In Conversation With Simon Velez

The esteemed Colombian architect and speaker at India Design ID 2018 is pushing boundaries with his innovative bamboo projects

- Nishita Fiji

With an architect father, a paternal grandfather who worked on urbanisation projects and a maternal one who built many structures on his farms for personal use, it’s clear that Simon Velez grew up surrounded by role models. As a boy, he often played at construction sites and interacted with the workers. Little did he know that his childhood fascination would turn into a long, inspiring career. “My first architectural project was a small home for my grandfather on his farm on the Carribean coast of Colombia,” Simon revealed. “About the same time, I also made a little wooden house that is still standing and is an important part of my garden.”