Fernando Andrade

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Fernando Andrade ("FA") for their original perspective and innovative approach to design as well as their creative lifestyle, we are very pleased to share our interview with our distinguished readers.

DL: Could you please tell us a bit about your design background and education?

FA : I graduated in 2004 from the Federal University of Pará. I was influenced by Amazonian regional architecture, where we practiced sustainable architecture since the 1980s, even before the term "sustainability" existed. Climate concerns have always been a prevalent theme in local research. Immersed in this context, my design philosophy developed. In times when climate change is so much discussed, the economy of resources, and the human scale as a stimulating agent in people's lives, these reflect the essence of my work.

DL: What motivates you to design in general, why did you become a designer?

FA : I've been exposed to the arts in general since I was a child. I've always loved freehand drawing. I took several fine arts courses as a child. It was almost a natural path to my design education. I think inventiveness is what motivates me to continue designing to this day, whether in the field of technical or aesthetic experimentation.

DL: Did you choose to become a designer, or you were forced to become one?

FA : It was a natural path. I've always had an aptitude for drawing and building things. I developed skills in drawing, woodcarving, and model building, even before any technical training.

DL: What do you design, what type of designs do you wish to design more of?

FA : Building Architecture. Cultural and Institutional

DL: What should young designers do to become a design legend like you?

FA : I think dedication. You have to put passion into what you do.

DL: What distinguishes between a good designer and a great designer?

FA : Inventiveness. Experimenting with something new.

DL: What makes a good design a really good design, how do you evaluate good design?

FA : A good concept behind the form. It must deny fads.

DL: What is the value of good design? Why should everyone invest in good design?

FA : According to industry research, design is the number one factor in product selection, second only to price, which is the number one factor. I think that explains it.

DL: What would you design and who would you design for if you had the time?

FA : A temporary pavilion for the Serpentine Gallery.

DL: What is the dream project you haven’t yet had time to realize?

FA : An airport.

DL: What is your secret recipe of success in design, what is your secret ingredient?

FA : Dedication and care in the act of designing

DL: Who are some other design masters and legends you get inspired from?

FA : Norman Foster e Niemeyer

DL: What are your favorite designs by other designers, why do you like them?

FA : I like Zaha Hadid. I like shapes that lead the eye.

DL: What is your greatest design, which aspects of that design makes you think it is great?

FA : Amazon Bus Station. The way the space enhances the user experience.

DL: How could people improve themselves to be better designers, what did you do?

FA : In-depth study in related areas: Such as graphic design, environmental comfort, structures and materials technology.

DL: If you hadn’t become a designer, what would you have done?

FA : It never crossed my mind to be anything other than that.

DL: How do you define design, what is design for you?

FA : I believe that design for me is the translation of the variables absorbed by the creator influenced by a certain sociocultural context.

DL: Who helped you to reach these heights, who was your biggest supporter?

FA : Close friends encouraged me to participate in awards and promote my work.

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

FA : resilience

DL: What were the obstacles you faced before becoming a design master?

FA : Getting customers to buy into an innovative idea

DL: How do you think designers should present their work?

FA : Regardless of the scale or value, I believe it should be treated as if it were the most important thing in your life.

DL: What’s your next design project, what should we expect from you in future?

FA : It will be a planetarium. Technical and aesthetic experimentation can be expected.

DL: What’s your ultimate goal as a designer?

FA : Publish a book with my works and leave something that will somehow improve people's lives in the future.

DL: What people expect from an esteemed designer such as yourself?

FA : Quality, care and inventiveness.

DL: How does design help create a better society?

FA : Through the promotion of well-being, inclusion, economy, and environmental and social responsibility.

DL: What are you currently working on that you are especially excited about?

FA : A planetarium. An original structural scheme excites me.

DL: Which design projects gave you the most satisfaction, why?

FA : Amazon Bus Station was one. Because of its objective as a public space of social relevance.

DL: What would you like to see changed in design industry in the coming years?

FA : I've noticed that the industry has become interested in professionals with a high level of social media engagement, even more so than the quality of their work, and this concerns me.

DL: Where do you think the design field is headed next?

FA : I think it's a good path. Today, design carries with it not only the primary function of objects, but also causes.

DL: How long does it take you to finalize a design project?

FA : It's variable. It depends on the scale, the program and the complexity of the solution.

DL: When you have a new design project, where do you start?

FA : By a sketch, no doubt.

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

FA : Never stay in a comfort zone.

DL: Do you think design sets the trends or trends set the designs?

FA : The trend defines the design.

DL: What is the role of technology when you design?

FA : It's fundamental. It enables things that took years to produce without its use.

DL: What kind of design software and equipment do you use in your work?

FA : 3D modeling, parametric, BIM and environmental comfort.

DL: What is the role of the color, materials and ambient in design?

FA : As is known, color has a psychological influence on people's lives, which is fundamental in the sensory experience of the designed space.

DL: What do you wish people to ask about your design?

FA : if I considered all levels of age, mobility and social classes and ethnicities.

DL: When you see a new great design or product what comes into your mind?

FA : That only the human mind could do this. AI will never replace human invention.

DL: Who is your ideal design partner? Do you believe in co-design?

FA : The ideal partner would be the one who accepts the best idea of the team, without vanity.

DL: Which people you interacted had the most influence on your design?

FA : My teachers. I am grateful to many of them.

DL: Which books you read had the most effect on your design?

FA : Books on the works of Grimshaw, Renzo Piano, Norman Foster and Niemeyer and Lelé.

DL: How did you develop your skills as a master designer?

FA : Researching and studying.

DL: Irrelative of time and space, who you would want to meet, talk and discuss with?

FA : Norman Foste and Renzo Piano.

DL: How do you feel about all the awards and recognition you had, is it hard to be famous?

FA : It is a feeling of recognition for work done with dedication.

DL: What is your favorite color, place, food, season, thing and brand?

FA : Green, Amazon, pink shrimp, summer, watches and Breguet.

DL: Please tell us a little memoir, a funny thing you had experienced as a designer?

FA : I once made a sketch and left it on the table, thinking the client wouldn't approve it, so I started working on something more feasible. The client, seeing the sketch discarded on the table, asked how I was going to build it. I didn't know how to do it yet, but I said I was ready to start construction. In the end, everything worked out.

DL: What makes your day great as a designer, how do you motivate yourself?

FA : A challenging project, regardless of the scale of the project.

DL: When you were a little child, was it obvious that you would become a great designer?

FA : Yes, it always was.

DL: What do you think about future; what do you see will happen in thousand years from now?

FA : I believe in the presence of robots in our lives and new types of intersocial relationships.

DL: Please tell us anything you wish your fans to know about you, your design and anything else?

FA : I think respect for others, more tolerance in the world and a spirit of collectivity and civility.