Oscar De las salas

A native of Barranquilla, Colombia, Oscar De las salas is an award-winning international architectural designer with more than two decades of experience with municipal and community development projects. Since 2017, he has served as Design Manager, Business Development lead and is currently a Client Relationships Manger in the Gensler Phoenix office, reporting to the Southwest Region.

Oscar completed his Master’s in Architecture and Interior Architecture by the University of Salamanca in 1998 and moved directly to Arizona to study the works of Frank Lloyd Wright to write his thesis project about “American Modernism through the eye of Frank Lloyd Wright”. His European tenure allowed him to pursue internships an Interior Architect and work in the EU within several European countries, He became the Visual Design Manager at-large for the prestigious Italian interior design firm: Cassina.

Oscar’s early career led him to serve as Project Architect, and as the Interior Finishes specification lead and field coordination superintendent for four U.S. Embassies around the world: Bolivia, Colombia, Singapore, and Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. As a curious note, Oscar held US Government Clearance Type 3 (Top Secret) while working side by side with the Federal Building Office team in Washington D.C., all via Facsimile and during the early days of email correspondence. Ask him about the protocol to send secured architectural details of the ambassador’s office or the U.S. Marine’s headquarters information back then.

Oscar’s work with the community in Arizona has developed into a variety of volunteering efforts with local charities, He was recognized for his contribution to the community by the Arizona House of Representatives and in 2019, and June 29, his birthday, was declared “Oscar Day” by City of Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, and last month of August 2022, a recognition by the Arizona State Legislature during the Hispanic Heritage Month Celebrations for his contributions to the state of Arizona.

Oscar has served for 14 years as a member of the board of Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA), he is a board member with Phoenix Art Museum, Friends of Phoenix Public Art, ArtLink, Southwest Shakespeare, Vice-Chair of the Urban Land Institute Arizona Chapter, Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion, committee, and global ambassador for PROCOLOMBIA, a government agency of the Executive Branch of the Government of Colombia in charge of promoting Colombian non-traditional exports, international tourism and foreign investment. Oscar is currently a Commissioner for the Phoenix Sisters Cities and chair of the Colombia commission in search of a sisterhood with a city in his native Colombia

Oscar’s community and media involvement locally, making him a familiar face when it comes to the world of design and style.