Daniela Salgado Cofré

Daniela Salgado Cofré is an Associate Professor of Design at the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso (PUCV), School of Architecture and Design. An Industrial Designer by profession, she holds a PhD in Architecture and Urbanism from the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium, funded through the Chile Scholarship (ANID) in 2016. She has been part of the PUCV faculty since 2013, where she teaches workshops and courses across various levels of the Design program and co-directs degree projects linked to social design.

Her research focuses on the critical examination of the relationship between craftsmanship and design within local and global circuits, approaching these topics from decolonial perspectives. Salgado has developed three main research strands: Design and Craftsmanship, Social and Territorial Design, and Decolonial Design. Her work investigates the frictions between object design (projection, manufacturing, and circulation) and social-cultural contexts, connecting design with anthropology, sociology, and history.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent focus on material culture, particularly clay and soil, as sites of knowledge production and political contestation. Her work critically examines design hegemonies over traditional crafts, explores relational approaches to production in the Anthropocene, and investigates the decolonial potential of design practices. She frequently engages with the specific context of Chilean crafts while situating these within broader global discussions about material politics and epistemological diversity.

Salgado has been actively involved in the Semaine d'Innovation Pedagogique (SIP) since 2017, an annual activity that expands traditional learning methods in architecture and design. She has also participated in numerous 'Travesías' (educational journeys) since 2006 and has organized 'Actos' including 'Diseño y Celebración' events that mark transitions in the educational program and celebrate school life.