Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests, and design enthusiasts, welcome to another edition of Future Talks by RTF, where we delve into the minds of pioneering individuals who bring design stories to life. Today, it is our pleasure to introduce a luminary in the world of architecture and design, Florencia Ordoñez.
A graduate of the Faculty of Architecture, Design, and Urbanism at the University of Buenos Aires, Florencia embarked on her remarkable journey in design, specializing in furniture under the guidance of the esteemed Professor Ricardo Blanco. In 2007, she co-founded estudio Nidolab alongside Sol García del Río and Lucía Villarreal, a venture that would go on to shape the landscape of retail, gastronomy, and interior design.
Over the course of a decade, Nidolab’s collaborative efforts, including works like Alicia Restaurant, Mecha Restaurant, Félix Paseo Alcorta, Monochrome Bike Shop, and projects for the Casa FOA design fair, garnered international acclaim, featured in prestigious publications such as Wallpaper, Plot, SUMMA, BARZÓN, and more. Florencia’s unique approach and dedication to her craft resulted in an award-winning portfolio that transcends time and function, creating a cohesive narrative across diverse projects.
In 2017, driven by an unwavering passion for innovation, Florencia founded Florencia Ordoñez Estudio, aiming to explore new dimensions in design by integrating influences from the realms of fashion, art, and cutting-edge technologies. This endeavor marked a pivotal moment in her career, reflecting a commitment to evolving perspectives and pushing the boundaries of creativity.
Building upon this foundation, OrdoñezWenzke emerged in 2018, a collaboration with Nik Wenzke that further expanded Florencia’s reach and impact. Her work with esteemed clients such as MMCV, CONSULTATIO, Remolino, Küche, Ximena Saenz, Pesqueira, and Poster Café (London) underscores her ability to meet the most demanding creative standards.
Today, we are honored to have Florencia Ordoñez join us in a conversation that promises to unveil the intricate threads connecting her diverse projects, exploring the fusion of ideas, materials, and aesthetics that define her unique approach.
RTF: Hi Florencia, We are glad to have you as a guest on Future Talks by RTF. Thanks for joining us. How did your critically acclaimed work at Studio Nidolab pave the way for OrdonezWenzke Architecture?
Florencia: Studio Nidolab was my first studio. I created it with a group of university colleagues and it turned out to be an incredible learning experience, especially in the transition from student life to professional practice. For nine years, we produced projects, each more beautiful than the next. We made an incredible team and the three of us complemented each other very well! I think the most fascinating and novel part for us was seeing the projects that we conceived in the studio actually built one by one, as well as managing the projects and the interaction with clients. The experience at Nidolab gave me sufficient confidence to know that I could turn any project into reality from start to finish, from the initial sketching on paper to the handing over of a finished construction.
RTF: How important is a ‘Design Signature’ to you? How does it reflect in your work at OrdonezWenzke Architecture?
Florencia: Creating a design signature is very important. OrdoñezWenzke is the firm that I created together with my partner, Nik Wenzke, and for this second firm we decided to put our surnames as the brand. We love the work we do and we take on each project with pride. Our signature is our face and that of our team. We believe that running a design firm takes a lot of work. It is a difficult task and necessitates a constant search for innovation. But we enjoy doing it and we try to improve and grow every day.
RTF: What is the process of establishing a common ground when dealing with a client’s demands and your own ideas? How important do you consider ‘The Art of Persuasion’ for architects?
Florencia: Generally, we meet with our clients once or twice before starting a project. At these meetings we listen to them and consider their needs at the program level. We get an understanding of their concerns and desires and we get to learn a little about their personalities and interests, from what they like to do/eat/if they like to cook, what their profession is, how they like to experience each space. Generally, we enter into a fairly private/close relationship with them. Then, based on all this information we start to think about the best layout and spatial proposal (often it is something disruptive). Then comes the stage where we discuss materiality. Although we prepare various proposals, we always present the client with the one we consider to be the best; it is very important to us to present a project that we are in love with. We cannot go to a client with a half- finished project. Magically, when we present a project to a client and we are convinced of our work, they are, at first, surprised, and at the same time they fall in love with the project. It is a very gratifying moment.
RTF: How do you look at the work beyond designing for young architects, such as involvement in publishing, handling media and building an online presence?
Florencia: I think it;s great. The profession of architect is super broad and it can accommodate the most well defined and specific interests of each and every one. Nowadays, publications and media relations and social media have become importantly relevant and interesting to develop from the point of view of our profession.
RTF: What do you think of building a social media presence for architects? How important is it and what does it demand from the architects who choose to do it all on their own?
Florencia: We believe creating a social media presence is fundamental. At OrdoñezWenzke we find it especially interesting to share work processes. The audience is interested in the day-to-day of our work and also in seeing the progress of our projects, from the beginning of construction to the day when we can take professional photographs of the finished work. We like to receive feedback from our audience and allow them to participate when we have doubts about a choice of material. We also like receiving constructive criticism. Above all else, we like to know if there is something they didn’t like about the work or if they would have done it differently. In our case, we manage our social media presence ourselves and in truth we should post more often! But we believe the public prefers social media accounts that are self-managed and honest.
RTF: Can you share any challenges you’ve encountered in the process of getting your work published and how you overcame them? Are there any lessons you’ve learned over the years that have significantly improved your success in this area?
Florencia: I think the most difficult thing for people of our generation (+ 40) is to show ourselves in selfie mode. I personally don’t quite understand the logic of it and I think that is our biggest challenge with social media, to show ourselves more and without shame. What I have learned over the years and continue to verify is that it is always worth publishing our work on social media. I am surprised at how it resonates with the public and the results we receive. Generally, we receive a lot of love and new work projects.
RTF: What advice would you give to emerging architects who are looking to increase their chances of getting their work published? Are there any specific resources or platforms that you would recommend for architects seeking publication opportunities?
Florencia: The advice I would give them is to mainly invest in contracting a professional photographer to have a good record of their work, and then simply contact whoever they would like to publish it. Do not be ashamed or shy and just do it. It can also be very useful to participate in design fairs because they receive a lot of press. In terms of platforms, we are presently using BowerBird.
RTF: Which project of yours has been the most rewarding for you in terms of learning?
Florencia: I can’t name one specific project. There were surely several and, at different moments in my life, they were important for different reasons. I think, for me, the profession itself, with its pros and cons, is very rewarding. Every day I learn something new from my partner, our team, our clients and the unions. I do find it especially gratifying to see a happy client and feel that we have transformed that person’s life in some small way.
RTF: How does your off-the-table life shape your professional life?
Florencia: It completely influences it. I cannot dissociate the two. I am the same person for everything. My personal tastes and those of my partner, Nik, are reflected in our work, and that also attracts clients that we find interesting, with whom we often share tastes and lifestyles, and with which, most of the time fortunately, we form an everlasting
Friendship.
RTF: Who has been your inspiration throughout your architectural journey?
Florencia: What a difficult question. I can’t give you a specific name, but I am inspired by passionate people, who have convictions, who handle concepts and dare to do things and speak their minds.
