Mexican-born designer Alfonso Verduzco draws on his heritage to create the ALMA acoustic panel collection. The Scottsdale, Arizona-based designer describes his creative point of view as that of a “passionate Mexican risk-taker.”
Verduzco says, “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.”
The designer grew up in Mexico, surrounded by artisan communities. “I remember seeing objects being made by hand and developing an appreciation for craftsmanship long before I understood it as design,” he says.
From accounting to architecture
Verduzco’s path to design was not straightforward. He earned a degree in accounting in Mexico before moving to the United States at 18, without speaking English.
He took various design courses before studying architecture at the University of Colorado in Boulder. “This country has given me so much, but Mexico is where my roots are,” he says. “Starting over made me even more aware of how important those roots are to me.”
Verduzco trained in Italy and visited factories like Poliform, B&B Italia, and Minotti. Masters like Antonio Citterio and Piero Lissoni had a lasting impact on him. He says, “It made me want to represent my own Mexican heritage with that same level of pride, elegance, and global relevance.”
ALMA acoustic panels
Verduzco designed the ALMA acoustic wall panel collection in collaboration with WVH. The collection launched at NeoCon earlier this year. It uses natural materials, including volcanic stone, copper, obsidian, and wood veneer.
He reinterpreted Mexican materials, places, and architectural details abstractly, seeking to retain their essence. The collection comprises nine designs, each with its own story and identity, reflecting a cultural, architectural, material, or historical reference from Mexico.
The first three designs, SENDERO, SAGRADO, and REFLEJO, reflect Verduzco’s 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.”
Verduzco describes his distinct and vivid sources of inspiration for the ALMA collection, which won a Best of NeoCon award and a MetropolisLikes2026 recognition.
