The Designer · Brief

Mark Jay Ortiz Gooc is a BS Architecture graduate from Batangas State University, drawn to the tension between spatial precision and human intuition. He believes that the best spaces are never accidental; they are the result of careful adjacency, honest material, and a willingness to question the obvious.

Beyond the studio, he built Adjacency Lab, a digital space planning tool that generates and tests adjacency diagrams, because the best architects understand their tools well enough to build new ones. A Magical 40 Finalist at ArkiNEXT 2024, he also runs mjay_captures, a photography practice that keeps the eye for composition and light sharp.

Currently seeking architectural and design-technology roles.

Practice

2026 – Present
Adjacency Lab, Space Planning Tool
Owner & Founder
Designed and developed a digital tool for generating and testing space planning adjacency diagrams. Built to bridge the gap between hand-drawn bubble diagrams and computational thinking in early-stage design.
Jun – Jul 2025
DC Builders and Trading
Architectural Intern · On-the-Job Training
Five-week architectural practicum at a construction and trading firm in Alangilan, Batangas City. First-hand exposure to construction documentation, site coordination, and the realities of translating drawings into built work.
2022 – Present
mjay_captures, Photography Services
Owner & Photographer
Manages client bookings, shoots, and post-production under an independent photography practice. A discipline that keeps the eye for composition, light, and spatial story sharp.

Education

2021 – 2026
Bachelor of Science in Architecture
Batangas State University – The National Engineering University
Alangilan Campus, Batangas City
2019 – 2021
Senior High School · STEM Strand
Baybayin Integrated National High School
With Highest Honors
2015 – 2019
Secondary Education
Baybayin Integrated National High School
With Honors
2010 – 2015
Primary Education
Mabato Elementary School
Valedictorian

Disciplines

Architectural Design
Space Planning
Interior Architecture
3D Visualisation
Branding & Visual Identity
Layout & Graphic Design
Web Development
Photography

Software

AutoCAD

SketchUp

Lumion

D5 Render

Enscape

Photoshop

Lightroom