SANTO DOMINGO – The pandemic has undoubtedly changed the world. Various sciences and fields are no longer the same, marked by a before and after the coronavirus. And architecture, within the construction sector, has reaffirmed itself as an art form, readjusting spaces in homes according to client demand, many of whom, after the virus, changed their minds about their preferences for space distribution.
Architect Sonya Pérez, from Sp & Asociados, has vast experience in the area and answered five questions from El Inmobiliario, for the Sabatina Magazine.
1-What trends will dominate the Dominican market in 2022?
The market will bring us a diversity of forms and a novel reorganization of spaces, ranging from urban collectives, focusing on open spaces and outdoor activities, to enclosed spaces with an inside-outside trend. The world definitely changed after March 2020, and spaces were similarly revitalized, becoming more welcoming and open to nature.
2-Have there been changes in architectural models after COVID-19 in the country?
Yes, in an amazing way, architecture has taken a positive turn in the conception and reorganization of spaces in general. We can find a diversity of spaces in the same place. And although for many this might be unusual, for me it is totally RENOVATIVE, and I think this has energized different perspectives on the real estate market in general.
3- Are Dominican designs competent in the field of architecture?
We are a country full of great talents where creativity and original handling of form merge, based on a Caribbean full of color and harmony on its territorial border full of palm trees and joy, which for me is the perfect fusion to design spaces with a touch of originality and perfect quality.
4-Are there jobs in this area in the country?
I think that now is the moment where architecture has established the true shift towards change, towards the new, and a demand never before considered because somehow human beings have realized that the professional is the one who must best handle the complexity of the times and the challenges by harmonizing quality spaces.
5-Is the Dominican Republic taking sustainable development into account in its construction projects?
Yes, definitely, the vast majority of professionals are increasingly joining the sustainability movement.
The author is:
She is a university professor, president of the firm Sonya Pérez & Arquitectos Asociados, and has organized large-scale events such as the 11th Santo Domingo International Architecture Biennial in 2012. She has also served as a supervisor for hotel projects in Santo Domingo, San Cristóbal, Boca Chica, and La Roma. An international collaborating architect with firms in Miami, she worked as the lead designer of contemporary villas in Cap Cana in 2008. She has received numerous honors throughout her career and is a lecturer, among many other achievements and distinctions.
