Architecture for Humanity is a charity that uses architecture to solve humanitarian issues. Local chapters operate autonomously, promoting regional architects and techniques. Projects include disaster relief, housing for refugees, and sustainable building practices.
Architecture for Humanity is a charitable organization that applies the principles of architecture to humanitarian issues, ranging from the need for medical care in Africa to the desire to create rehabilitation programs for people in the developed world. This organization believes that by encouraging architects to collaborate on projects, they can generate intelligent, innovative, compassionate and beautiful solutions to a variety of social problems.
This organization was founded in 1999 in San Francisco, California. Local chapters can be found around the world, usually operating with a high degree of autonomy from the parent organization. Independence allows local organizations to promote regional architects, traditions and techniques, rather than apply a one-size-fits-all approach, which is a common problem for humanitarian organizations based in the developed world. Architecture for Humanity provides services wherever they are needed and encourages a high level of international collaboration through projects such as Open Source Architecture.
While it may seem strange to think that architecture can save the world, good architecture is actually of paramount importance and many humanitarian problems can in fact be alleviated by projects such as those completed by Architecture for Humanity around the world. While building structures don’t necessarily solve a problem, it can be a step in the right direction. For example, it is difficult to provide medical care without a clinic or hospital in which to do so, and a conventional or converted hospital may not be as effective as a mobile clinic that can travel to bring health services to people in need. Architecture for Humanity reflects on how to approach issues from an architectural perspective and what kind of improvements in project design and execution could generate positive change for local communities.
Member chapters of Architecture for Humanity have worked on projects such as reconstruction after natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis. They have also provided housing for refugees and the homeless, and have worked on facilities such as children’s playgrounds in war zones, schools, sports facilities and job training centers designed to enable populations to help themselves.
Many Architecture for Humanity projects incorporate an environmentally conscious and sustainable building ethic so that their designs do not negatively impact the natural environment. The integration of traditional regional community building techniques is also popular. For example, instead of tearing down identical homes for people in need in Mexico, Florida, and Sudan, Architecture for Humanity chapters will think about how people in those regions use their homes, what kinds of building materials are available, and how the homes will be maintained in the long term to develop projects adapted to their context.
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