James Meraz

Background

About James Meraz

James Meraz is a multidisciplinary artist, designer, and educator with over two decades of experience across product design, architecture, spatial environments, and immersive experience design. A graduate of the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) with further studies at the Architectural Association in London, his work blends conceptual rigor with hands-on innovation.As founder of the Studio of James Meraz, he has developed an expansive portfolio ranging from architectural and interior design for high-end residences and commercial spaces, to showroom environments and large-scale public art installations in cities including Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, Las Vegas, Miami, Joshua Tree, Uvita, Costa Rica and Barcelona, Spain.James is a full-time professor at ArtCenter College of Design, teaching in the Environmental Design, Spatial Experience Design, Product Design, and Industrial Design Foundation departments. A passionate educator, he has led numerous global academic collaborations—most notably with Tama Art University in Tokyo, Japan and the British Columbia Creative Center in Vancouver, Canada alongside curating and directing international student exhibitions.His leadership of the Eco Research Lab at ArtCenter underscores a deep commitment to sustainability and biomimicry thinking in design, with his students regularly receiving recognition for forward-thinking ecological solutions. He has lead these biomimicry workshops in extreme ecologies such as the Mojave desert and the deep jungles of Costa Rica. James’s impact is also felt through his talks and workshops at Dwell on Design, WantedDesign NYC, and the IAAC in Barcelona, Isthmus Escuela de Aritecturo y Diseño in Panama among others.His work, and the work of his students, has been widely published and awarded, reflecting a career dedicated to design excellence, environmental stewardship, and innovative education.