hola at alexquinto dot com

Introduction

This is the personal site of Alex Quinto. My interests are in design, information design, research, social and environmental change. Below are some of the main projects I have worked on. My current interests include the archival of designs for human development, as well as studying design methods and processes for sustainability.

More details:
CV | portfolio [PDF for screen] , [PDF for print]

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Grow-in structures

Thin biodegradable grow-in structures.

Center for Design and Human Development

A public archive of designs for human development.

Design methods for sustainability

What if we could create social and environmental change by paying closer attention to how we design?

Hyperborder

The U.S.-Mexico border is one of the busiest international boundaries in the world and the only dividing a superpower and a developing nation.

Hyperborder maps the contemporary issues affecting this border, including the environment, trade, energy, health, migration and demographics, among others.

Hyperborder begins by mapping the key activities shaping the relations between the world's leading destination for migrants and the world's leading source of migrants.

Hyperborder contextualizes the U.S.-Mexico border among other regions of conflict and cooperation such as the West Bank and EU countries.

The second part of this book presents thirty-eight future scenarios for the border region—some positive and some negative—ranging from the local to the continental.

A health scenario, for example, advocates for win-win possibilities that result from binational health programs (pictured above). A trade scenario envisions the effects of investments in large-scale infrastructure projects along the border (pictured below).

The book presents an extensive mapping of binational infrastructure and statistics.

The book is a valuable read for those immersing themselves in topic of U.S.-Mexico relations and decision-makers in need of frameworks for developing policies. Hyperborder was developed in collaboration with LAR/Fernando Romero.

You can buy the book directly through the publisher, or any major book distributor.

http://www.papress.com/

Now House

Retrofitting a World War II house to achieve net-zero energy costs and reduce emissions.

What if Greenland was Africa's Water Fountain?

Greenland is melting. Africa is thirsty. How Greenland can show stewardship, share its water wealth and declare economic independence from Denmark.

Massive Change

Mapping trends on the future of design through the perspective of twelve topics.

The mundane reality of scenario planning

Future scenarios are often developed without designers. If designers are to make a contribution to future planning processes, what methods are suitable for that task?

Towards a sustainable design framework

How can design studios implement sustainability initiatives? Two issues are at stake. Designers need to document their methods and provide evidence of the value they create. Having metrics in place that assess the impact of a design on society, profits, and the planet are also required. Having a sustainable design framework in place can help designers move towards more sustainable practices.

Alex Quinto. 2004-2010.