Fernando Avila is a second-year master's student in the Department of Architecture at Princeton University. Originally from Texas, he worked as an architectural designer on a diverse range of projects, including healthcare, educational, and residential developments. His current academic interests focus on biogenic building materials, urban studies through film, and the histories of modern architecture.

Fernando is particularly passionate about large-scale projects, believing they offer the greatest potential to positively impact communities. He views architects as playing a crucial role in shaping environments that are both healthy and energizing. While he aspires to establish his own practice in the future, Fernando is also deeply committed to academia, recognizing it as a space where the most meaningful collaborations and intellectual discourses take place. He hopes to one day become a professor and mentor students throughout their architectural journeys.

Outside of his academic and professional pursuits, Fernando enjoys running, exploring new restaurants and recipes, and watching films at the Garden Theatre.

Where are you from?
Mexico City and Dallas

Why did you want to work at StudioLab?
I am excited to collaborate and help students from a mix of departments in a place of design and creation where opportunities seem limitless. 

What’s the most incredible project you’ve ever seen? 
La Sagrada Familia by Gaudi in Barcelona, Spain. Highly recommend a visit if you are traveling through Spain, you will not regret the experience! 

Have you been working on any special projects lately?
This summer I was experimenting with and doing research on straw (agricultural waste) as a building element. Its structural and insulative properties have a huge potential in the design field for healthier constructions.