The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and Architecture for Humanity have announced their new strategic partnership to coordinate advocacy, education and training that will allow architects to become more involved in helping communities prepare, respond and rebuild after a disaster. The new partnership will build upon the well-established, volunteer-led disaster response programs of each organization, allowing for more resources, programs and education to reach out to a larger group of members, professionals and the public.

“Too many communities struggle after a disaster with issues related to the ongoing safety and viability of their built environment,” said Robert Ivy, FAIA, EVP/Chief Executive Officer of the AIA. “This partnership with Architecture for Humanity will help architects everywhere acquire the tools, training, and leadership skill to make meaningful contributions when their community needs them most.”

“We are excited to work with the AIA and its members to help communities rebuild lives and livelihoods,” said Kate Stohr, Co-Founder of Architecture for Humanity. “Architects are needed most when disaster strikes. Too often disaster response fails to fully address the long-term reconstruction needs of communities. By training architects to work with communities, we can help speed the transition from emergency response to long-term recovery.”

First on the agenda for the new partnership will be the development of a grant program that will be offered to local components and chapters. The grants will help fund members to work with local government agencies on planning, training and other critical initiatives that will better prepare communities for disasters.

Reference: AIA, Architecture for Humanity

The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) announce Burtland Granvil, AIA, LEED AP as the new Architecture for Humanity Sustainability Design Fellow. Succeeding the first Sustainability Design Fellow, Stacey McMahan, AIA, LEED AP, Granvil will be working directly with the Haitian community at the Architecture for Humanity’s rebuilding center based in Port-au-Prince.

“The earthquake didn’t take as many lives as the poor quality of construction did,” said Granvil. “Architecture for Humanity’s Rebuilding Center in Haiti will help educate and build together with local current and future builders of Haiti…this is the main reason why I joined Architecture for Humanity. I am here with others to work on the long-term approach. Haiti, as well as other post disaster areas, can benefit from this kind of transitional office with this mindset.” read more »

Viewpoint’s Veenarat Laohapakakul interviews Architecture for Humanity’s co-founder, Cameron Sinclair. Sinclair begins the interview by stating, “I became an architect because of bad architecture”. He dreams of holistic design that allows for communities to grow together, believing a truly sustainable building should be an important piece of the social fabric within a community that helps achieve economic stability. “Quite often our buildings are not super beautiful, their not slick, but their loved.”

The interview discusses topics such as the mission of the organization, past and current projects, the second edition of the much anticipated Design Like You Give a Damn, the Open Architecture Network and much more. Continue after the break to view parts two and three of the interview. read more »

Will Scobie

Sir Peter Cook is 75 and to celebrate the iconic British architect and Archigram co-founder’s birthday, 75 established and emerging international artists have produced a portrait of Sir Peter to auction for charity Architecture for Humanity aiding post disaster relief in Haiti and Japan. Both the auction and exhibition started on October 26th and runs until November 9th. The online art auction can be found at The Adam and Eve Projects while the exhibition is up at Space, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, Australia. More images are included here after the break. read more »

In recent architecture news, Architecture for Humanity has acquired Worldchanging, a nonprofit media organization dedicated to solutions-based journalism about the planetary future.  Worldchanging will merge its assets with the Open Architecture Network of Architecture for Humanity and two TED Prizes are also to be merged resulting in an unparalleled center of applied innovation, offering both ideas and tools for building a better world.

Cameron Sinclair, Executive Director of Architecture for Humanity, shared, “We are thrilled to connect with the Worldchanging community in order to expand the ways we can continue to make a difference across the world. Each project we do requires innovative solutions, resourcefulness, and passion. It’s a perfect fit.”

read more »

Courtesy of Architecture for Humanity

Through a global forum, designers and architects will develop solutions that reconnect military and civilian communities. The history of these important spaces will be highlighted and hidden potential uncovered. The goal? Utilize these sites and structures for the greater good. But first things first.

Submissions are due no later than August 26 at 24:00 PST. You can enter here and find all necessary guidelines and information on the Open Architecture Network. The reward is $500 USD and a pair of night vision goggles. Yes, they’re for real.

Architecture for Humanity’s Kimisagra Football for Hope Center in Kigali, Rwanda has broken ground. This video by Killian Doherty and music by Sophie Nzayisenga features the site location, renderings, and most importantly the communities excitement for the new center.

Courtesy of Lompreta Nolte Arquitetos, Nanda Eskes Arquitetura

The Homeless World Cup is an annual event, in which teams composed by homeless people from all over the world meet for a Football World Cup. In 2010 the tournament took place in Rio de Janeiro. For the first time, the organizing committee decided to build a Legacy Center, whose objective is to create continuity of the work with sport as a mean for social change.

