About Circular Studio

Circular Studio is an international graphic design studio with a focus on the publishing industry. We help our clients designing and producing elegant books on architecture, urbanism, interior design, landscape architecture, art, music, and photography. We celebrate creativity with a unique design spirit.

For more than 25 years we have teamed-up with publishers, strategists, copywriters, illustrators, photographers and developers, to deliver world-class bespoke communications pieces for our clients worldwide. Output comes in the form of books and publications design, visual brands, and communication strategies.

Pablo Mandel

Circular Studio is directed by Pablo Mandel, a maker of images in print and pixels. His fine graphic design and art direction work has travelled the world: he has worked with diverse firms, ranging from renowned architecture studios, universities, publishers, musicians, and artists in Canada, the United States, Australia, Japan, Singapore, China, Italy, Germany, England, Spain, Chile, and Argentina.

For the record: Born in Argentina in 1970, Pablo graduated from Buenos Aires University in 1995 with a degree in Graphic Design, and is a Professional Member of the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada (www.gdc.net). His book designs have been published worldwide and won several awards, including the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects’ National Merit Award 2011 for Grounded, and for Moving Landscapes (2016); and the Bookbuilders West’s Certificate of Excellence (Image-driven trade books, 2009, 2010, 2011). His book design for the YUL-MTL: Moving Landscapes project was honoured with the Canadian Society and Landscape Architecture 2016 Award of Excellence, Research and Communication category. His design for Patrick Ahearn’s Timeless, won the Gold winner in Art & Photography category of the The Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) 2019 Benjamin Franklin Award program.

Pablo usually lectures internationally on architectural book design (UBC SALA, Hartford University, Jefferson University); and teaches book design at the Universidad de Lanús, and at the Diplomatura de las Artes del Libro at the Universidad Nacional de las Artes, Argentina.

What our friends say

I haven’t fully expressed to you how pleased I am with Gesture and Response. From the first day we had lunch in New York, working with you has been a great pleasure. You willingness and ability to bring my aspirations for the book to reality is something I am most grateful for. As with most design efforts one is not full aware of those aspirations until they emerge. You brought them to light. I consider your working method and talent to be the catalyst for the successful fusion of our joint intentions.

William Pedersen, FAIA FAAR
KPF

Pablo was the designer for our book Stantec’s Airports. It was a significant undertaking, and he was creative, responsive and collaborative throughout the entire project. The result is an exceptional publication that is graphically compelling, and I would have no hesitation in recommending him for a similar assignment.

Stanis Smith
Executive Vice President
Stantec

Pablo did a great job at capturing the essence of my practice. He presented my work in a logical way that reinforces the story line of my homes very much like a script from a movie or a novel. I can’t thank him enough for his efforts.

Patrick Ahearn, architect

Pablo is our go to graphic designer for deep creative concept projects. He is a tireless perfectionist and knows his craft intimately. The recent work has has done on projects with Peter Bohlin at BCJ and Jim Cutler of Cutler Anderson is stunning and exemplary. World class artist with exceptional visionary talent. We continue to work with him creating the best of the best.

Gordon Goff,
Managing Director and Publisher, ORO editions

We have been working with Pablo on a couple of book design projects. I recommend his work very highly. We are very pleased with the process and the results.

Darryl Condon,
Managing Partner, HCMA Architecture + Design

We’ve worked with Pablo Mandel for several years on various book projects and most recently on Bohlin Cywinski Jackson The Nature of Circumstance, published by Rizzoli in May 2010. Pablo is a terrific and energetic designer who brings extraordinary graphic design skills to the entire process. He developed a structure for the book that accommodates a variety of architectural material, from evocative conceptual sketches to photography and essays, visually linking them in an intuitive yet thoughtful way. Pablo has a thorough and grounded understanding of architecture and presents drawings and images in a graphic style that supports the conceptual ideas and tectonic aspects of the project. On a personal level, he has an extremely collaborative nature and is a pleasure to work with.

Ray Calabro AIA, Principal
Bohlin Cywinski Jackson Architects

I had the pleasure to work with Pablo Mandel on the design of our book Searching For True. I found Pablo to be talented, focus and extremely proficient in the execution of his craft. If we ever assemble another book, Pablo would be the first person that I would call to aide in it’s design.

James L Cutler, FAIA
Cutler Anderson Architects

I’ve worked with Pablo on projects that were big (a website for graduating students, which required a full design concept) and not so big (an interactive map that had to use design cues from an existing print publication). In both cases, he did a fantastic job. He’s able to take vague (and occasionally contradictory) requests and return with design concepts and mockups that make the entire team happy. At the end of the project, he also provides us with files that are easy for us to maintain, leading to a seamless transition. Pablo is flexible and easy to work with, and I hope to collaborate with him in future.

James Kim
Director, Communications at University of British Columbia

I would like to thank you for your excellent graphic design work on my last two books, <i>Seeking Savannah</i> and <i>An Enterprising Path to Barrio Chino</i>. Working at a distance,particularly with a lot of text and many sketch images that need to be carefully integrated along with periodic changes is not an easy task, but you have done an extremely good job in bringing together the book design,cover,layout and type face in a clear and admirable way.
I hope we can collaborate again on future book projects.

Dr.Peter Cookson Smith
Urbis Limited, Director

Working with Pablo and ORO Editions has been a fabulous experience! Pablo’s ability to listen to what we wanted and needed and then quickly turn those ideas into reality was amazing. He helped to push the envelope of our book design, and bring to fruition a stunning piece of work. I could not ask for a better team, in Pablo and ORO, to work with and already look forward to the next opportunity to do it again!

