Why did you choose NewSchool?

I first learned about NewSchool from a friend. I then followed up with an advisor and went to an open house and quickly applied! I chose NewSchool because of the environment – I liked the class sizes, people, and professors. It felt like a great place to learn.

What was your favorite aspect of attending NewSchool?

I think what I liked the most about NewSchool was the library. There are so many great resources for students. My favorite memories while attending NewSchool were the people, the projects, and during my thesis year presenting my final project “On the Rails.”

What projects are you currently working on?

I am working on high-end residential custom homes. I design and build homes from the ground up. I also founded a startup company called Whatfloor, a building safety app.

What has been your biggest career accomplishment?

Graduating from NewSchool with my Bachelor’s in Architecture with a Minor in 2017, a Master’s in Construction Management in 2018, and creating the Whatfloor phone application.

Tell us more about Whatfloor. Why was it created and what does it do?

Whatfloor was founded in 2018 by Martin Bermudez, Jose Martinez, David Perez (myself), and Luis Verastegui in San Bruno, CA.

The app was created with the purpose of saving lives. Building security is essential for everyone working in a building. The only tools that people have currently are the evacuation maps that are placed near the entrance of a building. We want to provide more to guarantee the safety and wellbeing of everyone so that they can easily be accounted for during an emergency or crisis.

Our mission at Whatfloor is to save lives by streamlining emergency preparations for buildings and connecting first responders in real-time during an emergency.

We assist building owners and emergency teams before, during, and after an emergency in their buildings. Every decision could mean the difference between life and death. Whatfloor’s innovative mobile emergency evacuation app can help people make better decisions during a crisis.

App features include:

• Real-Time Employee and Student Tracking Once installed on the iPhone or Android, the app can easily locate a student or faculty member in the building during an
• emergency. This feature can only be accessed by the assigned security personnel. Students and faculty do not have access to this feature unless this option is granted by the security personnel.
• Panic Alert Button When activated by the missing student or employee, the app will make a loud noise so that the police and fire department can locate them.
• Real-Time Notifications A security notification can be sent to all students before or during an emergency to alert everybody in the building.
• Evacuation Route Floor Plans Floor plans for each floor in the building so that the exit can easily be found.
• Egress Floor Plan The floor plan shows the location of the fire hoses, portable extinguishers, and the fire alarm pull stations.
• Building Map Locator Tool Easily see what is around the building
• Interactive Emergency Exit Locator Tool that can help guide the student or faculty members to the nearest exit from their exact location.