An international design competition for the Legacy Center has been organized by Architecture for Humanity, together with Homeless World Cup, Bola Pra Frente and Nike Game Changers.

Lompreta Nolte Arquitetos and Nanda Eskes Arquitetura were the authors of the winning entry, and since January 2010 have developed the project for a Community Center in Santa Cruz (suburb of Rio de Janeiro) together with Daniel Feldman, design fellow of Architecture For Humanity. The project sponsored by Nike Game Changers had to work with an extremely limited budget and was divided in two construction phases, the first a public community facility, the second to host the Institute Bola Pra Frente.

Architects: Lompreta Nolte Arquitetos, Nanda Eskes Arquitetura, Architecture For Humanity
Location: Conjunto Liberdade, Santa Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Design Team: Thorsten Nolte, Nanda Eskes, Daniel Feldman
Project area: 310 sqm
Project year: 2010 (project and completion of first phase 2010)
Photographs: Lompreta Nolte Arquitetos, Nanda Eskes Arquitetura, Fabrício Pimentel

read more »

The most recent Architecture for Humanity Sendai relief update comes just in time to celebrate AFH’s 12th Birthday. We here at ArchDaily want to wish AFH a Happy Birthday and thank them for the 12 years of innovation and service they have provided our communities and the profession.

Design Open Mic, led by Cameron Sinclair and Chapters Coordinator Frederika Zipp, updated staff and attendees on their current relief efforts in response to the Sendai earthquake in Japan. Currently a Program Advisory Board has been assembled and Architecture for Humanity is continuing to focus their efforts on developing a rebuilding strategy and implementation process.

Architecture for Humanity’s Japan reconstruction efforts are being assisted by youth in 15 different countries. In the wake of the Sendai Earthquake and Tsunami Students Rebuild and Do Something.org have organized worldwide participation of young people to support their Japanese peers by making paper cranes.

The Bezos Family Foundation has pledged to make a $2 donation to Architecture for Humanity for every crane made. After 100,000 cranes are submitted they will be turned into a woven art installation, a symbolic gift from students around the world to their Japanese counterparts.

Here are the details on how to get involved:

• Make a paper crane ‐ view a how‐to video: (youtube.com/watch?v=Ux1ECrNDZl4)
• Turn your crane into dollars for reconstruction by mailing it to Students Rebuild.

Students Rebuild
1700 7th Avenue
STE 116 # 145
Seattle, WA 98101

Email info@studentsrebuild.org to receive a pre‐paid-shipping label for large boxes (50 cranes or more, please).

Courtesy of Architecture for Humanity

Earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, monsoons in India, and now the disasters in Japan.  Each has left thousands displaced from their homes, giving us, as architects, reason to re-think the idea of temporary housing. In Chile, strict building codes helped some infrastructure withstand the 8.5 quake; yet, there is a limit to the pre-disaster measures a country can take.  So, what are the steps for dealing with the after effects of the disaster, be it wind, water, or seismic damages?

Each world tragedy brings with it the opportunity for the creative to find solutions that will help give shelter to people.  There are many obstacles to overcome in Japan’s case – roads are completely destroyed which presents quite a challenge to collect and transport material, plus snow has covered much of the region.  Yet, if we could re-think the idea of a house and pool our efforts to create a system of rapid response temporary housing that can overcome such obstacles, think of the number of people in devastated areas that would benefit from such a project.

More after the break. read more »

Architecture for Humanity Helping Haiti © NY Daily News

Already mobilizing teams in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, Architecture for Humanity has begun to initiate an immediate response to the Sendai earthquake and tsunami. Currently AFH is searching for individuals to join a coalition to update foreign nationals in Japan with the latest information regarding unfolding events (currently being done via twitter #honyaquake).

A transitional phase, in the first four months, will focus on raising funds for reconstruction efforts and provide initial assessments, all the while coordinating with JIA and professional building associations. A reconstruction phase will then follow for the next two years specifically working on a small scale building projects for local community organizations, which is where AFH feels they can make the greatest impacts. Initial goals are to raise $200,000 to build the first of these projects.

Architecture for Humanity Timeline
March: Local team assembled (underway)
April: community organization identified (underway)
May/June: design and development
Aug-Nov: Construction documentation
Dec-Feb: Construction Begins
Spring 2012: Project 1 completed

Keep updated with AFH’s program updates here on ArchDaily, following us on twitter @archdaily, along with @archforhumanity and Osaka chapter organizer Kana Kondo at @koncham.

Architecture for Humanity has been working in post disaster reconstruction since 1999 and has designed and built hundreds of homes, schools, clinics and community facilities for those affected. To date they have worked in long term reconstruction efforts in Burma, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Pakistan, Chile, Haiti and the United States. On Average they spend 4 years on our rebuilding effort – We are the last responders. We don’t offer hope, we build solutions.

Football is one of the best vehicles for social change (not to mention it’s fun to play). As fans of social change AND fun, Architecture for Humanity, Nike, and Fu.De (Football for Development) have teamed up to host a design competition for a prototype football, education, and health center for Liga FOS — a project that promotes social development through sport in vulnerable Buenos Aires suburbs.

This is an invitation process for architects and designers. At least one member of your team must speak Spanish fluently. And, though we’re not picking favorites, at least one member from your team must reside in one of the Copa America 2011 countries. They are: Argentina; Bolivia; Brazil; Chile; Colombia; Ecuador; Japan; Mexico; Paraguay; Peru; Uruguay; Venezuela.

Registration and submission deadline is March 21. For more information on the schedule, requirements and prizes go to the competition’s official website.

Reflecting the current state of architecture, urbanism and landscape discourse, Architecture for Humanity – Chicago, School of the Art Institute Chicago and the Village of Igarai are proud to announce, 1.99 REAL HOUSING: Communities + Designers, a call for ideas.

In an effort to advance the territory between top-down and bottom-up planning, for all types of interim, emergency, public and affordable housing design, 1.99 REAL HOUSING seeks to create a design platform that utilizes advanced sustainable architectural design solutions, together with local knowledge of materials, methods and systems to produce a new form of cooperative culture.

Submissions are due on January 25th. For more information, visit www.afh-chicago.org.

© Kristel Gonzales Photography

As 2010 comes to an end we wanted to share with you some of the highlights from Architecture for Humanity. AFH has been involved in fifty three projects this year, completing a project on each continent.  Follow the break for AFH’s 2010 By The Numbers.

read more »

Courtesy of Architecture for Humanity

The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund just awarded $816,472 to Architecture for Humanity for the Haiti Rebuilding Center to support reconstruction and livelihoods in Port-au-Prince, a town that was catastrophically affected by an earthquake at the beginning of the year.  As a result, many large buildings were either severely damaged or destroyed. This fund will not only aid in the rebuilding process, but will benefit thousands of who were suffering since the natural disaster. Additionally, this grant will enable small and growing Haitin businesses to participate in post-earthquake reconstruction and ensure rebuilding incorporates better design and engineering. More information after the break. read more »

Khayelitsha Football for Hope Centre / South Africa

As the FIFA World Cup kicks off, Architecture for Humanity in partnership with streetfootballworld, honors the architects, designers and building professionals across Africa who have helped design sustainable Football for Hope Centres as part of the Football for Hope movement.

The first centre, located outside of Cape Town, South Africa, was completed in December 2009. Centres in Nairobi, Namibia and Mali are currently under construction and aim to be completed around the time of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™.

The Football for Hope Centres are part of a movement created by FIFA and streetfootballworld to strengthen local community-based organizations in promoting social development within their community. The buildings house facilities to promote public health, education and football initiatives. Find more about the projects here.

Back on February, we told you about the access to Trestles, one of North America’s most celebrated waves, and the threat due to safety and environmental concerns it’s going through. A coalition of concerned groups organized by the volunteer non-profit organization Architecture for Humanity, launched “Safe Trestles,” an open-to-all, two-stage design competition to create a safe pathway to serve surfers, the local coastal community and day visitors to San Onofre State Beach.

There are now 12 finalists (you can see all of them here), and the jury, with Bjarke Ingels, Cameron Sinclair (co-founder of Architecture for Humanity) and surfer Rusty Long among others, will announce the five finalists tomorrow via Lowers Pro web cast.

A bamboo structure designed by Bamboo DNA is featuring all the finalists in the beautiful beach of Lower Trestles in San Clemente, California. For more details on the competition click here. See more images after the break. read more »

The Pritzker will be announced in a few minutes. It will probably go to one of the figures you have already voted for in our 2010 Pritzker poll, but deep in our hearts we wish Architecture for Humanity to be awarded.

With the purpose of the Prize being “to honor a living architect whose built work demostrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision, and commitment, which has produced a consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture“, don´t you agree with me?

Anyway, Architecture for Humanity has been awarded with the 2010 IIDA Pioneers in Design Award, and we congratulate them once again.

Let’s hope we can probe Cameron Sinclair wrong in the future:

@casinclair: @archforhumanity will never be awarded the Pritzker Prize but we do have this awesome new video http://is.gd/b2yUU

(remember to follow @archdaily on Twitter to be instantly up to date on this and other news)