Irene González Fernández
Researcher, hired at Matia
© Photograph by Luis Areñas
Irene González-Fernández is a researcher and consultant in age-friendly environments at Matia, Donostia-San Sebastián (Spain).
She earned her PhD in Architecture at the University of Zaragoza (Spain, 2026), supported by a predoctoral fellowship from the Government of Aragon. She holds a Double Bachelor's degree in Architecture + Design and Image Management from Rey Juan Carlos University (Spain, 2020), with an international exchange at Soongsil University (South Korea), a Master in Architecture from Rey Juan Carlos University (Spain, 2020), and a Master of Science in Sustainable Architecture from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Norway, 2023).
She has actively contributed to European (FME-ZEN, 2022; ARV, 2023) and national (MuWo, 2020-2022; Built4Life Lab, 2023-2025) research projects in Spain and Norway, advancing innovation in sustainable architecture and gender equity. She has also undertaken teaching responsibilities at the University of Zaragoza and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and her work has been recognized with excellence awards and scholarships from institutions such as Fundación Arquia (2019), Fundación Mutua Madrileña (2021), and Fundación HNA (2022).
Research focus: Her research aims to drive innovation in aging environments and communities by transforming institutional care facilities for older people with person-centered, sustainable, participatory, and age-friendly design strategies.