Javier Martín de la Fuente
Music is the way I best express myself and share my worldview with the people around me. But it is just one of my artistic endeavors. I am lucky to study architecture at a school as diverse as IE University. It’s not just that we are surrounded by people from around the world on campus. The opportunities available at IE University are just as diverse as the students. With spaces like the Creativity Center on the Segovia campus, I can create my music; and with opportunities to study and work abroad, I have been able to experience new cultures, new ways of life, and the things that are happening at the cutting-edge of architecture in places like New York and Sydney. These experiences have not only informed me as a professional in the field of architecture, but as a musician too.
"Being in contact with international students has expanded my mind; I have discovered the diversity of the world, helping me to improve as an architect, since I have seen what is being done in other countries."
Javier Martín de la Fuente has been making music since he was 13. It’s something he feels passionate about. And although the academic rigor of a Bachelor in Architectural Studies at IE University has kept him busy, his time there has also inspired him to delve deeper into hip-hop and to tap into his musical potential. While here he began a solo venture, writing and producing music under the alias “People” or “$KINNY J” and created a YouTube channel to share his creations with the world. The Creativity Center at the Casa de la Moneda in Segovia has allowed him to express himself with his music, while pursuing another artistic outlet in architecture.
As a Segovian native, he’s able to appreciate his hometown from a new perspective while sharing classes with students from countries as diverse as Kenya, the Philippines, Norway, and the United States. Javier has always been a stand-out student. He received a scholarship for students from Segovia offered by IE University in collaboration with the Diputación Provincial de Segovia. But the experience of studying in English surrounded by new perspectives has meant he has gained a set of skills more far-reaching than he could have imagined. He is now able to speak English fluently, and has gained an understanding of the world that only comes from working and studying alongside students from around the globe.
Although Javier has always seen architecture as a field with many professional outlets, the opportunities offered by IE University have expanded that vision even further. He has taken advantage of the chance to intern at prestigious architectural studios globally, including AL_A studio in London, Miralles Tagliabue (EMBT) in Barcelona, and Shop Architects in New York City. These experiences, and his time as an exchange student at the University of Technology Sydney, have helped him open his mind and understand his studies in a new way. IE University has allowed Javier to fully experience the diversity of his passions and to improve as both an artist and an architect.