(by Pablo Bris)
ETSIDI Madrid Desis Lab, based in the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería y Diseño Industrial (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid), hosted the DESIS Café on July 21st, 2021. The event was co-hosted by Félix Bendito, Cristina Alía, Daniel Martínez, Pablo Bris (ETSIDI professors) and Lara Monteagudo (ETSIDI student).
The co-hosts presented the projects in which they are working in their DESIS Lab; mainly the project developed in Lavapies neighbourhood with ETSIDI students, and also the design initiative –Synchronicities– an open-ended project to the participation of all interested labs of DESIS network, that aims to build a research database for designers.
Some of the presented projects generated a stimulating debate in several topics:
– The possibility that Synchronicities project could become a design tool for city making;
– The difficulties of city making when neighbourhoods suffer gentrification or touristification processes. But also the possibility of redirect the situation and to see tourism –an unavoidable reality in the presented Lavapies case- as an opportunity for improving the city, looking for solutions in collaboration with local authorities that could attract qualitative tourism that can coexist with residents;
– The use of the public space by residents – and specifically children (one of the subjects of the synchronicities project)- is a good indicator of the quality of the city, and a factor of hope for the future of neighbourhoods.
DESIS Café aims to be an informal virtual place where DESIS Labs can meet and talk about their activities, expectations, thoughts, research, projects, etc. It’s a place to strengthen connections within the community and exchange knowledge about good practices, difficulties of projects and actions.
This event intends to join all DESIS Labs around the world to host a coffee tour every two months on the 3rd Wednesday. So start saving the date from now on!
You can watch the event on DESIS youtube channel here: