Tag: humanitarian-architecture | ArchDaily

MVRDV Transforms Shipping Containers into Sports and Community Hubs for Refugees

Maria-Cristina Florian — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 06:30:00 +0000

MVRDV has partnered with KLABU, a social enterprise based in Amsterdam, to design a modular, multi-functional clubhouse aimed at supporting refugees. This collaboration, which began in 2022, is founded on the belief that sports can play a pivotal role in helping individuals rebuild their lives, fostering joy, pride, and hope. KLABU's initiative involves constructing clubhouses within refugee camps, settlements, and urban areas, where they serve as community hubs offering access to sports equipment, activities, and connectivity through Wi-Fi and TV broadcasts.

Norman Foster to Receive the 2025 Andrée Putman Lifetime Achievement Award

Maria-Cristina Florian — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 07:30:00 +0000

Lord Norman Foster has been announced as the recipient of the 2025 Andrée Putman Lifetime Achievement Award by the Créateurs Design Awards. The award, now it its fifth edition, recognizes Foster's significant contributions to urban design and the environmental movement within architecture. This recognition highlights his longstanding influence and contributions to the field since founding Foster + Partners in 1967. The award ceremony will take place in Paris on January 18th, 2025.

Shigeru Ban Receives the 2024 Praemium Imperiale for Architecture

Maria-Cristina Florian — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 06:30:00 +0000

Japanese architect and humanitarian Shigeru Ban has been named the 35th Laureate of the Praemium Imperiale Award for Architecture. Established in 1988 by the Japan Art Association, the annual award seeks to recognize exceptional achievements in Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, Music, and Theatre/Film. Shigeru Ban's contributions to architecture have been significant, not only for the distinctive design aesthetics but also for the innovative use of materials, particularly in the context of emergency interventions and humanitarian work.

From Paper Tube Shelters to Timber Innovations: Shigeru Ban's Complete Works Explored by Philip Jodidio for Taschen

Maria-Cristina Florian — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 06:30:00 +0000

Japanese architect Shigeru Ban stands out in the architectural world for his commitment to socially responsible design , his eagerness to respond to disaster-related emergencies, and his creativity in adapting solutions to local conditions. He pioneered the use of materials such as paper and cardboard, employing them to create high-quality low-cost shelters and even community amenities such as churches, containers for creating a Nomadic Museum, and mass timber to push the possibilities of responsible design. The works of the Pritzker Prize laureate are now explored in the latest monography by Taschen, “Shigeru Ban. Complete Works 1985–Today” led by author Philip Jodidio. The multilingual edition features texts in English, French, and German, and will become available on June 14, 2024.

How Modular Construction Can Provide Architectural Aid: From Rapid-Response to Transitional and Affordable Housing

James Wormald — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 07:30:00 +0000

Ever since the Industrial Revolution and the introduction of mass production, the ownership and use of simple products and services like flush toilets with running water, electricity, heating, and cooling are seen as human rights in many areas of the world. With the majority of homes and residential projects being individually designed and built to order – therefore without the speed and cost advantages of mass production – an underperforming housing construction sector means many people – even in the world’s richest countries – are being denied one of the most basic human rights, having somewhere to call home.

Architecture Philanthropy re:arc institute Announces the 2023–24 Grants, Practice Lab Collaborators, and Initiatives

Maria-Cristina Florian — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 06:30:00 +0000

Copenhagen-based philanthropic association re:arc institute has announced the cohort of nonprofit organizations, people, and practices they will support throughout 2024. The organization founded in 2022 works at the intersection of climate action and architectural philanthropy, aiming to support the development of solutions that address the root causes and consequences of climate change.

Building Hope Through Design: Journeyman International's Innovative Approach to Humanitarian Architecture

Eduardo Souza — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 07:30:00 +0000

Throughout history, architecture has always been associated with the elite and the wealthiest echelons of society, who commissioned sumptuous buildings to satisfy their aesthetic and functional needs. This trend dates back to ancient civilizations: Egyptian pharaohs built pyramids and impressive temples, Roman emperors erected magnificent amphitheaters and palaces. Architecture was, and often still is, a symbol of power and prestige. Over time, the profession expanded to encompass various types of buildings and audiences, from simple residences to public and commercial structures, and the advancement of technology and construction techniques made it more accessible in terms of costs. However, inequality in access to high-quality architecture still prevails, especially in underdeveloped countries or socially vulnerable contexts. Many regions face serious housing, infrastructure, and urban planning problems due to a lack of resources and adequate investments, with poor construction conditions, slum areas, a lack of basic sanitation, and unsafe buildings.

"We Have Abdicated as a Profession Our Responsibility Towards the Planet:" In Conversation with Yasmeen Lari

Maria-Cristina Florian — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 06:30:00 +0000

While attending the 2023 UIA World Congress of Architecture in Copenhagen, ArchDaily had the chance to discuss with Yasmeen Lari, Pakistan’s first female architect and the winner of the 2023 RIBA Royal Gold Medal for Architecture. Yasmeen Lari gained international recognition for her heritage conservation and humanitarian activism efforts, demonstrating the possibilities of practicing architecture within disadvantaged communities. Her innovative and socially conscious approach, a concept known as ‘barefoot social architecture,’ has had a significant impact both in her home country and internationally. By designing for resilient communities, her work also aligns with the intentions behind the UIA World Congress of Architects and the ways in which architecture can contribute to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

DAGOpen OÜ Wins Architectural Competition to Design Modern Family Home in Ukraine Crisis

Nour Fakharany — Wed, 02 Aug 2023 05:30:00 +0000

DAGOpen OÜ has just won the architectural competition for a standard design of Ukrainian Family houses, with their design “Hata.” The competition invited 17 designs from Estonian and Ukrainian architects to design “a standard project for modern family-type small group homes to be built in Ukraine”. The architecture of Ukraine directly inspired the winning design and addressed the spatial decisions made to attend to the crisis.

