Rodrigo Vidal

About me

I was born/grew up in: Santiago, Chile

I now live in: London, Ontario, Canada

I completed my training/education at: Architecture at Universidad de Chile. European Master in Renewable Energies at Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain.

What I do at work

As an architect I specialize in predictive evaluation. This means that I gather data and use it to predict whether a building will be useful for its purposes. I deal with energy performance and bioclimatic design in building projects. I work remotely with a team in Chile. They are experts in architecture, landscaping, engineering, and construction. Making decisions in this field requires a lot of knowledge. We need to know the local climate conditions and the shape of the surrounding area. We also need to know where the sun is in relation to the building. This will affect the energy needs in the building. Every building we design has its own needs for space. It also has to meet the needs of the people who will live or work there. We use specialized software to cross-reference these two sets of information.

My career path is

When I studied architecture, I liked to go to the planetarium or watch the stars outdoors. At the time, I didn't see a meeting point between architecture and astronomy. Once I completed my master in Renewable Energies, my interest in geographic, spatial, and solar analysis became stronger. I applied my knowledge in these areas to architecture. This was the first example of where I brought my professional activity closer to science.

I am motivated by

I like to draw, by hand or on a computer. I like to use creativity in different stages of projects. I like to use my creativity in the design and evaluation of projects. I like to solve problems. I also like astronomy and geography. I like being able to bring these together in my building plans. What I like most is that I am learning all the time.

How I affect peoples’ lives

Architecture solves problems. My work helps people achieve the most comfortable temperature in their building. This reduces energy use and lowers expenses. It can also reduce carbon emissions. It helps to achieve a more sustainable society.

Outside of work I

I like drawing urban and outdoor landscape sketches. I like looking at the stars using telescopes, or just with my eyes. I like landscape astrophotography and solargraphy. This means I also like assembling pinhole cameras to create solargraphs. I love finding and observing animal architecture such as nests, burrows and hives.

My advice to others

Architecture may just be the starting point from which you can specialize and relate to other areas of your interest.