Colombian housing designers from cities such as Monteria, Cartagena, Barranquilla, Santa Marta, Bogota and Medellin were brought together by the Executive Summer School program to participate in the renowned Milano Design Week 2026.
In total, 25 professionals took part, facing in the Brera district the conceptual focus of this year’s event: housing design was no longer understood solely from an aesthetic perspective, but rather as a tool for emotional connection, wellbeing, and the construction of identity.
For this reason, the proposals presented explored how spaces can influence the way people live, feel, and relate to their environment. In this way, the Brera district consolidated itself during the week as the epicenter of the experience, transforming into a living stage of creativity where interventions, installations, and exhibitions redefined the relationship between design and the city.
The program was part of the official Fuorisalone, with a high-profile event in Brera that brought together the Colombian consul general in Milan and academics from Italian design universities, strengthening the dialogue between both countries. In this context, the Colombian projects stood out for their ability to connect design with human, territorial, and heritage narratives.
Some of the striking proposals by Colombians
From Cartagena, ZAMMA Studio, led by Martha Pineda, presented a proposal based on neuroarchitecture, where spaces are conceived as experiences that generate wellbeing and balance, understanding that true luxury lies in how it feels to inhabit a place.
For his part, architect Roberto Caputo, from Santa Marta, presented two projects that dialogue between tradition, technique, and territory: a villa set within a coastal landscape that integrates architecture and nature in a harmonious way, and the transformation of the Santa Marta Chamber of Commerce into an efficient corporate complex, where functionality and material warmth meet.
From Bogota, Natalia Gil presented a residential project in the El Chico neighborhood conceived as an urban refuge, where natural light, spatial openness, and material selection generate a balance between city life and personal wellbeing.
In a heritage-oriented approach, Maria del Carmen Romero shared a project in the Historic Center of Cartagena that proposes a conversation between eras, integrating architectural restoration with a contemporary vision that activates and re-signifies the value of heritage.
Finally, from Bogota, Grupo Arkada, led by architect Claudia Molina, approached interior design from architectural psychology, exploring space as an emotional extension of the human being, where identity, memory, and purpose are materialized through design.
“This edition shows how Colombian design is evolving toward more conscious proposals, where housing, context, and user experience become the center of the creative process. From the Chamber, we seek precisely to generate these spaces of international connection that allow this talent to be made visible and open new opportunities for collaboration,” said Angelo Gobbo, executive director of the Italian Chamber of Commerce for Colombia.
The 2026 edition consolidates this program as a unique platform in Latin America, which not only connects professionals with the global design scene, but also promotes real opportunities for collaboration, training, and international visibility.
With a long-term vision, the Chamber will continue strengthening this initiative, expanding its reach and promoting new forms of creative exchange between Italy and Colombia.