Meet… #21 | Federica Padovani
In the series ‘Meet…’, GROUP A employees respond to a number of questions about their work and private life. This time Italian Urban Designer Federica Padovani shows a glimpse into her life. She is part of the team since 2018 and since then she worked on a variety of projects like the Clarissentoren and the landscape for the Dow Benelux HQ. Federica lives in Rotterdam since 2013. Before that she studied architecture at Università degli Studi di Trieste in Italy and worked for two years in Lima, Peru.
Before I wanted to be an architect
I didn’t really have a plan. So I actually decided to try to get in architecture studies in the last week before the application test took place. I’ve always been attracted to creativity and fortunately I passed. And more than that, I accidentally chose the right path for myself.
A city that made a great impression on me is
Moscow, I had the opportunity to visit this city several times over a 15 years period. I saw it growing, changing, improving and it is delightful to witness the transformation of this fascinating city.
I like working at GROUP A because
First of all I like working at GROUP A because of the people, the atmosphere and the horizontal organisation, this helps you to work in a very efficient and enjoyable way. Second, at our office you have the chance to work on projects that vary in scale and typology, both independently and as part of a team.
With this architect – dead or alive – I would like to have a good conversation
Italian architect an designer Ignazio Gardella (1905-1999). As a student I read the book-interview ‘L’architettura secondo Gardella’ and was amazed by his way of explaining architecture in a very passionate and at the same time really understandable way. The book provides an interesting insight in his thoughts.
The journey I’d like to make
That is a tough one since every place is on my list! Let’s say that at the moment my first choice is a backpacking trip from Colombia till Patagonia.
The most beautiful material to use in a design is
Not a material.
I prefer to choose the element light. I have always been fascinated by careful use of light and what it can add to a design.
If I want to relax I’m gonna
Check all possible flights and trips that I can think of. I can really spend days with planning new adventures.
The GROUP A project I always tell my friends about is
The Clarissentoren, a residential tower that we designed for the Tilburg Spoorzone. This was the first competition I worked on at GROUP A. The design is the result of a great team!
