Idael Cárdenas is a designer and writer whose work frequently engages both the art of making and socially responsible architecture—often weaving the two through narrative. Originally from Cuba, his research explores the ramifications of the sugar industry on the Island, investigating how, in more ways than one, our personal geographies are inherently linked to the legacies of colonial-economic processes. Professionally, Idael has contributed to a range of projects centered on adaptive reuse and historic preservation, spanning institutional and civic spaces. He currently practices at Finegold Alexander Architects and serves on the Board of Young Advisors to the Boston Preservation Alliance.
Idael earned his Bachelor of Design, summa cum laude, from the University of Florida and his Master of Architecture with Distinction from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.
National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA)
Young Advisor, Boston Preservation Alliance
The Territory of Memory from a Land of Sugar: Cas-Cal, Cas-Cal. Published on ReVista, The Harvard Review of Latin America. 2023.
Contributor, Revitalizing Onomichi: Architecture, Community, Territory. Published by Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. 2023.
Proudest accomplishment? Completing and presenting my Master of Architecture thesis! It took a lot of hard work—researching, writing, and traveling—but the end-result made me feel closer to home, and my family.
Favorite book? There’s a few: The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu, Before Night Falls: A Memoir by Reinaldo Arenas, The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, and Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo.
Favorite mode of transportation? Traveling by train!
Favorite recipe? Ropa vieja—a Cuban specialty.
Favorite thing about your career? Witnessing first-hand how thoughtful design can positively impact people’s daily lives.