Even as a young boy, architect Jorge Carlos de la Cal couldn’t stop his hands from drawing and creating things.

“I used to draw buildings,” de la Cal recalled. “And I also had Lincoln Logs that I played with.”

De la Cal, who was born in Cuba and moved with his family to Los Angeles when he was 5, cites his old neighborhood as inspiration for his future career path. Growing up near Beverly Boulevard and Western Avenue, de la Cal was surrounded by historic structures.

“What drew me to architecture to begin with was my fascination with old buildings,” he said.

De la Cal was recently named a principal at CO Architects, and is responsible for project direction and management. He first came to the firm, near L.A.’s Miracle Mile area, after the 1994 Northridge Earthquake to work on the restoration of UCLA’s Royce Hall.

Despite the UCLA connection, de la Cal’s educational background is colored cardinal and gold. He earned his bachelor of architecture degree at USC.

A year after graduation, de la Cal went to work for a small historical preservation firm, Levin & Associates. A few years later he moved on to do residential design work at Tedesco Associates, where he stayed for nine years before joining CO.

De la Cal singles out the El Segundo High School campus project as his most memorable during his time at CO. He worked closely with many community members and groups.

“We made something that the community was really proud of,” he said. “Whenever I’m in the area I go just to look at it.”

He also has enjoyed being able to work on a variety of architectural projects. “It’s been fun because I’ve been able to do different things,” said de la Cal. “I feel like I’ve grown into my situation. I’m doing exactly what I want to be doing.”

De la Cal lives with his partner, Les Sechler, in Altadena. He likes to garden and read in his spare time.