“A passionate Mexican risk-taker” is how Mexican-born designer Alfonso Verduzco describes his creative point of view. Now practicing in Scottsdale, Arizona, Verduzco is still deeply influenced by his background, upbringing, and the art, culture, and traditions of his homeland.
“I want to honor the richness of Mexico, its materials, craftsmanship, architecture, and cultural history, and translate those influences into a new language of sophistication and innovation,” he says. “I never want to interpret those references literally; I want to understand their essence and reimagine them in a contemporary way.”
Photography courtesy of Alfonso Verduzco
Looking back, Verduzco recalls growing up in Mexico surrounded by artisan communities, which he visited with his family. “I remember seeing objects being made by hand and developing an appreciation for craftsmanship long before I understood it as design.”
His training in Italy and visits to factories like Poliform, B&B Italia, and Minotti reinforced that appreciation. Masters like Antonio Citterio and Piero Lissoni also had a lasting impact. “It made me want to represent my own Mexican heritage with that same level of pride, elegance, and global relevance.”
Once introduced to high-end furniture, craftsmanship, and manufacturing, Verduzco immediately “felt connected to that world,” he says, “and knew this was the path I wanted to follow.”
Photography courtesy of WVH
But the road was not exactly linear. Verduzco earned a degree in accounting in Mexico before moving to the United States at age 18, without speaking English. He began taking various design courses before finding his way to architecture at the University of Colorado in Boulder.
“This country has given me so much, but Mexico is where my roots are, and I think starting over made me even more aware of how important those roots are to me,” he says. “Today, they are an essential part of my identity as a designer and something I want to represent with pride through my work.
Alfonso Verduzco joins us for today’s Friday Five. We spent five minutes with him discussing the inspiration behind ALMA, an acoustic wall panel collection he designed in collaboration with WVH.
Photography courtesy of WVH
ALMA
Launched at NeoCon earlier this year, ALMA was inspired by the material, architectural, and cultural heritage of Mexico, translated into contemporary surfaces using natural materials, including volcanic stone, copper, obsidian, and wood veneer.
“When I started ALMA, I wanted to challenge the idea of what an acoustic panel could be,” Verduzco says. “Yes, it had to perform, but I also wanted it to create an emotional and sensory connection with the person experiencing it. I began looking at materials, places, and architectural details from Mexico that have stayed with me throughout my life and sought to reinterpret them abstractly without losing their essence.”
Photography courtesy of WVH
What Inspired ALMA?
ALMA was conceived as a family of nine designs, each with its own story and identity, reflecting a cultural, architectural, material, or historical reference from Mexico.
The first three designs of the line—SENDERO, SAGRADO, and REFLEJO—reflect Verduzco’s own journey. “Mexico gave me the roots and the story,” he says. “My education and career in the United States, together with my training and exposure to design in Italy, gave me a different perspective through which to interpret them. Bringing those worlds together into something that can now be experienced in interiors here and internationally has been incredibly meaningful to me.”
Even at the highest level of design, the human hand, the material, and the attention to detail are what give an object its soul.
Below, Verduzco describes his distinct and vivid sources of inspiration for the ALMA collection, which won a Best of NeoCon award and a MetropolisLikes2026 recognition.
Photography courtesy of WVH
Historic Volcanic Stone Streets
“SENDERO (meaning pathway in Spanish) was inspired by the historic streets of Mexico, where large volcanic stones have been shaped over generations by rain, footsteps, horses, and carts.
“I’ve always been fascinated by how every stone develops its own character and carries a sense of time and history. I wanted to capture that feeling in an abstract way, translating the irregular rhythm of those streets into the composition of the panel and creating a contrast between the warmth of natural wood veneer and the raw presence of solid volcanic stone.”
Photography courtesy of WVH
Traditional Mexican Cathedral Doors
“SAGRADO (sacred in Spanish) was inspired by the monumental wooden doors found in historic Mexican cathedrals—particularly the decorative iron and copper nails that have aged alongside the wood for generations.
“I was drawn to the contrast between the metal, its natural patina over time, and the character of the surrounding wood. I abstracted those details using solid end-grain larch treated with the Shou Sugi Ban technique, paired with copper elements that reinterpret the original metalwork in a contemporary way.”
Photography courtesy of WVH
Mexican Obsidian
“REFLEJO (reflection in Spanish) celebrates Mexican obsidian, a volcanic glass valued for centuries for its natural beauty and later used in jewelry for its deep black color and reflective qualities.
“I was intrigued by the idea of taking something we normally experience at the scale of a precious object and translating that feeling into an architectural surface. By combining real Mexican obsidian with the beautiful grain of a gray maple wood veneer, the design reimagines the wall almost as a piece of jewelry, allowing light, reflection, and material contrast to become part of the experience.”
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