Charrettes can be intimidating. Often in these intensive, user-focused design workshops, facilitators are working with a community they are not themselves a part of. The facilitators are chiefly concerned about participation and buy-in, and whether outcome-focused exercises will sink in with those unfamiliar with the design process. We all want charrettes to be successful, to empower…
(Students Rebuild) Remember that time when Haiti was simultaneously an exotic gem and a disaster quagmire? For months after their terrible 2010 earthquake, the whole world was captivated by a bizarre, overlooked culture, and seduced by the promise to rebuild the country as a flagship of sustainable, holistic reform of an impoverished nation. Re-watching this Newshour/NPR…
If it seems like an impossible endeavor to flip a global substandard housing crisis, you haven’t been keeping up with the Karachi Chapter of Architecture for Humanity. The Chapter rocketed into action in 2010, responding to the Indus River floods that inundated 1/5 of the country and displaced 20 million Pakistanis – 11% of the…
(Students Rebuild) Public schools in urban California and rural North Carolina are breaking through customary walls to pursue dynamic learning environments and impact their communities. Of course – design plays a part. Around the nation a debate rages on how to educate children. On one end, there is a push to bring all students up simultaneously,…
(Students Rebuild) ALL EIGHT of the Millennium Development Goals simultaneously crossed a milestone earlier this year – “1000 Days Left.” Or maybe it’s more of a warning sign. Since the Year 2000 (and those heady days of roboboogie), 189+ nation states have been working to eradicate extreme poverty around the world, prompted by the United Nations.…
(Architecture for Humanity) In the moments before an elaborate party, an entire universe seems held in a state of suspension. Deep within Philadelphia’s repurposed Electric Factory, blue patterned lights sweep a dance floor, empty save for staff in black tees crossing to their last-minute preparations. Clusters of other staffers chat before their shifts begin. Mic…
(Architecture for Humanity) In the weeks after a series of destructive and deadly tornadoes swept through central Oklahoma, Architecture for Humanity has been assisting communities, meeting rebuilding authorities, and assessing still-emerging needs and long term priorities for the stricken towns. Background & Current Status Between May 18 and June 2, a series of tornadoes touched…
(The Guardian) When discussing public health, architecture is not generally the first thing that springs to mind. Yet its influence on us is inescapable. Architects play a critical role in shaping the qualities of our environment; they work in collaboration with end users and their needs and ambitions, and they have the power to restore…
(Huffington Post) As we pick up the pieces after the Moore, Oklahoma, tornado — and honor the deceased — we’re getting figures now that this tornado, while not the most powerful recorded, may possibly be the most expensive in U.S. history. We at Architecture for Humanity, like many, pause and wonder at how much damage…
(Architecture for Humanity) Linus Lam is the remaining active founder the first Canadian Architecture for Humanity chapter, in Vancouver. In the past four years, the Vancouver Chapter has worked on everything from self-initiated projects, hosting talks and conferences, to collaborations with the City of Vancouver and the Haiti Rebuilding Center. We spoke with him recently…
kbobblog 