Maria Del Rocio Mendoza Refosco
Project Manager/ Designer



Rocio was born and raised in Mendoza, Argentina. Raised by an architect and an engineer, she grew up on job sites and amidst blueprints, always curious and asking questions about construction. She decided to complement the skill set she had developed throughout her life with a formal education.

Architecture has always been her passion. The more she learned, the more she wanted to know. Rocio sees architecture as a lifestyle, not just a job. On any given day, you can find her enthusiastically discussing the characteristics of buildings with anyone who will listen. She is particularly passionate about modern and postmodern architecture, drawing inspiration from luminaries like Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright, Daniel Libeskind, and Zaha Hadid.

Rocio graduated in 2019 with a double major in Architecture and Urbanism from the University of Mendoza. Her studies encompassed not only the traditional exterior and interior aspects of buildings but also how spaces are experienced and lived in. During her last year of school, she completed a diploma in architectural phenomenology, a discipline that emphasizes human experience, background, intention, historical reflection, interpretation, and poetic considerations. She had the privilege of studying under the guidance of world-renowned architects, including Eliana Bormida, Luis Longhi, and Cristian Boza.

Rocio's first encounter with Tahoe was for skiing. She spent her college years working as a ski instructor in various countries, transitioning between hemispheres and living in winter for six years. After graduating and working in her home country as an independent architect and interior designer, her love for Tahoe drew her back to the United States. In 2022, she joined MWA, where she currently serves as a Project Manager/Designer.

In her free time, you can find her skiing, practicing various aerial arts, painting or traveling to new places in search of more inspiration and "cool buildings."


All Staff

Kristi/Karin,

On October 18, we moved into the new house that you designed for us and have been enjoying it immensely. It is even nicer than we had envisaged when we were looking at the plans on paper. The living space (Great Room, kitchen, eating area) are working out perfectly. We’ve had two sets of guests up already and having all that open space has been very handy. All the large windows in the back (Great Room, kitchen, master bedroom) make it feel like we’re camping. The steel staircase complements the exposed steel beams and posts and is a phenomenal centerpiece as you walk into the house.

We greatly appreciate the collaborative way in which you worked with us to come up with this design. We had some ideas on what we were after when we began the process, but you were able to shape our inchoate thoughts into something really spectacular. You also were very proactive in talking with the town’s building department and submitting our permit application at a fortuitous time for us. We also valued your input on what it would cost to build the place. Interestingly, despite COVID and all the related supply chain issues we’ve experienced over the past year and a half, our actual construction cost came in very close to your original ball park estimate.

Thank you very much for your partnership in helping us realize a real dream home.

All the best,

Joe Naylor & Karen Torres


-- Joe Naylor
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