Treasure Lathan
Graphics Director, Duda + Paine Architects

Pablo is a great guy. His amazing design chops only topped by his always positive, easy-going attitude. His expertise in coffee table book design, printing and publishing is superb. He is a very experienced, detail-oriented and talented designer with a true love and passion for books. If you have a book project you will do well to contact Pablo and, while you are at it, ask him about music. Classic, jazz, experimental, any genre. He is also a talented musician and if you work with him you will see how his impeccable sense of rhythm and tone inform his beautiful book design work. I would never hesitate to recommend Pablo.

Javier Puig, Creative Director
Persona

I have been working for over a year with Pablo Mandel, in a book that will cover my complete works. It has been a pleasure to work with him because he fully understood architecture and my intentions in each project. His interpretations gave extra life to my work. I am pleased to recommend him. He is an intelligent and perceptive collaborator.

Cesar Pelli

I really want to acknowledge what a pleasure it has been working together on the French Sketchbook. It is really a beautiful production. You have been patient with me and the process and remarkably quick and intelligent in your handling of the work. You are a designer’s designer. It has been a pleasure at every step of the way.

Laurie Olin

Through a mutual connection we came to meet Pablo. As part of the transition into new leadership at CambridgeSeven we decided to embark on refreshing our brand. After all, in the 55 years since our firm was established we had only 2 word marks and 1 refresh of our printed materials. Pablo refreshed not only our wordmark but created a new visual identity for us related to all our printed and digital material. Pablo is fun to work with and an easy communicator. We would highly recommend him as a visual identity consultant!

Patricia Intrieri
Principal, CambridgeSeven

Pablo Mandel was the designer for our beautiful book Body Heat. I can testify to his professionalism, patience, flexiblity and creativity. To be sure, this will be the first of many projects together, as we are already starting on new one and I am excited to see where he takes us.”

Gregory Henriquez
Henriquez Partners Architects

Pablo was the graphic designer for our book, Grounded: The Work of Phillips Farevaag Smallenberg published by Blue Imprint in 2010. Extremely thoughtful, creative and collaborative, Pablo has an expansive approach to design which is reflected in the way he amalgamates landscape and graphic concepts into a book experience that is richly layered, yet clean and precise. He is tireless in his drive for perfection and his attention to detail is extraordinary. On top of all this he is fun to work with! We look forward to more collaborations in the future.

Kelty McKinnon
Principal, PFS Studio

Pablo designed my book Louis Kahn | House of the Nation (ORO 2014). His attention to detail, genuine & creative vision, patience and very professional yet easy going style made this book become alive. He clearly loves and knows what he’s doing and the result shows.

Grischa Rüschendorf
Architectural & Interior Photography

Pablo worked with us identifying, structuring and designing our corporate identity. He is an extremely professional designer who creates beautiful work. He has helped to give us the much needed company branding necessary to help us move into a new era of growth and development. More recently, he also played a key role in our website development, heading up the design component. His ease of design and ability to transfer our ideas into the professional visuals that we need, make him an incredible asset to have as part of our team. We have enjoyed working with him and look forward to continuing to work with him in the future.

Carlo DiStefano,
Principal, DiStefano Architecture

CircularStudio has been responsible for the graphic design and redesign of all seven TVS websites dating back to 2003. From ecommerce websites to identity development and magazine ads, Pablo’s quality and professional looking design work sets us apart from our competitors, the professional look and feel of the websites has contributed to the success of our business. The amount of new client sign ups each month is a testament in large part to Pablo’s attention to detail and his ability to be create a product which is appealing to the viewer. Our association with Pablo Mandel will continue as his design capabilities is what sets him apart from everyone else in the industry and makes us better.

Marv Steier, President
TVS Group of Companies

I would highly recommend Pablo Mandel for his graphic work. My experience as an author of a beautiful book designed by Pablo is that he works in a collaborative method where he brings his many talents to bear on a project. He is responsive to suggestions from the team, meets his deadlines, is careful to meet budgets and best of all, constantly comes up with beautiful and functional design.

Kalvin Platt, former CEO
SWA Group

Working with Pablo was an enriching experience from the very beginning. He came up with options that showed the many possibilities and guided us in the selection of style and message particular designs imply. He is very creative and has a passion for details. He really listened to our desires and translated them into high quality design. We are extremely happy with the book he designed for us and for the pleasurable times spent working with him.

Silvina Martierena Blasen, principal
Blasen Landscape Architecture

Pablo designed my firm’s new logotyope, branding and website. He has a great eye for elegant design. He was a pleasure to work with and always strove for the highest graphic design standards. I would not hesitate to recommend him to other clients, and look forward to working with him again in future.

Lance Berelowitz
Principal, Urban Forum Associates

We have worked with

3XN
Apple
BFDO / Barker Freeman Architects
Bing Thom Architects
Blasen Landscape Architects
BlueImprint
Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
California Guitar Trio
CambridgeSeven
CAZA Architects / Carlos Arnaiz
Cesar Pelli / Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects
Chris Dikeakos Architects
Cutler Anderson Architects
de Reus Architects

DIALOG
DiStefano Jaud Architecture
Duda / Paine Architects
HCMA Architecture + Design
Henriquez Partners Architects
Images Publishing
Kabusacki
Landry Design Group
Lyle Sopel
Tigerman McCurry Architects
Nic Lehoux Photography
Ong&Ong
OLIN Studio / Laurie Olin
ORO editions
Patrick Ahearn, Architect
Peter Busby / Perkins + Will

Peter Gluck and Partners
PFS Studio
Prescott Muir Architects
Rizzoli New York
Stantec
Simply Read Books
Sorg Architects
Stantec
SWA Group
The Hellboys
Trevor Boddy
University of British Columbia / SALA
University of Montreal
Ward + Blake Architects
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