Assistant Art Director). They reunited in Puerto Rico to film "Death in Granada" (1996, Set Decorator). Her following projects in Puerto Rico include "Che Part 1: The Argentine" (2008, Assistant Art Director); "Maldeamores" (2007, Production Designer); and "Fragmentos de amor" (2016, Production Designer), a Puerto Rico-Colombia coproduction.
COMMERCIAL FILMS
Lizzie has helmed more than 500 commercial ads for local and international brands; including Sony, Chrysler, Ford, Coca Cola, Heineken, Nestlé, Unilever, and Procter & Gamble; plus has worked for ad agencies like Young & Rubicam, J. Walter Thomson, BBDO, FCB (Foote, Cone & Belding), and Saatchi & Saatchi. Among the awards and distinctions her work has garnered her Clients and the Products they represent; we can mention the following: Cannes 2007, National Diploma for "Ragú Hindú" (Ragú); Cannes 2012, Grand Prix for "The Most Popular Song" (Heineken); and Cannes 2013, Bronze for "the Race of a Country" (BPPR).
OTHER PROJECTS
Besides her work in commercial, short, documentary and feature films; Lizzie has tackled the design of the renowned Bacardi Festival (Eds. 22-24); TV Specials for Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, including "Siempre Piel Canela" (1997) and "Romance del Cumbanchero" (1998); concerts (KQ Concert); musical videos ("Lunatics" by Bayanga Band); and Thematic Parks (Marine Wolf Exhibit at San Clemente del Tuyú Aquarium, Argentina).
QVALIA
In 2006, Lizzie meets her future design partner, Luis López Baquero, in the production of "Che Part 1: The Argentine", a film that boasts the talents of Director Steven Soderbergh, Production Designer Antxón Gómez, and Actors Benicio del Toro, Demián Bichir, and Catalina Sandino Moreno. Four years later, they join forces to work on their first private project, "Il Nuovo Perugino", a 4,200 square-foot restaurant in Popular Center Building in the business district of San Juan, Puerto Rico. QVALIA was born.
![fotos_website.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d23486_37580b18a3c742b19334e511547e8432~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_0,y_43,w_720,h_633/fill/w_299,h_263,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/fotos_website.jpg)
PARTNER
LUIS LóPEZ BAQUERO
Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and trained in architecture, civil engineering and set design; Luis López-Baquero has helmed numerous architectural projects, primarily as Principal of Taller de Arquitectura y Urbanismo (TAU) and QVALIA, which he founded in 1997 and 2010, respectively; and has participated in various film, theater, and TV projects, mainly as production and/ or set designer.
EARLY YEARS
Luis started drawing at a very young age. His art was fueled by a passion for comic books and movies. Comic book artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo (both, 'Batman'), fantasy illustrator Frank Fazzetta, and concept artists Ralph McQuarrie ('Star Wars') and Syd Mead ('Blade Runner') were (and still are) strong influences.
MIT
A double major in both Art & Design and Civil Engineering at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), was complemented by a Master of Architecture degree from the same institution. MIT's humanist take on architecture and urban planning, at the time, was in tune with the teachings of Frank Lloyd Wright, the legendary American Architect. Two professors at MIT were particularly inspiring. Fernando Domeyco taught how to design not only spaces, but experiences. Jan Wampler insisted architects were essential at an urban scale as well. Under the latter's counseling, Luis worked on two urban proposals for his hometown of San Juan, Puerto Rico: an Urban Renewal Plan for Roosevelt Avenue that was presented to then Mayor Héctor Luis Acevedo and his Thesis Proposal, "Redifining the Public Realm: A New Center for Santurce, Puerto Rico".
GOVERNMENT
During and immediately after the college years, Luis worked in the Planning division of both the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and the Tourism Company. There, he elaborated an urban design scheme for the coastal town of Boquerón and a Tourist Development Plan for the Municipality of Utuado. As Coordinator of the Conservation Workshop, a division responsible for the preservation of the Governor’s Mansion and its immediate surroundings, he supervised all personnel, 23 workers and office employees, plus contracted services.
TAU
Founded in 1997, Taller de Arquitectura y Urbanismo (TAU) reflects Luis's interest in both architectural and urban design. Under TAU, Luis focused mainly on residential design, with numerous new constructions and renovations under his name. Other notable projects include CEVET (Centro de Veterinarios Especializados de Puerto Rico), and plans for the Hippopotamus Exhibit at Dr. Juan A. Rivero Zoo in Mayagüez, PR.
FILM
Parallel to his work at TAU, and in response to his passion for films and the art of making movies, Luis was pulled into the film world. Starting as Art Director in short films, he moved on to other positions in the Art Department and onto feature films. Projects include "Replicas" (2017, Set Designer); "Wrecked , Season 1" (2016, Art Director); "Our Brand Is Crisis" (2015, Art Director); "Teen Beach Movie 2" (2014, Set Designer); "Fast Five" (2011, Set Designer); "The Condemned" (2011, Production Designer); "The Rum Diary" (2011, Set Designer); and Che Part 1: The Argentine" (2008, Concept Artist).
QVALIA
In 2006, Luis meets his future design partner, Lizzie Cuello, in the production of "Che Part 1: The Argentine", a film that boasts the talents of Director Steven Soderbergh, Production Designer Antxón Gómez, and Actors Benicio del Toro, Demián Bichir, and Catalina Sandino Moreno. Four years later, they join forces to work on their first private project, "Il Nuovo Perugino", a 4,200 square-foot restaurant in Popular Center Building in the business district of San Juan, Puerto Rico. QVALIA was born.