Born in Peru, both of her parents are engineers. Her mom was even on a construction site when she was pregnant with Mayer Martinelli and started getting contractions. Francesca Mayer Martinelli, unlike her engineer parents, decided to pursue a career in interior design after graduating from high school. She attended Converse College in South Carolina, where she first learnt about sustainable design.
One of my teachers was all about sustainability. I actually had never heard that word before I went into college. Its something thats still very new here in Peru, she says. But the way in which she showed us what sustainability was felt very natural. Sustainable solutionsyes, some are technological, but some are derived from basic and obvious ideals, like solar panels. Its something thats available, its there, its obviousits just logical. For me sustainability just makes sense.
MAKING PERU SUSTAINABLE
The graduation at New York School of Interior Design
When Mayer Martinelli graduated at 21, her mom suggested she pursue a masters degree. Still curious about sustainable design, she applied for the one-year Master of Professional Studies in Sustainable Interior Environments program at the New York School of Interior Design (NYSID). I remember when I got the
acceptance letter; I didnt even think twice, she says. I started making all
of my arrangements and moved to New York.
The rest, as far as Mayer Martinelli is concerned, is history. My year at NYSID was the best year, she says. I feel like I learned more that year than I did during my whole college and high school career.
Despite the title, the curriculum includes all facets of sustainable design, from HVAC to textiles, with instructors that are not only knowledgeable about the sector but also work in it today. It was really important for me to have teachers who were professionals working in the field at that time ... They were not retired, or people who did a couple of buildings 30 years ago, but they were accredited professionals who left class to go back to their offices and work on projects we would maybe see in a couple of weeks being built or designed in New York City.
The graduate campus is LEED Platinumcertified, so students are able to learn about sustainability in a sustainable environment. It was really cool for me to learn about sustainability firsthand from exactly where I was sitting, says Mayer.
And because faculty members are active in the industry, students are often given firsthand looks into some of the top firms in the industry. We had a professor from Designtex, and she took us to the NYC headquarters, Mayer Martinelli says. For us to be able to go to the spaces and see the interior design didnt only mean you could design spaces, but that you can be a LEED consultant or work with fabrics or work at an architecture firm or in codeshaving a variety of teachers gave me this idea that I could do anything.
Interior Design post-graduation
When she graduated in 2012 Mayer Martinelli moved back to Peru, wanting an opportunity to help her home country become more sustainable. She started working at a LEED consulting firm, working with clients like Coca-Cola before landing a job with the sustainable construction firm SUMAC.
The Peru Green Building Council (GBC) then called Mayer Martinelli twice in 2016, requesting that she take over as CEO.When they first called in February I said no, she says. I felt like I had more to give on LEED projects. However, when the president personally contacted her in October about running the organization and fighting for sustainability with both private companies and the government, she agreed.
She's been in the position for six years and out of school for even longer, yet she says she still finds her education at NYSID beneficial, to the point of going back to look at old class notes. My job today is something that really relates a lot to my years at NYSID because we were able to see professionals from different backgrounds, she says. Now I work with a lot of HVAC companies, so Im even thankful for the ASHRAE class I had that I didnt love when I was in school. With some of my larger clientsSamsung, LG, and other super large HVAC companiesI have the knowledge to have conversations with them about it. I feel like I know a little bit more about certain parts of the business than some of my peers do.
Beyond the education itself, the curriculum has given Mayer Martinelli the foundation to make real sustainable change. Working with the Ministry of Housing, Construction, and Sanitation, the Peru GBC launched new regulations for all public sector buildings that will require all new construction to go green starting next year.
New buildings are going to have to be sustainable, and we are going to have to change the way they are designed, Mayer Martinelli says. Projects here in Peru used to not be energy-efficient, but now there are going to be specific requirements for all public buildings to lower energy consumption, for example, including having to incorporate water treatment plants, green roofs, green materials, water-efficient fixtures, and more. Its going to be a game-changer.
