An international force with a less-is-more design philosophy who focuses on cultural influences, kindness and hospitality is entering the realm of architecture. Flex-Ability Concepts is an advocate of this force—Tathiana Volpe-Ruiz—via its University of Oklahoma (OU) scholarship program. This is the 24^th year Flex-Ability Concepts has offered a scholarship to OU architectural students like Volpe-Ruiz.

Volpe-Ruiz is entering her last year as a student in the master’s program at the Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture at OU. Volpe-Ruiz, originally from Colombia before moving to Florida with her family, and her husband Alexsander, a Dominican Republic native, were looking for a place where Volpe-Ruiz could complete her education near a stateside Air Force base. Alexsander is a member of the Air Force and was facing reassignment after the couple lived overseas for several years with their three children. The options were narrowed down to Mississippi, California and Oklahoma. 

“We felt that Oklahoma offered the most affordable cost of living and proximity to my husband's work and my university,” Volpe-Ruiz says. “As for the university aspect, upon reading more about OU Gibbs College of Architecture, I felt that it offered the best academic preparation. The University of Oklahoma has been a great experience filled with so many great people who have helped me shape my academic journey.”

Another influence is her father, a licensed architect in Colombia who continues to work in the construction field in Florida. Volpe-Ruiz says, “Perhaps the biggest influence my dad has had on me is his integrity and professionalism. I call him frequently to ask for his guidance or his support when school gets tough. He as well as my mother are my biggest supporters. I hope to move back home after graduating and work alongside my father. I believe his mentoring will have a great impact on my journey as an aspiring architect. I hope to make him and my mom proud in all I do.”

Volpe-Ruiz draws additional motivation from her Colombian culture, where she says she has learned to appreciate and value beauty. This is seen in every aspect of what Colombians do from its people, architecture, music, literature, gastronomy and folklore. 

Traveling has allowed Volpe-Ruiz’s biases to be broken, perceptions to be change and knowledge to be expanded. She has visited 40 countries, can read the Korean alphabet, and can somewhat understand French and Italian.

Volpe-Ruiz says, “I believe that traveling allows for your tools to be sharpened, to enable you to go beyond the vernacular architecture that surrounds you and explore ways that extend beyond your immediate geographical location. Traveling engages all the senses; those same senses are considered when architects design because buildings, just like traveling, are an experience.”

Volpe-Ruiz did not know about Flex-Ability Concepts before she discovered the scholarship opportunity, but she is glad that she got the opportunity to learn about the company and its products. She notes, “I had no idea of the impact Flex-Ability Concepts has on our field and how its products allow our designs to come to life in a shorter amount of time than it would take with other methods of construction.”

With plans to return to Florida after graduation, Volpe-Ruiz is grateful for the Oklahoma experiences and education. She looks forward to being reunited with her family and working with her father while developing her own architectural design style with a simplistic and contemporary focus. In her downtime, Volpe-Ruiz can be found reading or dancing. 

“My parents are great dancers too, so I guess you can say it runs in the family. We are known to be very ‘colorful’ and lively. So, if it sounds like music, you will see me dancing. It is a great form of exercise too!” Volpe-Ruiz says.

Frank Wheeler, an owner of Flex-Ability Concepts, adds, “Tathiana comes to the architectural community with so much international experience and cultural influence that it already can be seen in her design practices. Curves no doubt can be seen around the globe, and we hope Tathiana always takes the concept of curves and Flex-Ability Concepts with her, no matter where she goes.”

For more information about Flex-Ability Concepts and its products for commercial and residential applications, visit https://www.flexabilityconcepts.com.