About

GIGAGRASS is an international design atelier and partnership that brings together award winning Colombian designer, Simon Velez, and US born designer, Stefana Simic. GIGAGRASS team brings more than 50 years of experience, and has been working together since 2014 and has clients and projects all over the world. 
SIMON VELEZ
Co-Founder
Simon brings to the studio more than 50 years of experience as an award winning designer (licensed in Colombia). He is widely considered to be the pioneer in working with bamboo. He discovered new and revolutionary techniques in bamboo joinery systems that allow the bamboo, for the first time in history, to work in tension. This optimizes the bamboos structural function and natural strength. Simon has been awarded the Principal Prince Claus Award (2009) as well as the Award of Honor in Analysis and Planning from the American Society of Landscape Architects in 2006 for his work in “Crosswaters Ecolodge.” His major works include Indian Pavilion at the Expo Shanghai (2010); Nomadic Museum, in Zocalo Square, Mexico (2008); Temple in Cartagena, Colombia (2009); Ecolodge Hotel in Guangzhou, China (2005); Jenny Garzon Pedestrian Bridge, Colombia (2003); Reggae Stage in Jamaica (2002), and the Zeri Pavilion in Expo Hannover, Germany (2000). Simon´s personal website is here www.simonvelez.net
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STEFANA SIMIC
​Co-Founder
Stefana is a US born designer and leads the design team and coordinates the business operations of the company. She has expanded the firm´s reach to explore new research and development opportunities in the field of bamboo design, in particular prefabrication techniques. Stefana has been the recipient of the US Fulbright Fellowship (2011), ThinkSwiss Research Fellowship (2010), and RISD Artist of the Year (2005). She has presented research and design work in the previous years at MoMA PS1 (2012), Fulbright Foundation in Greece (2011), the National Library in Serbia (2011), Center for Architecture in New York (2012), Middle Eastern Research Center in Jordan (201), EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland (2010), AIA Queens Chapter (2010), and Politechnico di Milano (2010). She received a BA in Architecture and M.Arch from Columbia University. www.stefana.com