team
JML is an international, multidisciplinary team of architects, engineers, and designers trained in water feature techniques, irrigation systems and water management.
Our cultural diversity and wide range of skills drive us daily and enhance our capacity for innovation.
The team is led by Stéphane Llorca, who has over 30 years of experience in water feature and sustainable design. We have established an effective and rigorous working methodology. Each project is unique, and we apply customized skills accordingly.
Jean Max Llorca
Founder
Stéphane Llorca
Founder & Managing Director
Pierre Bertheux
Director of Projects & Associate
Inês Barata
Senior Water Feature Architect & Associate
Taís Veinert
Senior Water Feature Architect
Seán Casey
Water Feature Designer
Kateryna Witt–Sokolenko
Senior Water Feature Architect
Matilda Markovic
Water Feature Architect
Caroline Gracio Juhué
Water Feature Architect HMONP
Lali Martin
Junior Water Feature Architect
Mariam Fares
Urban hydrology engineer
Jean Max Llorca
Founder
Jean Max graduated from the French École des Métiers du Bâtiment, and trained in stonemasonry. He carried out plasterwork and ornamentation on important historical buildings in Paris, including the Opera House and the Church of the Val-de-Grâce. After discovering water feature design, Jean Max decided to open his own firm in 1981. He quickly became a recognized water feature designer in Paris, working on prestigious projects such as the Parc André Citroën and the Parc Diderot. Jean Max’s wealth of experience and holistic approach continues to be a driving force at JML.
Stéphane Llorca
Founder & Managing Director
Stéphane holds degrees in Environnemental Engineering & Business. He joined Jean Max Llorca studio in Paris in 1996. He quickly became fascinated with water feature design, and Jean Max trained him in construction methods and techniques unique to the industry. Stéphane opened JML in Barcelona in 2001. Under his direction, it has become one of the world’s most dynamic water feature design companies, lauded for innovation, artistry and technical excellence. Stéphane has international experience on major world class projects. He is driven by an artistic and sensitive vision.
Pierre Bertheux
Director of Projects & Associate
Pierre Bertheux is a qualified engineer, who graduated from the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers in France. After working in Australia for seven years, he joined JML in 2014. Thanks to his expertise, personal skills and pursuit of excellence, he heads the engineering side of our hydraulic systems, and leads on-site construction supervision. Pierre is able to lead and navigate a team through key milestones to achieve successful outcomes, and he has had a key role in some of our most complex and prestigious projects.
Inês Barata
Senior Water Feature Architect & Associate
Inês studied architecture at the Architectural Universities in Lisbon, Rome, and Barcelona. She gained experience in architecture practices in Portugal and Spain before joining JML in 2013. Inês is now a very valuable water feature designer, working hand in hand with Pierre on the selection of components and technical development. Inês has experience with a large variety of projects in all project phases, she has both technical and architectural skills, high expertise in CAD/BIM drafting, and is capable of complex detailing of documents. She has been leading the team in some of the most complex projects including the Kuwait International Airport in Kuwait or One Bangkok in Thailand.
Taís Veinert
Senior Water Feature Architect
Taís holds a degree in Architecture from PUC in São Paulo (PUC Campinas), Brazil. Taís has worked in Engineering, Architectural and Interior Design firms in Brazil and Spain before joining the office in 2013. She has extensive 2D and 3D experience – invaluable for design production – and the versatility to tackle all kinds of projects. Taís is mastering digital tools for developing Architectural and Mechanical design, including BIM technology. She has experience with a large variety of projects in all phases, as well as team management. Taís is also an expert in irrigation.
Seán Casey
Water Feature Designer
Seán holds an honours degree in Architectural Technology from the Dublin Institute of Technology in Ireland. He joined JML in 2024, having previously worked in Dublin, Ireland, amassing almost 10 years’ experience as a design team member and architectural technologist in architectural practices. Seán is skilled in drawing and document production through BIM, design development and technical detailing. He has experience in liaising and coordinating with design teams, clients and contractors to develop and deliver projects.
Kateryna Witt–Sokolenko
Senior Water Feature Architect
Kateryna has an extensive international experience in architectural design. She has worked for big companies in Eastern Europe and Canada. She has participated in drawing development of different project types, among them the big-scale projects for Canadian Government, such as CHARS (Canadian High Arctic Research Station) and New Science Complex for the University of Montreal. Thanks to her analytical thinking, creative approach, and advanced computer skills, Kateryna always finds the best solutions and efficient techniques to realize an idea. She is a great team-player and takes an important place in a project team.
Matilda Markovic
Water Feature Architect
Matilda holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia (USA) and a Master of Advanced Studies in Architecture from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia. Before joining JML, she worked for several international architecture firms based in the United Kingdom and the United States. Matilda is passionate about fashion, design, and the textile industry, and enjoys drawing connections between water architecture and these various disciplines.
Caroline Gracio Juhué
Water Feature Architect HMONP
Caroline is a graduate architect from the École Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris – Malaquais and holds her HMONP certification. Her international experience—spanning Switzerland, Brazil, and Vietnam—has honed her ability to thrive in diverse cultural and professional environments. Fluent in French, German, English, and Portuguese, she embodies the collaborative, technically precise, and globally minded approach that defines JML. She now actively contributes her expertise to a wide range of projects, both in France and abroad.
Lali Martin
Junior Water Feature Architect
Lali holds a Master’s degree in Architecture from Université Laval in Québec, following a Bachelor’s degree from the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture Paris-Val de Seine. Alongside her studies, she worked at Lemay in Québec, gaining experience within an international architectural practice. Her experience in France and Canada has given her an international perspective and a versatile approach to architectural design. Fluent in French, English, and Portuguese, she contributes to a collaborative and multicultural environment at JML.
Mariam Fares
Urban hydrology engineer
Mariam is a graduate engineer from the University of Lille with 7 years of experience in stormwater management and urban hydraulic modeling. She has led complex, multidisciplinary projects from the early design stages through on-site supervision to commissioning. With her expertise in soils (Master 1 in Georesources and Geotechnics, Master 2 in Engineering Geology), Mariam is dedicated to improving our projects toward more sustainable urban water systems that help cities adapt to climate change.