About the Owner

Welcome to Marisol Architecture

Marisol Foreman is the owner and founder of Marisol Architecture. From the age of 12, she was driven by a singular goal—to become an architect. This determination has shaped her journey, taking her around the world through her studies and years living in Munich, Germany.

With experience at firms of all scales, Marisol has worked on projects ranging from multi-use high-rises to single-family remodels. Now, she brings her passion for high-performance design to every project, creating spaces that are both innovative and sustainable.

Read on to explore her diverse background and design philosophy.

  • Great design responds to, and integrates with the site while meeting the client’s needs, budget, and schedule. Whether you're remodeling an existing home or starting from the ground up, we bring your vision to life with careful attention to detail and high-performance design principles.

    Let’s create something exceptional—reach out for a free consultation to discuss your dream project.

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  • Marisol Architecture is here to support your team with expert high-performance design consulting. We streamline the process by handling energy code reviews, optimizing high-performance assemblies, and recommending products that align with your project goals. Our services also include preconstruction reviews with contractors and subcontractors, drawing evaluations, performance consulting with engineers, and guidance on certification pathways.

    Let’s work together to bring your vision to life—efficiently, sustainably, and seamlessly.

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Colorado Residential Architecture

Prior to starting her own firm, Marisol was a Partner and Sustainability Manager at the award winning residential firm, Rowland+Broughton in Denver, Colorado. Through five and half years and 36 projects, Marisol’s experience ranged from Denver to Aspen, from the historic preservation of Larimer Square, to a boutique hotel in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to countless single family residential projects ranging in size from 6,000 SF to 19,000 SF.

  • As Sustainability Manager, Marisol worked closely with each project team to set and achieve performance goals, ensuring sustainability was prioritized from concept through construction administration. Her hands-on approach helped integrate high-performance strategies into every stage of the design process.

  • The U.S. climate zones range from 1 to 8, with Aspen falling in Zone 7—an extreme climate requiring careful design to minimize heating and cooling costs. With most of her projects located in this demanding environment, Marisol has developed a deep expertise in designing for energy efficiency, comfort, and resilience in cold climates.

  • For several residential projects, the firm served as the interior designer, allowing Marisol to collaborate closely with the team to ensure that materials and finishes met rigorous performance standards. This careful selection process prioritized indoor air quality and the health of building occupants

Large-Scale Commercial Projects

At Perkins&Will, Marisol gained valuable insight into high-rise design, science and technology facilities, healthcare, and sports, recreation and entertainment venues—all while leveraging the resources of a global firm. She was awarded two internal research grants: one to develop a performance component summary for all projects, and another to design a roadmap to a net-zero arena.

Beyond the design studio, Marisol embraced the firm’s culture, racing with their ski team, Mad Pow Disease, and playing volleyball with the rec-league, NetZero.

  • Whether a project is 1,500 SF or 150,000 SF, the challenge remains the same—piecing together multiple components to create a cohesive, functional, and inspiring space. Understanding the elements and constraints is just the beginning; the true art lies in arranging them to enhance the user experience.

    This principle applies to projects of all sizes and has been a valuable takeaway from working on large-scale developments across the country.

Exploring Mass Timber

During her time at atelierjones, Marisol contributed to two mass timber projects, deepening her expertise in sustainable design. With access to the firm’s active wood shop, she built exploratory models to study the integration of undulating CLT (cross-laminated timber) panels and the dynamic interplay of natural light from skylights above.

This hands-on design exploration and meticulous attention to detail became a hallmark of her approach, shaping her work throughout her career.

  • Physical models are a dynamic tool for quickly exploring design options and communicating ideas with clients. Using simple materials like wood and chipboard, these models are not meant to be static or untouchable—they invite hands-on engagement, allowing clients to move, add, or adjust elements to actively participate in the design process. This interactive approach ensures that the final design truly reflects their vision.

German Architecture

Marisol spent a year working at Albrecht und Partner, a Munich-based architecture firm, where she honed her skills in German-language project work, the metric system, and the nine German design phases. The firm specialized in transit-support infrastructure, including train stations, hotels, rest stops, and gastronomy.

This experience introduced Marisol to the complexities of integrating corporate design standards with unique site conditions—such as adapting a historic brick barrel vault within a Berlin train station—further enriching her approach to thoughtful, context-driven design.

  • During her time in Munich, Marisol commuted by train every day. It wasn’t until she began working on train station projects that she truly realized the profound impact efficient design can have on thousands of commuters. When done right, the design of a transit station seamlessly blends into the daily routine, often going unnoticed by the public. But when it’s done poorly, the effects are felt by every traveler.

Marisol Foreman

AIA, CPHD, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C

Professional Affiliations:

Board Member of the Colorado Green Building Guild (CGBG)

Co-Chair of the Committee on the Environment (COTE), AIA Colorado

Member of the Colorado Embodied Carbon Collaborative

Member of the Passive House Network, Rocky Mountain Chapter

Past Chair of the Design and Honor Awards Committee, AIA Colorado

American Institute of Architects (AIA)

National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) Certificate

Resume:

For more information about Marisol’s professional and educational experience, visit her LinkedIn page here.

Certified Passive House Designer logo

Community & Industry Engagement

  • Contractor Alignment

    Contractor Alignment

    BRINGING GCS & SUBS TO THE DESIGN TABLE

    Marisol coordinated a series of knowledge share meetings to review building science concepts with contractors and their subs and discuss what they are experiencing in the field. This collaborative approach allows teams to field questions before projects go out for pricing.

  • Team Charrette

    Team Sustainability Charrette

    FIRM EXERCISES

    Bring your team together with a fun charrette that challenges them to design with well being in mind.

  • AIA CO

    CGBG Panel on the Marshall Fire

    AIA COLORADO CONFERENCE

    Shannon Wehner, Marisol Foreman, and Jessica Hunter discuss the impacts of the Marshall Fire on local communities and CGBG’s role in providing educational material to build back better.

  • AIA CO Design Awards

    Design + Honor Awards Presentation

    AIA COLORADO

    As the former Chair of the AIA Colorado Design + Honor Awards, Marisol presented award winners with Julianne Scherer, the former AIA CO President

  • CGBG GHT

    Green Home Tour

    COLORADO GREEN BUILDING GUILD

    As a Board Member of the Colorado Green Building Guild, Marisol has been a part of the fantastic team to plan the annual Green Home Tour. Visit CGBG.org for more information on upcoming tours.

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