What If We Were The Decision Makers? Creating Impact with Multi-Contextual Design with Duo Development’s Rafael Robles

Our guest today, Rafael Robles, Founder at Duo Development, shares his experiences answering the question for himself of who gets to make the decisions? His journey from real estate, to development, to business strategy consulting led Rafael to found his own innovation studio, Duo, where he practices multi-contextual design, amplifying the impact a built project can have. 

Thank you for listening and I hope you feel empowered to take your own steps forward into your windy career path.

Highlights:

• Creative, Resilient, Caring
• The transition to running your own innovation studio
• Exploring the Concept of Multi Contextual Design
• Challenging Traditional Architectural Practices with Norm-making and Form-making
• Insights from Working in Business Strategy
• Establishing Duo and Its Ethical Approach
• Creating New Realities through Multi Contextual Design
• Working with Clients and Own Projects at Duo
• Understanding the Community's Needs and Preferences
• Incorporating a Local Restaurant into the Health Clinic
• Securing a Federal Grant for Senior Services
• The Concept of a Building that Shares Profits with Local Residents
• Designing Starling: A Space for Liberation
• The Importance of Context and Flexibility in Design
• The Value of Architectural Education
• The Challenges and Rewards of Starting a Company
• Advice for Taking Control of Your Career Path
• The Importance of Asking for Advice

Learn more about Duo Development

Guest Bio:
Rafa Robles is the co-founder and director of Duo. An innovation studio/lab that works to create built environment innovations for the benefit of society, Duo partners with organizations of all types through design, strategy, and innovation services, and by launching ethical real estate development and related ventures. Duo’s multicontextual design approach investigates and activates knowledge, wisdom, and beauty across a generative and evaluative process that explores Norm/Form-making. Their studio applies the lenses of economics, ecology, technology, culture, and ethics to enrich their practice and ensure that their innovations provide a societal benefit. Prior to Duo, Rafa’s work spanned design and innovation at Doblin (a Deloitte business), real estate development at Ranquist Development Group, and architecture at Studio Gang Architects. Since 2011, Rafa has produced numerous projects ranging from research to implementation across contexts and scales. His diverse body of work spans and crosses the boundaries of innovation, design, and business strategy, real estate development, urban planning, building and spatial design, digital ecosystems, visual and graphics, user experiences, and service design.