Ivonne Zuniga
LinkedIn
Currently not available for work
Climate Designer focusing on creating a culture of sustainability throughout every field in which I work, with the goal of involving as many people as possible in a more sustainable living
I did my undergrad in Architecture in Costa Rica, around that time one of my professors gave me the first introduction to sustainability through building certifications such as LEED and BREAM, afterwards I became more interested in the topic. In my first working experience as a project manager for a furniture company, I developed an interest in the brands that were creating innovative products with new materials and sustainable processes. I decided I was going to learn more about the topic, and that's why I came to the US to get my masters in Design for Sustainability. At school, I realized how much information I was missing and how broad and complex the term of Sustainability truly was. I had the opportunity to work with diverse topics, such as food waste, brand transformation and consumer facing strategies,reclaimed materials, and sports, which became the main focus of my degree. Currently I am working as a Certifications manager for a prefab home manufacturer, combining both my knowledge in Architecture and Sustainability. I am able to work closely in the certifications of the process while promoting sustainability in every aspect of the company. My final goal as a designer is to reach as many people as possible so that we can make positive change together.
Projects
Rise up Wise up was developed as the final project for my master's degree.
It is a strategy for the Atlanta Falcons to engage their fans in sustainable practices. The overall strategy involves not only the fans but the administrative team at the stadium, the sponsors and even the players.
The idea is to give every stakeholder a guide on their role in every step of the plan. The project was developed in two stages, the first one composed by secondary and primary research conducted at the stadium and the second stage was prototyping different ideas until getting to the final plan.
This project was developed as a collaboration with a team of 3 other designers. Our goal was to design a behavior change strategy for vegetarians in Savannah to reduce their food waste.
We use primary research strategies to identify the main factors that influence food waste and we created a strategy based on those factors.
The final result was Scrappy Cook, a recipe book based on the cooking practice of "root to stem" using every part of the vegetable. The book is also complemented with tips on how to grow your own food, fun facts, and tips on how to use food scraps.