
JAVIER ARPA FERNANDEZ
Head ‘Building Audiences’ TU Delft, Architect, Academic, Curator and PhD Researcher
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On Rethinking Cities, Challenging Norms, and Inspiring the Next Generation
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Javier is an architect, academic and curator with a remarkable career at the intersection of architecture, urban development, and education. He's also the Head of 'Building Audiences' at the TU Delft, which explores curatorial practices, examining how research, installations, exhibitions, publications, and public programs engage diverse audiences and inspire action.
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Javier’s teaching experience spans globally recognised institutions such as Harvard, Columbia GSAPP, Penn Universities in the U.S., ENSA-Belleville and ENSA-Versailles in France, and IE University in Spain. He was also the Research and Education Coordinator at The Why Factory—an innovative think tank led by Prof. Winy Maas (founding partner of MVRDV). His editorial work with the a+t research group has contributed to critical discourse in architecture and urbanism, focusing on the evolving needs of cities and societies. In this episode, Javier discusses his journey from academia to hands-on research, the challenges and opportunities within urban development, and the importance of fostering curiosity and collaboration in education and practice.
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JAVIER ARPA FERNANDEZ
Head ‘Building Audiences’ TU Delft, Architect, Academic, Curator and PhD Researcher
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EP TITLE
On Rethinking Cities, Challenging Norms, and Inspiring the Next Generation
EP TITLE
Javier is an architect, academic and curator with a remarkable career at the intersection of architecture, urban development, and education. He's also the Head of 'Building Audiences' at the TU Delft, which explores curatorial practices, examining how research, installations, exhibitions, publications, and public programs engage diverse audiences and inspire action.
EP TITLE
Javier’s teaching experience spans globally recognised institutions such as Harvard, Columbia GSAPP, Penn Universities in the U.S., ENSA-Belleville and ENSA-Versailles in France, and IE University in Spain. He was also the Research and Education Coordinator at The Why Factory—an innovative think tank led by Prof. Winy Maas (founding partner of MVRDV). His editorial work with the a+t research group has contributed to critical discourse in architecture and urbanism, focusing on the evolving needs of cities and societies. In this episode, Javier discusses his journey from academia to hands-on research, the challenges and opportunities within urban development, and the importance of fostering curiosity and collaboration in education and practice.
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WHY I ASKED THIS GUEST
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Today I'm joined by Peter Adolf, a visionary garden designer whose work has transformed how we experience landscapes known for projects like a eyeliner in New York and Ry Garden in Chicago. Peter spent decades redefining the relationship between plant spaces and emotion.
In this episode, we dive into his early challenges and creative breakthroughs. He shares how taking risks shape his craftsmanship career, and what the vital role is of intuition in great design.
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LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW
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EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
RECOMMENDED CLIPS
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DO OR DIE / A OR B
Are you more rational or emotional?
Piet: Both.
Practical or romantic?
Both.
Structure or color, both controlled the narrative or let the garden tell its own story?
A little bit of both.
Cherish the process or cherish the result.
Result and process.
Your work primarily recognized for its ecological impact or its aesthetic beauty.
Both.
Design one final, groundbreaking garden or curate and refine all your previous works?
I would like to have a new project and I think the gardeners that don't work well or refine my own gardens will take a lifetime again to get them where they were. 'cause gardeners have their own life, and also they need to have their own life to change the right way for the legacy.
The gardens will be taken care of, the gardeners. And is there a wish from you that it's maintained the same way or just let it go?
Let it grow into the future. I would say so. Let it grow by the good hands of bareness and into something that still is good and especially beautiful because you can imagine and trees grow up with the plants underneath, don't like it that or and years. So you have to change your plans. And if I look back to all the plants of what I've done and no garden looks the same anymore, and you can just rip it out and put it all over from your original design. So that's it.
Focus on mentoring young designers or document your life's work?
Both.
Your gardens and your true maintenance or wild and natural growth?
Wild and natural growth doesn't exist because then our garden ends up in metals and BLEs. So, it's always gardens, our gardens and garden. I'll say it's a place where you feel good in and it's extruded from nature, a place for yourself. So you have to treat it, you know, like, you treat yourself and in the best way. So environmentally, right, ecologically, right. And that just wildlife allowed, I see that in that sense. So it's not, Corning is about control. You cannot let it go.
ONE REQUEST
If this conversation resonates, can you please do one thing?
Follow the podcast. And share it with one person in your world who needs it right now.
That’s how these stories travel. That’s how we scale creative impact.
Attracting more listeners, guests, collaborators and sponsors.
Thanks for considering.
EXPLORE OTHERS
AND CONTINUE LISTENING
SEASON
02
EPISODE
31
