Jorge Arango: podcast appearances and interviews

Jorge Arango was a Colombian-born architect who later became a prominent figure in the United States. Born in Bogotá in 1917, he received his education across Chile, Colombia, and at Harvard University. His talents and vision led to an invitation from the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the U.S. State Department to work in America. In 1959, he co-founded the Arango design store at Dadeland Mall in South Miami alongside his then-wife Judith. The store was recognized as an early advocate of good design, offering Bauhaus-inspired furnishings such as Iittala glassware and Alvar Aalto chairs, serving as a precursor to the Luminaire style. Arango championed minimalist architecture focused on human value, emphasizing open floor plans, natural ventilation, large windows, and design details like small bathroom tiles and the absence of baseboards. He designed several modest homes in Miami that reflected his design philosophy. Additionally, he contributed to academia as a professor of architecture at the University of California Berkeley in the 1950s and later at the District University of Bogotá. As a writer and columnist, he expressed passionate views on urban development and design, notably criticizing Miami projects that hindered access to water and environmental quality. His published works include books such as 'The Urbanization of the Earth,' 'Villa Sofia,' and 'Ecophilia: The Future Is Waiting.' Jorge Arango passed away in Miami in 2007, survived by his third wife Penelope, two sons, two daughters, and his design store.