Architecture-in-Development

“80% of the architects in Pakistan design only for the 2% elite. What about the other people who also want beautiful homes?” - WM Studio

We asked finalist, WM creative studio, from Pakistan about what keeps them motivated as a Do-it-Together practice and how they keep communities and partners engaged in the process. Their answers were insightful, and uplifting and gave us a clearer understanding of the challenges and rewards of the Do-it-Together approach.

Stay tuned this week for the full interview on our YouTube Channel > https://buff.ly/3WXSUjA

Let us know in the comments: what keeps you motivated?

“Successfulness will come when you co-create together”

How can Communities, Governments, Donors and Agencies work together to reinvent climate-resilient shelters?

Listen to Md. Laikath Ali, to learn how BRAC are working with a broader spectrum of stakeholders, in co-creating a new shelter typology for the cyclone ravaged coast of Bangladesh.

Watch the full interview video on our Youtube channel.

“…hardly anyone can afford to work with an architect…so what’s our role?”��

How do you push the boundaries of your practice and make good design more accessible for all?��

Listen to Peter Ferretto’s interview Condition Lab and get inspired by the impact of social and process innovation on the practice of architecture.��Watch the full interview video on our Youtube channel > https://buff.ly/3w9CERg

"When you Do-it-Together, it's not such a heavy lift"

What is the role of architects in developing and lifting vulnerable communities? Listen to Casa Congo Kaspareck's interview and let us know, how much time and effort are you ready to dedicate to serve the 10%?

Watch the full interview video on our Youtube channel > https://buff.ly/3w1SflW

On November 14th, in collaboration with the Sheffield School of Architecture (), we launched our Do-it-Together symposium.

The symposium aims to bring together academics, practitioners, and experts from various fields to explore and discuss the latest breakthroughs and new movements in our industry—going beyond the objects, materials, and techniques of architecture.

Key takeaway’s of the six presenting projects:
1 They put people first.
2 They foster social and ecological transformation.
3 They address new relationships with human beings, nature, and culture.

Check out the video clips featuring our panelists, Samuel Bravo, and Beatrice de Carli, who provided insightful comments to conclude the presentations of the six projects.

Join us for the second part of Martina's interview series.

In this fragment, she shares her experience working with the Women’s House community and what makes her committed to the practice.

Listen to her interview on YT. https://buff.ly/3Tr7zlM

In this interview, A—D caught up with Martina from Terre à terre asbl, the finalist team behind the Women’s House of Imloul project in Morocco. We asked her about the impact of her participation in the on the project, her connection with the community, her commitment to the DiT approach, and her next milestones.

Listen to her interview on YT: https://buff.ly/3Tr7zlM

In an enlightening interview with Franky Parulian Simanjuntak, the finalist of the KAKR Buluh Awar project, he shared insights into the transformative qualities of DiT architecture.

Franky emphasizes the need for a paradigm shift where communities are not passive recipients but active contributors to their environmental destiny.

DiT projects aim to elevate community members into champions—driving positive change, advocating for sustainable practices, and becoming stewards of their environments by fostering a sense of ownership and understanding.

In an enlightening interview with Franky Parulian Simanjuntak, the finalist of the KAKR Buluh Awar project, he shared insights into the transformative qualities of DiT architecture.

Franky speaks about the importance of being .

DiT architecture goes beyond structures; it's about looking at people and communities more humanely, fostering mutual learning and understanding.

Franky stresses that despite varying backgrounds, all contributors are on the same level.

It's not just about individual accomplishments but the success achieved as a team.

With the Accelerator conclusion, we are happy to look back at a fruitful six-month program. We had the pleasure to work with a talented cohort of architects, designers, and community leaders who are passionate about creating more equitable and sustainable communities.

Finance was at the center of many discussions and Q&A sessions with experts and funding organizations. Check our articles for the meetings takeaways and insights:
- Financing your Do-it-Together Project >> https://buff.ly/3AkfZ3D
- Choosing Between Donations and Investment for Your Do-it-Together Project >> https://buff.ly/3LXtn3H

We are grateful to our partners and network of experts for their support of the GC2022 and for generously sharing their insights and insider tips. We are also grateful to the teams who participated in the program and shared their experiences

Last week we celebrated the successful completion of the Accelerator with a special offboarding meeting. We are incredibly proud of the work that our participants have accomplished over the past few months and we couldn’t have been happier with the energy, as well as positive and constructive feedback shared by all participants.

During the meeting, we asked the finalist teams about the impact of the GC2022 on the development of their projects. Check our report to learn about their most important learnings and takeaways >> https://buff.ly/3tjujZU

Many thanks to A--D representative Carly Althoff for organizing and moderating another productive session and we are grateful for all the teams and ambassadors who joined us!

