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

A book about the U.S.-Mexico Border and what its future might be like.

Now House

One of our greatest challenges is improving the houses that exist today.

In big cities like Toronto, about 25% of greenhouse gas emissions comes from the residential sector. Over 60% of houses that will exist in 2050 are already built.

In 2008, the Now House team retrofitted this WWII house into a net-zero energy home, one that produces as much energy as it uses.

These were the key changes made to the house

Small changes = big results

The Now House:

Achieves an annual energy cost of zero.
Reduces emissions by 5.4 tonnes.
Reduces plug load by 59.8%.
Reduces heat loss to achieve EGH rating of 84.
Produces energy on site from renewable resources.
Uses minimal new resources.
Produced minimal waste.
Improves indoor air quality.
Is repeatable.

One small house. One million opportunities.

With around a million wartime houses existing in Canada, this retrofit model could be replicated in communities of wartime houses and a million homes across Canada and the U.S.

The project was an initiative of Work Worth Doing, with support from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation and sponsorship from RBC Royal Bank.

To learn more, visit the project site: http://nowhouseproject.com

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.