Cumulus Bogota: The design after.

The day has finally arrived! We felt very glad to receive more than 300 participants from 25 different countries.

The opening

Alejandro Gaviria, president of Universidad de los Andes, opened the conference talking about Colombia and the unique characteristics and possibilities it has to innovate, create, and think new ways of designing. He emphasized that the theme of the conference results attractive, disruptive, and allows us to discuss at great length new ways to design in a complex world like the one we live in.

Hernando Barragan, Dean of the Architecture and Design School, invited us to re-look at the things we think we know as if it was the first time. He also mentioned that the theme of The Design After will provide the opportunity to deal with the present and imagine a better future.

Mariana Amatullo, President of Cumulus, presented the vision of the Cumulus Association and introduced the theme of the next Cumulus conference.

The first keynote speaker

Brigitte Baptiste, Chancellor of Universidad EAN, presented an eye-opening and exciting speech that brought out some new concepts such as Queering Ecology. While talking about biodiversity, landscapes and the meaning of new technologies, she also remarked that the world of art is essential in creating the future. She also pointed out the fact that we have enough materials to re-design the world, even among the critical scenarios of climate change.

Round tables

After a great opening speech, participants attended the parallel sessions that focused on the main conference themes: Sensing the city, sensing the rural; Somewhere, nowhere, anyone, everyone; Fiction and de-innovation; Design and counterculture and Biodiversity-Driven Design. Some of the most relevant ideas discussed were:

DESIGN AND COUNTERCULTURE
Human-centered design can be adapted to several ways of working.
Working with people allows the possibility to understand a problem or situation and then coming up with an answer.

WOMEN IN DESIGN
“You can do whatever you want in the world. You just have to love it”
Women in design are capable and have started to create new and different leaderships. In order for this to keep going, we need to share our stories, open mentorship spaces and build networks.

BIODIVERSITY-DRIVEN DESIGN
The gap between arts, design and science should be eliminated in order to tackle mutual challenges such as climate change, education and preservation of life in our planet. Through our creations we need to work as a team today, as equals in the task of shaping a better future.

BEYOND THE WALLS
Architecture is about life. Sensitive objects make sense as long as they transform the intangible.

DESIGN SERVICE GROUP
Service design is about empathizing with the different actors involved to reach social innovation.

Closing remarks 

Two special events took place during the afternoon session. The school exhibition opening, in which a selection of projects related to the main tracks of Cumulus Conference Bogota edition are showcased. The work of students, alumni, professors and researchers has been developed and created by members of Universidad de los Andes design and architecture community.

The welcome cocktail was a full explosion of Colombian colors and flavors, led by Fundación Escuela Taller de Bogotá. Through a complimentary approach between knowledge and craft, this non-for profit offers training to young people in traditional trades such as carpentry, gastronomy and construction.