From two individuals, to a global network that aspires to connect, learn, exchange, contribute, and re-imagine architecture, to nurture and foster a movement we call... 'Do-it-Together.'

🎉 🎉
Curious to learn more about how we started? Our co-founder has shared a personal story about the journey through crisis and towards building 🌿 https://buff.ly/3PWUiiu

🥂 Cheers to our old and new buddies!
In the photos: Joost de Bont, Wouter Pocornie, Carly Althoff, Mariana Martínez Balvanera, Ana Asensio Rodríguez, Hani Salih, Sarah Essbai, Max Verhoeven, Vaishali Nanda, Jack R. Lehane, David Cole, Valentina Riverso, Nicholas Ng, Swati Janu, Maya Schoonwater, Jan Glasmeier, Jeroen Vader, Rob Breed 🥂🥂🥂
Image credit in ‘re-imagine architecture’:
Ranwas School
Community greenhouse
Productive Rural School
Tulou Renovation
Video credit
🚀

September holds a special place in our hearts. It's a month of milestones - our anniversary and the culmination of the Global Challenge program! 🎉🎉🎉

In our latest article, we take you on a journey through the numbers and stories that shaped GC2022 (2022 Global Challenge). We also have some exciting news to share! Follow our upcoming off-boarding event as we conclude this phase and warm up for our new journey.

Be part of our story! Check out the article and stay tuned for what's next..🚀
link to our article 👉🏾👉🏾 https://buff.ly/3Lz5XS8


Music from (free for Creators!):
https://buff.ly/3PpCXgQ
License code: OR8PBVRGPP59QFNN

In the second workshop of the Global Challenge Accelerator program, A--D Representative Carly Althoff hosted the finalist teams for a Q&A session with David Cole from Building Trust International and with community project leaders Viviana Lopez (Vietnam) and Karel van Oordt Montalvo (Peru).

The workshop addressed questions about value proposition and operating models. A--D Ambassador Lindsey Dupell shares three major takeaways:

1- Get in touch with your local government when you are starting your project. Local authorities and municipalities are in the best place to support you and help you navigate the different challenges of planning and building. They will be the key partners to start scaling out your initiative.
2- There is strength in numbers. Partnering with local NGOs, is a great idea, especially for smaller teams. Not only are you able to leverage their connections and insights, but you both will benefit from offering differing points of view.
3- Being able to show past projects, and their results and quantify their impact can make it easier to convey the value of your work when you are approaching potential partners, including local governments.

Many thanks to A--D Representative Arezoo Mohebpour for compiling this post’s video.
Check the recording of the whole workshop session on our Youtube channel >> https://buff.ly/3JfGyfe

Stay tuned for more insights from the 2022 Global Challenge Accelerator program!

The Mini-Cyclone Shelter project in Bhola , is an initiative by BRAC ’s Climate Change Programme. These climate-resilient houses are designed through a participatory approach to provide a safe shelter for vulnerable populations during extreme weather conditions and events. Each house serves as a mini-cyclone shelter, and can accommodate 5 to 10 families, protecting 35 to 40 people in addition to livestock.

The project’s design process involved consultations with the community, including women, children, and people with disabilities, to understand their vulnerabilities and identify their adaptability strategies. Additionally, the community actively participated during the building phase, contributing sweat equity to the project.

But to mitigate natural disasters effects, these vulnerable communities need more shelters. The project team is calling for HELPING HANDS to strengthen its ranks and support with construction work, and is also looking for DESIGN EXPERTS to explore alternative materials and technologies to make the shelters more affordable and replicable.

Recently, the Aga Khan Development Network Agency for Habitat, known for its holistic and sustainable development approach, partnered with this finalist to further scale the impact of the project.

Get in touch today to provide much-needed help to the Mini-Cyclone Shelter project >> https://buff.ly/3wLZdIF

The lighthouse of Mapasingue is a community house initiative in the neighborhood of Mapasingue, an urban area of Guayaquil in Ecuador. The project transformed an abandoned communal house to an active platform of activities and incubator of social initiatives within the neighborhood.

Read more about how the design team, together with the local community, was able to overcome building challenges and funding shortages, and successfully implement a Do-it-Together participatory design process. >> https://buff.ly/40TkU6j

Article by Ines Carvalho based on her interview with Jorge Ludena (BBL Estudio).

Buluh Awar is calling you!

