Architecture competition "Pape Nature Park Gateway" Honorable mention - Fernando Alonso Tuero

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the winners of one of our Honorable mentions for the “Pape Nature Park Gateway” competition - Fernando Alonso Tuero from Spain!

Fernando Alonso Tuero from Spain

I am an architect of Spanish origin and I am currently living and working in Switzerland. I have several years of diverse experience in different fields of architecture, such as cultural, educational, residential and other related sectors. Moreover, other projects I have engaged with are linked with research, healthcare, commercial offices, business zones and hotel design and in particular urbanism and cultural heritage.

I studied at A Coruña School of Architecture (ETSAC), University of A Coruña, with further studies at the Polytechnic University of Milan. I graduated with honors in 2011 and my final project was chosen as one of the 20 Best Spanish Diploma Projects by XI Spanish Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism in the same year.

Apart from having a broad and rich experience in architecture, I have engaged in many other activities throughout my career such as photography and producing furniture, and I have been awarded with several prizes.

Brief information about the projects that you/your company have been involved with. For instance what scale have you focused on/preferred, any significant projects where company/ individuals have been involved?

My main focus of interest is the interaction between nature and architecture. I have dealt extensively with small-scale architecture, which has a vast impact on the landscape and consequently on society. I have also been working with historical settlements which are more than 3000 years old and have become a tourist attraction throughout past years. I have always seen the protection of some universal values, such as nature, memory and history, as crucial in "architectural policy". Furthermore, I have always believed we should rely on power of energy and technology because it can improves our lives significantly.

What does architecture mean to you and what is the role of an architect in your society?

In my opinion, architecture becomes really interesting when we are not consciously aware of its presence. At the same time, its essence has to be alive.

The complexity of our daily lives should foster and inspire design, rather than vice versa. Architecture should be flexible enough to adjust to temporal and spatial changes and the concept of concerned architectural space should be adaptable to different activities. I believe the buildings should be built in a way that allows us to control the space against the external conditions effortlessly.

Nowadays, the role of an architect is to be a catalyst of the society and to strive for designing the best architecture as possible. Architects in general should dedicate more time to think about the use of disciplinary tools such as scale, structure, light, material, color, proportion, program, etc. All these features enable us to create an interesting physical entity.

We should also not forget how important architecture is "without architects". In other words, timeless architecture remains alive forever, withstanding the passage of time.

Why do you participate in architecture vision competitions?

I participate in architecture vision competitions because I like thinking about a concept, planning and formulating with building components, and discovering possibilities for specific sites. Since I love nature, I try to pick competitions which allow me to show the impact of nature on architecture design and vice versa. I perceive such competitions as an important input in a professional career and a priceless contribution to my personal growth.

What advice would you give to individuals who struggle to decide whether it would be beneficial for them to participate in architecture vision competitions?

The best advice to any individual is to simply do it! Do not be afraid to test yourself in a competition where you can think and design every single detail on your own. If we wish to make progress professionally, we simply have to strive for constant challenge and education. Hence, we should go for such opportunities like this competition - we will certainly face a problem during our work, but what is the point of worrying if we can always resolve it?