About Dr. Gonzalo Raineri
Father, husband, designer, architect, professor, design researcher and theorist based in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
Dr. Gonzalo Raineri Bernain describes his professional life as a complex journey of "turning ideas into action" that has spanned nearly three decades. His career began with pragmatic humility, using his skills as an architect and designer to sustain himself, but eventually transformed into a vocation driven by witnessing the profound disconnect between conventional industry and the living systems of our planet. He writes with a refreshing lack of academic pretense, warning readers that his work is designed "to infect you with a dangerous optimism" regarding the potential for systemic change.
Dr. Raineri’s perspective is informed by a truly nomadic and global engagement with design. His work and studies have taken him from the vibrant landscapes of Santiago, Chile, to Minneapolis, Amsterdam, Dublin, Madrid, Valencia, and currently, Eindhoven in the Netherlands. This international trajectory is underpinned by a formidable academic foundation, including degrees in Design and Architecture, followed by five postgraduate diplomas in fields ranging from Business Administration to Interactive Multimedia, culminating in a Ph.D. in Design.
Throughout his career, Dr. Raineri has actively interrogated the discipline through a selection of high-profile engagements. He has challenged students to consider "Why it is important to study design today?" at Indoamérica University in Ecuador and explored the "Reemergences" of design during the CADi 2020 congress in Peru. His commitment to highlighting the overlooked aspects of the discipline led him to serve as a Guest Editor for Design for All India in 2019, creating a platform to discuss "Design & Misery."
The motivation for this intense workload is deeply personal. Dr. Raineri cites the moment he became a father as a crystallizing event, shifting his priority from professional success to ensuring a thriving future for his daughter and all children. This drive led him to initially undergo the Phd program and finally found the Symbiotic Design Academy (SDA), a platform dedicated to empowering others with the skills to transition toward a zero-carbon future. Through the SDA, he translates high-level theory into practice, supported by SDA memberships with global organizations like, the World Design Organization (WDO), and a friendship with the New European Bauhaus (NEB).
Dr. Raineri operates with the understanding that the language used to describe the future creates "magnetic fields" that attract specific energies and resources. Consequently, he has dedicated his life to creating a field that draws resources toward regeneration and Eudaimonia, or wellbeing for all living entities. He stands firmly against the "unfounded positiveness" of dogmatic design, advocating instead for "competence with conscience." Whether speaking at the New European Bauhaus Festival or writing from his desk in the Netherlands, Dr. Raineri remains a steadfast companion for those willing to do the hard work of thinking systemically in a complex world.
2016-2021 • PhD in Design , Universidad de Palermo, Buenos Aires Argentina | 2013 • Design Thinking Action Lab, Standford University through NovoEd. | 2013 • Post-graduate Diploma in University Curriculum Design for the Management of the Teaching and Learning Process, Universidad Finis Terrae, Santiago, Chile | 2007 • Master in Environmental Studies and Bioclimatic Architecture, Polytechnic University of Madrid, Superior School of Architecture, Madrid, Spain. | 2006 • Post-graduate Diploma in Sustainable Architecture, UNIACC University, Santiago, Chile. | 2002-2006 • Architect, UNIACC University, Santiago, Chile. | 2001-2002 • Post-graduate Diploma in Administration and Business Management, ILADES, Alberto Hurtado Jesuit University, Santiago, Chile. | 1997 • Post-graduate Diploma in Design and Interactive Multimedia Production, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, School of Design, Santiago, Chile. | 1994 • Computer Graphic Design: Introduction to Graphic Area, Catholic University of Chile, Santiago, Chile. | 1990 – 1991 • Paint System Video, Digital Animation, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, EE.UU. | 1984-1991 • Design, specialized in Visual Communication, Professional Institute of Santiago, Santiago, Chile. | 1988 • Intensive Film Course: 16mm, Chilean – North American Cultural Institute, Santiago, Chile. | 1983 • Failed Architecture student – Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile. | 1970-1982 • The International School Nido de Aguilas, Santiago, Chile. | 1965-1970 • The youngest hippie ever, Santiago, Chile.
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