When it was announced that Architecture for Humanity — one of the world’s most well-known nonprofit organizations dedicated to humanitarian design — was closing its doors on January 1st last year, there was collective dismay amongst architects across the globe. Architecture for Humanity had become renowned as a bastion of public-interest design, inspiring architects to get involved in pro bono work and — significantly — leading advocacy for the power of great design to help vulnerable communities build a better future for themselves.
While that news was met with an outpouring of grief, a glimmer of hope remained: International offshoots of the organization known as the “Chapters” were preserved thanks to the hard work of volunteers in over 30 cities around the world. Now, this resilient network of creative people has come together to form a brand new initiative based on the same inspiring mission — earlier this month, the Open Architecture Collaborative (OAC) was launched with big plans to bring humanitarian design back to the mainstream.
The Open Architecture Collaborative describes itself as an “international collective” encompassing designers, allied professions and community partners with a founding membership of over 11,500. The OAC aims to address two fundamental issues in the built environment: lack of hands-on community experience for young professionals and limited access to design services for marginalized communities.
Public-interest design is currently a hot topic — 2016 Pritzker Prize-winner Alejandro Aravena was recognized for projects that aim to provide better solutions for communities with limited resources, and the Chilean architect will continue discourse on the subject at the upcoming Venice Biennale, for which he is the curator. Within this climate, it appears that Open Architecture Collaborative has been formalized at just the right moment, and executive director Garrett Jacobs is excited about the potential for this evolving collective.
ABC Orphanage by the Dhaka chapter / Architect of record Imrul Keyes
“Every day, I am awestruck by passion and momentum this group of people brings to preserving and growing our organization,” said Jacobs. “Now, the OAC takes our work to the next level, retooling our approach to reach more people than we ever imagined with the level of locally focused engagement that humanitarian design ultimately demands. I very much look forward to what we will do together in the months ahead.”
The organization’s fresh tagline is as eloquent as it is concise: “Design Together” epitomizes the collaborative spirit that ensured the Chapters’ survival long after the closure of Architecture for Humanity’s headquarters in San Francisco. “The OAC’s launch shows that our process works. This past year, we turned participatory design on ourselves to create this organization,” says Jacobs. “There are hundreds of people who experienced this process and now feel an incredible sense of ownership over this name and the brand. Imagine what our places would be like if everyone felt as proud in their creation? We are working to make such visions realities large and small around the world.”
Jacobs’ words indicate that Architecture for Humanity’s savvy approach to creating long-lasting strength within communities — participatory design, community workshops and the training of local tradespeople — will remain a key part of the plan for this new organization. One of the organization’s new board members, Maryam Eskandari — founder and principal architect of MIIM Designs — echoed this sentiment: “This organization defines good design as something beyond the aesthetic and functional, but that which thrives on inclusivity and empowerment.”
Keep a close eye on the Open Architecture Collaborative for news of exciting projects in the near future. In the meantime, check out our ever-relevant article outlining five reasons why you should dive into humanitarian design.
Top image: ABC Orphanage by the Dhaka chapter / Architect of record Imrul Keyes