John Fernández's research has been focused on the materials and physical elements and components of the assemblies and systems of buildings, published in Material Architecture: emergent materials for innovative buildings and ecological construction (2005).

He studied architecture at MIT and Princeton University.

John Fernández is engaged in the articulation of concepts of the ecology of contemporary construction. This effort involves identifying the distinct consumption profile and resource requirement attributes of our existing anthropogenic stock of buildings while formulating design strategies that contribute to reuse and recycling of building materials and components.

Accepting the essential tenets of the field of industrial ecology, he is involved in initiatives intended to bring forth real change in the ways in which material and energy networks are configured toward the making of contemporary buildings.

He presented “Dematerializing multiple worlds” at the inaugural Holcim Roundtable held at MIT Endicott House, Boston, USA (2014) and also attended the 2nd Holcim Roundtable held in Einsiedeln, Switzerland (2015).