Shigeru Ban Designs Cross-Laminated Timber Hospital for Ukraine

Maria-Cristina Florian — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 06:30:00 +0000

Shigeru Ban has announced the intention to collaborate with the municipality of Lviv to design an expansion of the Lviv hospital. As the largest hospital in Ukraine, this unit has witnessed an increase in the number of patients since the beginning of the war, leading to the need to increase the capacity of the institution. Shigeru Ban’s proposal uses cross-laminated wood and joints inspired by traditional wooden construction techniques to create a safe and welcoming environment for healing and recuperating.

Barefoot Social Architecture: 10 Projects by Yasmeen Lari, the 2023 RIBA Royal Gold Medal Winner

Maria-Cristina Florian — Thu, 04 May 2023 07:30:00 +0000

Yasmeen Lari, recognized as the first female architect in Pakistan, has had a significant impact both in her home country and internationally due to her innovative and socially conscious approach to architecture. Through a systemic approach, Lari’s work takes into consideration local culture, site-specific opportunities, and challenges. Born in Pakistan in 1941, Yasmeen Lari moved to London with her family at the age of 15. After graduating from Oxford Brooks School of Architecture, she returned to Pakistan at the age of 23 to establish Lari Associates with her husband, Suhail Zaheer Lari. The couple settled in Karachi. Here, she began to study Pakistan’s ancient towns and the vernacular architecture of earth buildings, igniting her interest in the architectural heritage and traditional techniques of her country. In 1980, she co-founded the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan with her husband, becoming instrumental in the preservation of her country’s rich cultural heritage.

Architecture as Activism: Yasmeen Lari’s Eco-Feminist Work

Ankitha Gattupalli — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 07:30:00 +0000

Yasmeen Lari’s Pakistani Chulah - an outdoor stove used by women in South Asia- is a powerful intervention that highlights the architect's commitment to feminist and environmental activism. The project synchronically tackles issues of deforestation, pollution, and health hazards faced by women in rural areas. Her design is systemic, locally specific, and conscious of the needs of society’s most vulnerable - women and nature. Her vast body of humanitarian work elaborated on in Yasmeen Lari: Architecture for the Future, opens up a dialogue for viewing architecture through an eco-feminist lens.

One Year of War in Ukraine: Humanitarian and Cultural Initiatives to Help a Country in Crisis

Maria-Cristina Florian — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 07:30:00 +0000

On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, a major escalation of the conflict dating since 2014. Now, a year later, the war is still ongoing. Both soldiers and civilians have fallen victim, while millions of others have become refugees, fleeing to safer areas across Europe or within Ukraine. What was instilled was a severe humanitarian and refugee crisis. The hostilities have also threatened Ukraine’s cultural and architectural heritage, as museums, monuments, and historical landmarks have become targets.

Saving South-East Asia: 5 Social Design Projects by Local Architects

Ankitha Gattupalli — Mon, 09 Jan 2023 07:30:00 +0000

Architecture has been criticized for being a primary elitist indulgence. Most architectural projects are funded by the wealthy and seen as a means of bringing beauty into the surrounding environment. Architecture, however, is a double-sided coin with functionality balancing out aesthetics. With the ability to strategize radical solutions, architects equally find themselves at the forefront of solving complex issues. The context of Southeast Asia offers a demanding challenge with various social problems, giving architects a chance to save the world with humanitarian design.

UNDP and Tosin Oshinowo Reveal Rebuilt Nigerian Village for a Community Displaced

Maria-Cristina Florian — Mon, 11 Jul 2022 05:30:00 +0000

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is working with the Nigerian Government to develop Rebuilding Ngarannam, a stabilization program in Northeast Nigeria that offers a new village to a community displaced by Boko Haram. The new urban plan and infrastructure were designed by Nigerian Consultant Architect Tosin Oshninowo, who consulted with the community to create a settlement that reflects and speaks to their culture. The first phase, which includes housing and essential services like education and healthcare facilities, is set to be complete in the summer of 2022.

Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crises Beyond Designing Buildings

Dima Stouhi — Wed, 09 Feb 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Following decades of ongoing socio-cultural and economic crises across the globe, the design community has realized that it is time to “design like they give a damn”. And with that, they embraced a movement that saw architects and designers use their acquired skills to develop design-based solutions to humanitarian crises, ranging from building modular housing and mapping landscapes, to developing mobile applications and documentaries, all from an altruistic standpoint. But since pro bono work is not yet ingrained in the ethos of architecture, how have architects broken out of the traditional model of “corporate” architecture and established a way to ensure ethical responsibility for human welfare?

Competition: Architecture-in-Development x Global Challenge 2021

Rene Submissions — Tue, 29 Jun 2021 15:51:00 +0000

The Global Challenge is calling for high impact community architectural initiatives. Finalists will have the opportunity to win an award and connect to A--D partners to bring their community project to life.

Open Call: The Global Challenge 2021 | Architecture-in-Development

Rene Submissions — Sun, 06 Jun 2021 09:30:00 +0000

Architecture-in-Development (A--D) is launching the Global Challenge 2021, the 2nd edition, following the great success of the 2016 pilot. The Global Challenge 2021 calls for community-driven architectural initiatives that have radical potential to improve the lives of both rural and urban communities.