Inspiration
I went to a lunch today at the Chamber of Commerce Sustainable Environmental Design series.
Speaker: Cameron Sinclair, Open Architecture Network & Architecture for Humanity
The idea behind Cameron’s charitable organizations is to create innovative, sustainable and collaborative design in areas where a difference can be made. Funding is provided by fundraising, donations and partnerships (one big provider is the sale of hot chocolate and cookies). Government funding is not sought after due to red tape and the politics behind the funding received. Instead, they work with people within the community to develop structures in which the community has a sense of ownership, thus ensuring that the community continues to take care of the structure long after it has been built (holistic approach). There is no “corporate naming” of facilities as the community does not take the ownership required and the development is wasted.
The focus is to take one small thing within the community and change/restructure/improve which will make a difference. Improving housing in the slums of cities will then improve the communities. Use the human resources available, pay them, thus benefiting everyone and creating a ripple effect throughout the community. These organizations do not do relief or recovery work, rather they look at the long term effect that can be provided within the community. It is important to not only look at the Environmental Footprint but also the Ethical Footprint.
Over the next two years there will be 28 projects around the world. There used to be a Calgary Chapter, however the support from the Architect’s in Calgary has diminished. Also, AMD Open Architecture Challenge has three projects, one for Asia, Africa and South America.
Personal Note: This presentation was extremely informative and motivating. We had two tables represented and I believe that every one of us left there with a “what can we do” mentality.
http://www.openarchitecturenetwork.org/
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