Karen Malacara: Ideas Materialized Through Architecture

Originally from Monterrey, Nuevo León, Karen Malacara knew from a very young age that she would be an architect. To this end, she decided to study at Tecnológico de Monterrey, one of the best universities in the country. Upon completion of her training, she began her working life as administrative account manager for PLADIS (one of the largest firms in her hometown), now known as Grupo FRATERNA. Years later, in an effort to continue her professional growth, she completed a master’s degree in Business at the IPADE Business School of Universidad Panamericana in Mexico City.

She arrived in Puerto Vallarta 13 years ago, due to work-related matters, but upon discovering its merits, the warmth of its people and the diverse job opportunities our destination offered her, she decided to stay and settle here permanently. Thanks to her talent, ability and vision, she was able to thrive and excel in the industry to the point of undertaking her own projects, in partnership with a group of friends, becoming one of the main founders of GRUPO GOVA.

“As of October 2013, I became independent, and now we have five and a half years with GRUPO GOVA, where we have grown rapidly with a great team made up of highly experienced professionals,” she explains.

Malacara began as a project manager and, because of her results, was given the opportunity to be the new business director, supervising the work of the project managers.

“Today, we have six projects at the same time, with six different managers, and I became more like their coach. In addition, it is my responsibility to assign projects to these managers.”

Her resume includes a varied list of developments ranging from social, medium and residential to residential-plus housing. In this last category, two projects located in the Romantic Zone stand out: Loft 268 and the new AVIDA development.

“We created AVIDA with the idea that it was to be the area’s first LEED project, which seeks to certify ecological and energy controls under international standards. This project offers units made specifically for people with special abilities. In addition, each apartment will have smart devices to control various appliances from the comfort of a smartphone.”

Regarding upcoming projects, she highlighted a few residential developments and Vitanea, the first urban center in the area, in addition to organizing a student competition that seeks to preserve and enhance the area’s typical architecture, one of the city’s main attractions. She also shared that GRUPO GOVA will be part of the market center of the real estate agency Keller Williams Bahía.

“The role of GRUPO GOVA is to serve as a connection, so that sellers can offer our services to their clients and make a sale. That is to say, we give the projects directly to everyone associated with Keller Williams Bahía, who can be independent brokers or realtors with large teams, so that we all benefit.”

Malacara emphasized that what she enjoys most about her work and the reason she decided to become an architect is seeing her ideas materialized. “I enjoy imagining something, seeing it done and, especially, that the work is recognized. And of course, I love seeing happy clients and knowing that many people are given job opportunities.”

Beyond providing her with professional opportunities and successes, Puerto Vallarta has given her what is most valuable and important to her: her family. For this reason, Malacara carries out each of her projects with responsibility, determination, commitment and passion, to contribute to the benefit of the city and its people.

She mentions that in her leisure time she enjoys participating in sports—especially running—and, above all, spending time with her family. “I really like being with my husband and my children. I am the mother of four children: triplets and a special little girl who has Down syndrome, which has radically changed my life in terms of raising awareness and supporting society as much as I can.”

This has led her to work with government institutions such as DIF in Puerto Vallarta, where she has provided her support for the realization of the Unidad Regional de Rehabilitación ANDREA (Regional Rehabilitation Unit ANDREA), which offers physical and intellectual therapies at low cost. In addition, in conjunction with the government of Jalisco, she is working on the realization and implementation of a pilot model of inclusive education in the state, so that teachers of different educational levels are trained and certified to know and apply the necessary care that people with special abilities must have in the classroom.