MAISON&OBJET Americas
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/676176
m&O m&O 46 m a i s o n - o b j e t. c o m photography courtesy of swire properties, inc.; opposite page: photography courtesy of gull a jónsdót tir T h e A m er i cA s What is your prediction for the evolution and future of design? I can foresee the birth of luxurious yachts. Still in my mind, yachts are able to perform a successive metamorphosis and obtain new elegance by magical means. It is a relationship with perennial materials: platinum, gold, precious stones, and rare wood. When thinking about the future of design and my own education, I believe that the problem with design schools is that they teach how to follow the same old patterns, when instead they should be teaching cre- ative freedom. Foundations are important but need to be seen as a starting point. Inner freedom is easier to practice when you have a strong and knowledgeable framework. Bernar do Fort-Brescia From Abu Dhabi to Lima to Miami, Bernardo Fort-Brescia's Arquitectonica has built an impressive collection of towering glass structures. But its work doesn't stop there: Interiors, landscapes, and product design are all part of Arquitectonica's portfolio. Originally from Peru, Fort-Brescia studied architecture and urban planning at Princeton Universit y before receiving a master's deg ree in architecture from Har vard Universit y. In 1977, after teaching at Harvard and later in Miami, he founded Arquitectonica with a group of young, like-minded architects. He led the company's expansion strateg y, both nationally and internationally, and has become a pioneer in the globalization of architecture. How has your past shaped your professional present? My life started on a farm that gradually transformed into a city. I went from rural child to urban man. Obviously, that had an effect on my career choice. I went from playing with sticks and mud to concrete and steel. How does where you call home inspire your creative practice? Miami is a place where nature and the man-made world meet. Oceans, bays, waterways, and the Everglades inter- twine with the city. It forces an architect to be sensitive to geography and the environment. The tropical city entices the designer to think of the indoors and the outdoors as one. What is your prediction for the evolution and future of design? The Climate Ribbon, an undulating canopy of steel and glass designed by Bernardo Fort-Brescia's Arquitectonica, channels Miami's shore breezes into Brickell City Centre.