They will celebrate the sixth Dominican Republic Design Biennial (dRD)

Within the framework of the Dominican Designer's Day, which is celebrated on July 11 of each year, a series of activities will be deployed that will combine design, sustainability and environmental awareness under the theme Sustainable Futures

SANTO DOMINGO. - Regarding the Dominican Designer's Day which is celebrated on July 11, the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC) announced the launch of the Design Biennial in the Dominican Republic (dRD), an event that will display a series of activities from Thursday, July 4 to Thursday, July 11, a unique experience that will combine design, sustainability and environmental awareness.

Organized by INTEC under the theme “Sustainable Futures”, with the support of the Cultural Center of Spain (CCESD), this week promises to be an opportunity to learn, be inspired and collaborate in the development of creative and sustainable solutions with the environment and human well-being through free activities open to the public that project the talent and innovation of industrial designers in various areas.

The opening event will take place with the exhibition of furniture and decorative objects made with water hyacinth, known as “lilac”, an invasive plant transformed into functional design. This traveling exhibition will tour different sister institutions after its presentation in Ágora.

“Our designers have worked diligently with the company Rattan Dominicano to transform this environmental challenge into a creative opportunity, creating elegant furniture and unique decorative objects that not only beautify spaces, but also contribute to the preservation of our aquatic ecosystems,” as stated. explained Angélica Rodríguez Bencosme, professor of Industrial Design at INTEC.

 The exhibition designs were prepared by students and graduates of INTEC, and teachers from other universities.

INTEC is the first university to offer an industrial design degree in the country, and offers a program oriented to industrial manufacturing, training the student both for the formal transformation of objects and for product engineering. 

On Friday, July 5 at 10am, the conference “Ecodesign in action: how to establish the environmental profile of a product idea” by Omar Guerra, INTEC teacher, will be given in the radio classroom of the Ana Henríquez building of INTEC; while on Saturday lilac weaver Silvia Medina will present a practical workshop at the CCESD where participants will learn to weave with water hyacinth, transforming an environmental problem into a creative solution.

Later, Dominican Green Design will be held, a discussion panel with companies that market sustainable products in the country, sharing their experiences and strategies in sustainable production. This meeting will be on Tuesday, July 9 at the INTEC facilities and has the collaboration of the MICM. On Wednesday afternoon José Manuel Mateo, Spanish industrial designer, will offer a theoretical and practical workshop focused on the design of chairs, addressing functional, structural and sustainable aspects of the design.

The great event will conclude on Thursday with two activities: an academic discussion with Mateo, in which the classic training of industrial design will be contrasted with the current one, exploring the necessary improvements in the teaching of design, in the morning; In the afternoon there will be a conference on the importance of sustainability in industrial design, offering clear guidelines for designing more sustainable products. Both activities will be at the CCESD.

Meet the designers of the dRD 2024 exhibition

Among the designers of the exhibition of this edition dRD 2024, to be presented at Ágora Mall, are Gabriel Ovalles, a Dominican industrial designer graduated from INTEC, specialized in furniture design. His work stands out for its ability to combine functionality with aesthetics.

Ámbar Pons, an INTEC Industrial Design student passionate about sustainability, specializes in creating products using recycled and sustainable materials.

Celeste Indira, final year student of Industrial Design at INTEC, focused on product design and conceptual design. It focuses on the search for innovative solutions to satisfy needs and problems, through products that converge in both functionality and aesthetics.

Amaya Elizabeth De Jesús Castro is a Dominican industrial designer and professor at the Technological Institute of the Americas. Founder of LAMORENA Branding and Products Design, her professional approach combines product design and visual communication.

Rafael Pérez Peguero is dedicated to contemporary-artisanal design, encompassing the creation of objects, interior spaces and furniture. Trained at the Universidad Iberoamericana de Santo Domingo and the University of Buenos Aires, he is currently a professor at the Pedro Henríquez Ureña University, where he contributes to Dominican design culture.

Diana Pastrano, a graduate of Industrial Design from INTEC and a master's degree in Project Management and Organization from Nebrija University, is a teacher at the Ibero-American University (UNIBE). In addition to teaching, she works in a multinational company, contributing her knowledge in design and project management.

Joao Rodríguez is an industrial designer with a specialty in Plastic Arts and Cinema. With experience in furniture design and participation in film projects, Joao is also dedicated to teaching and continues to be involved in business and personal projects, maintaining a close connection with the cultural field.

Margarita Rodríguez de Canó has a degree in architecture with master's degrees in Industrial Design and Marketing, and a doctor in Education. Founding professor of the Industrial Design program at INTEC and former associate dean of Engineering, she has worked as a consultant in the design and maintenance of school furniture and continues to teach at INTEC.