Luca Freitas Ribeiro

Luca Freitas Ribeiro

Associate Lecturer in Design Studies
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Details

Open to

  • Collaborative projects
  • Industry Projects

About

Research Overview

 

Luca Freitas Ribeiro is an accomplished Industrial Designer, Lecturer, and Researcher with a multifaceted background spanning academic and professional roles across three continents. His expertise lies at the intersection of digital fabrication, sustainable design, and rapid prototyping, with a particular focus on the transformative potential of emerging technologies in the creative process.

Luca holds a Bachelor's in Industrial Design from the Federal University of Brasilia (UNB), a Master of Fine Arts specializing in Digital Fabrication from Victoria University of Wellington (VUW), and was a PhD candidate at Auckland University of Technology (AUT). His academic journey has been consistently marked by excellence, including research assistantships and scholarships from CNPQ and the prestigious Science Without Borders program.

 

His research career began with his involvement at UNB and the Transdisciplinary Scenography Laboratory (LTC), where he contributed to significant international projects, including the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space. At VUW, his master's research culminated in the development of the university's first additive manufacturing 3D printing (AMM), dual-material, single-print costume, demonstrating his innovative approach to design and digital fabrication.

 

Currently based in Vietnam he leverages his academic knowledge and industry experience to further his research and teaching career.

His most recent research project focuses on the development of a plastic tracker device for urban waterways, specifically designed to monitor and collect data on plastic pollution in Ho Chi Minh City's waterways. This project underscores his commitment to using design and technology to address pressing environmental challenges

Research fields

  • 3303 Design
  • 330309 Industrial and product design
  • 330314 Sustainable design
  • 360403 Drama, theatre and performance studies

UN sustainable development goals

  • 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
  • 10 Reduced Inequalities
  • 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • 13 Climate Action
  • 14 Life Below Water
  • 4 Quality Education

Academic positions

  • Lecturer
  • Auckland University of Technology
  • Creative Technologies
  • Auckland, New Zealand
  • 3 Mar 2020 – 31 Dec 2022
  • Teaching Assistant
  • Victoria University of Wellington
  • Product Design
  • Wellington, New Zealand
  • 5 Mar 2018 – 5 Mar 2019
  • Research Assistant
  • University of Brasília
  • DIN - Departamento de Desenho Industrial
  • Brasília, Brazil
  • 15 Aug 2013 – 15 Aug 2014

Teaching interests

Luca Freitas Ribeiro is a design educator and lecturer with a passion for cultivating creative and technical skills for the next generation of designers. He previously served as a full-time lecturer at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) in the Creative Technologies program, where he focused on teaching design and digital fabrication. Now, as a member of the School of Communication & Design (SCD) at RMIT Vietnam, he applies his expertise to a wide range of design disciplines. His teaching philosophy is practice-led and project-based, emphasizing hands-on learning that prepares students for the realities of professional design practice. 

Research interests

Luca Freitas Ribeiro plural research interests are deeply rooted in the transformative power of design and technology to address contemporary challenges. His work aims to bridge the gaps between digital innovation and physical applications, with a strong emphasis on sustainable and human-centered outcomes. His core interests include:

Digital Fabrication & Rapid Prototyping: A central theme in his work, from developing dual-material proof of concept for the Brazilian Caranval at VUW to exploring the broader applications of additive manufacturing in the film industry in New Zealand. He is fascinated by how digital fabrication workflows technologies enable new forms of creative expression and material exploration.

 

Sustainability & Bio-design: This is a driving force behind his current research, such as the plastic tracking device for the HCMC waterways. He is dedicated to leveraging design as a tool to mitigate environmental challenges, exploring the use rapid prototyping in creating solutions for pressing issues like urban plastic pollution.

 

Decentralized Manufacturing & The Maker Movement: Luca Ribeiro is keenly interested in the societal and economic impacts of decentralized production models. Being one of the founder of the former BSB Fab Lab, Luca was actively engaged in the Maker Movement in the capital city of Brazil, Brasilia. His hands on experience help make digital fabrication more accessible to local communities.

 

The Intersection of Physical and Digital Realms: Currently applying for a PhD at RMIT Vietnam. His PhD proposal offers a new way to inquire the embodied experience of design practice, specifically how immersive technologies may transform the creative workflow, cognition, and the relationship between a designer, his tools and percepetion of design practice.

 

Industrial Design & Product Development: As a practicing industrial designer, he maintains a strong focus on product lifecycle, from conceptualization to fabrication. His experience in industry started by running a small furniture company in Brasilia, producing flat pack design solutions for concerts and events in the capital city of Brazil. Later on, Luca pursued his passion for performance and production design by developing works for the Prague Quadrienale 2015 & 2017. Later, before joining academia as a full time lecturer. Luca worked as a Digital Fabrication specialist for big TV productions such as Amazon`s The Rings of Power. His broad spectrum of design practice in different areas of expertise are showcases his versatility and ability to apply design principles across diverse fields.