UNPHU and the Coalition of Specialized Media in Architecture and Urbanism promote dialog on building security in the country

After the devastating collapse of the Jet Set nightclub, Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU), along with the Coalition of Media Specialized in Architecture and Urbanism, which includes the magazines Arquitexto, Archive of Arquitectura Antillana (AAA), Urbanística Podcast, Perfil Urbano, the Foundation Facades, and Visualizaciones Arquitectónicas Dominicanas, organized an interinstitutional technical table to discuss structural safety and the culture of prevention in the country.

The initiative, titled “From mourning to action,” gathered experts, authorities, academics, and specialized media in a space for critical reflection that highlighted the urgent need to review the normative, technical, and ethical foundations of the construction ecosystem in the Dominican Republic.

During his speech, Omar Rancier, the dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Arts and an architect, highlighted that this meeting is a strong call for technical and institutional action to defend life and professional ethics.

The event started with the reading of the manifesto “From mourning to consciousness’ by architect Jesús Saldaña, who directly addressed the sector’s underlying issues: the lack of oversight, the normalization of poor practices, and the regulatory gaps that make tragedies like the Jet Set not only possible but predictable. 

The professionals, teachers, and students present pointed out the institutional disorganization, the lack of risk assessments, and the widespread informality as hidden threats that jeopardize the safety of thousands of citizens. 

Among the topics discussed were the importance of a critical perspective to understand the scale of the event, the regulatory ecosystem surrounding safety in construction, the complexity of current legislation, and the legal limitations faced by municipalities in controlling illegal construction. Issues such as restrictions on intervening in private buildings and the inability to establish definitive causes through a single expert opinion were also discussed. 

Similarly, there was a discussion about the progress made in developing the first Dominican Republic Construction Code.

As speakers in this important discussion included the architects Carmen Ortega and Michelle Valdez, from the magazine Arquitexto and the Urbanística Podcast; graduate Gabriela Molina, an independent lawyer; architect Luis Alejandro Pérez from the Directorate of Urban Planning of the City of the National District (ADN); Colonel Genaro Rodríguez, the technical director of the Fire Department of the National District; engineer Luis Abbot, a structural engineer; architect Iliana Gallardo from the Directorate of Standards and Regulations of the Ministry of Housing and Buildings (MIVED); engineer Edgar Pellerano, director of Inspection of Private Works; and engineer Leonardo Reyes Madera, the general director of the National Office for Seismic Assessment and Vulnerability of Infrastructure and Buildings (ONESVIE).

The meeting ended with an intervention from architect Marcos Blonda, representing AAA magazine, who emphasized the importance of communication as a tool for transformation and committed to fostering a culture of safety in inhabited spaces.