An organization I've been really interested in for a while
now is Architecture for Humanity. Their mission is “building a more sustainable
future through the power of professional design” (http://architectureforhumanity.org/about).
They do this through a network of thousands of professionals who lend their
time and expertise to such clients as community groups, aid organizations,
developers and government agencies. I
love their idea of design as a catalyst for sustainability. Buildings should,
through good design, contribute to their communities by creating long term social
and economic benefits. That’s a slightly unusual way to think of buildings… isn't it? We usually think of building in terms of their purpose rather than what
benefit they can bring.
Architecture for Humanity says that design creates lasting
change in communities by “Bringing safe shelter to communities prone to
disaster and displaced populations” and “Mitigating the effects of rapid
urbanization in unplanned settlements”. I agree wholeheartedly with both of
those claims. Design makes a world of difference when it comes to preventing
losses from natural disasters. Think about the 7.0 magnitude Haiti earthquake on
January 12th 2010 that killed about 225,000 people. Compare it to the
magnitude 8.8 that happened just a month later in Chile. You probably didn’t even
hear about the earthquake in Chile because it only killed 1000 people, even
though it was 500 times more powerful than Haiti’s. So why did the less
powerful earthquake kill 225 times more people? Because Port-au-Prince’s
infrastructure was not built to any building code or with earthquake-resistant
materials. With a few simple design standards and rules, Haiti could have saved
thousands of lives and billions in losses. Architecture for Humanity is
offering the tools to make that a reality in Haiti, through their Rebuilding
Center. The Rebuilding center also gets a development “thumbs up” for engaging
locals in the design process. If you want to learn more about what Architecture
for Humanity has done in Haiti, here’s an awesome article: http://www.thepolisblog.org/2012/01/rebuilding-efforts-in-haiti-two-years.html.
So, what can design offer slums (ie: unplanned settlements)?
I don’t have any evidence to back this up, but based on what I've learned about
slums, design could help bring services and safety to slums. Slums have major infrastructure issues and problems
getting water and sanitation to residents. I mean, you can’t look at THIS and
tell me it doesn't need design…
If these houses were designed to be structurally sound, or
with the capacity to hook up to the electricity grid and piped water (once
someone is able to provide those services), these people wouldn't have their homes cave in
on them and they could become great places to raise families or start
businesses. I mean, the problem with slums in the first place is that they are built
ad-hoc by city migrants. But, if those migrants were given just a little
guidance and training, the homes they create could be designed to last.
So, do you agree? Is Architecture for Humanity smart to
focus on design? Do you think they’re making a difference?
This is a very interesting organization - I am also very interested in planning and architecture and this aspect is one that I often find disturbing. I like that they involve locals in the design process and that they are using techniques that locals are able to replicate on their own. I wonder though - do they utilize local, easily accessible materials in their designs, or are they selling more expensive materials?
ReplyDeleteGood question Katiana! From what I can tell from my research on them, they either sponsor/have another organization sponsor the building materials or use local materials. For example,the reconstruction Ecole Elie Dubois in Haiti through their Haiti rebuilding center is sponsored. However, in Sri Lanka, Architecture for Humanity aided in building a community center which uses recycled clay bean curd for sound attenuation. I think, of course, that local and recycled materials are more sustainable, but sponsored materials are good when those local materials are lacking or can't meet acceptable standards.
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