The Kakr Buluh Awar project is a collaboration between the leaders of the Buluh Awar Village in and design professionals Cavatinastudio to revitalise the historical village through community-based tourism and sustainable bamboo cultivation. The project's main objective is to build a multifunction bamboo hall - a training place to enhance the villagers' craftsmanship skills and improve their economic prospects.

After three years of mentoring and assistance, the project is successfully transforming local villagers into environmental and tourism champions. They have become bamboo tour guides and helped revive the place's culture and tradition.

Since becoming a finalist, the project has received the generous support of two A--D sponsors, the Hilti Foundation Hilti Foundation and the World Bamboo Foundation World Bamboo Workshop , with awards totalling €7,500!

Kakr Buluh Awar is seeking BAMBOO EXPERTS to assist with bamboo cultivation for agroforestry purpose. The coming project phases also call for the support of enthusiastic helping hands as well as community-based tourism experts and craftsmanship skill trainers.

Check the project's page to contact Buluh Awar and be part of the change today >> https://buff.ly/3w7pGjK

Congratulations again to the project team of Kakr Buluh Awar Cavatina Studio which received another support from our sponsor, World Bamboo Foundation World Bamboo

“The community project of Kakr Buluh Awar interests the World Bamboo Foundation on several fronts. Our missions are in parallel: to support and advance the use of sustainably grown and harvested timber bamboo as a major contributor for both global climate change and poverty mitigation. In partnering with Kakr Buluh Awar, our mutual hope is by sustainably managing bamboo forests, which includes appropriately harvesting and utilizing the “stored carbon” in the construction industry, timber bamboo can mitigate climate change and provide a local economy to alleviate poverty.” - Susanne Lucas Susanne Lucas, Horticulturist, World Bamboo Foundation

Kakr Buluh Awar is one of the finalists, a collaboration between the leaders of the village and design professionals, involving local communities in building a church as well as in the process of restoring the once forgotten bamboo supply-construction chain. So far the project has successfully improved villagers' economic opportunities while reviving the culture and tradition of the place.

# Bamboo Foundation

The fishermen of the Villa Pesquera in Crash Boat Beach, Aguadilla have been facing urgency for the past five years since Hurricame Maria. The village is missing vital infrastructure and hasn’t receive any support from public agencies. This has reduced the local fish production and put at risk this fishing community's food security and cultural identity.

Through a collaborative master planning process led by Proyecto DeCiudad, a social work and legal advocacy organization, and La Maraña, a participatory planning and design non-profit, the project plans to rebuild the fishermen’s villa and protect the beach in the face of climate change.

The project is currently calling for support on all fronts:
- PR/ communication: We need to raise social awareness and civic support, in order to get the attention of public agencies.
- Coastal engineer: Building in the Caribbean Coast is a challendge, we need engineers to support the design.

Check the project’s page for details and to contact the Villa Pesquera team to lend your expertise in: 1) law & politics, 2) planning & management, 3) PR & marketing, 4) financial advice. The project team is also welcoming helping hands and donations of all kinds. >> https://buff.ly/3Hs2ByL

Amazing news! 😀
The team of Kakr Buluh Awar (Indonesia) has received the generous support from our partner, Hilti Foundation

“Building with Bamboo is such an intuitive thing to do: It’s a local material, which people have used for centuries to build their house. It’s strong and flexible at the same time, which makes it a resilient material for construction. It grows extremely fast. And it is green, with great capacity for carbon capture. At the Hilti Foundation, we engage to make bamboo a building material of choice. We are happy that with Kakr Buluh Awar, we have the chance to support a project that helps bring the tradition of bamboo construction into a new era.” - Johaan Baer, Hilti Foundation

Kakr Buluh Awar is one of the finalists, a collaboration between the leaders of the village and design professionals, involving local communities in building a church as well as in the process of restoring the once forgotten bamboo supply-construction chain. So far the project has successfully improved villagers' economic opportunities while reviving the culture and tradition of the place.

#

We are very excited for the team of Mini-Cyclone Shelter for Vulnerable Communities (Bangladesh) who received the generous support from our partner, Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH)/ Aga Khan Development Network!!
Mini-Cyclone Shelter for Vulnerable Communities is one of the finalists, a participatory housing development involving local families, government, community architects and experts of a local NGO BRAC (Climate Change Programme).
"The project's participatory approach to design for at-risk populations (ranging from its gender-sensitive process, women-led groups, the inclusion of disabled community members to launch the design process) as well as the shelter’s accessibility, multi-purpose use, housing design and its promotion of climate, social and disaster resilience led us to select the climate resilient mini-cyclone shelter in Bangladesh as an award-winning project.” - AKAH
Congratulations to the team!