Contract - March 2015 - 18

PHOTO: MEG WALTON

EDITORIAL

The Next Chapter for Public Interest Design

When I was in architecture school in the 1990s, the celebrated
architects and designers were either tried and true Modernists
or trendy Postmodernists tinkering with forms. But the focus was
primarily aesthetic, as design for social good-which had been an
original Modernist ideal-had been largely pushed aside. We admired
object buildings and architects as heroes in the vein of Howard Roark.
But that changed this century. A young designer at Gensler,
Cameron Sinclair, organized a design competition for shelters in Kosovo
in 1999, and that was the start of Architecture for Humanity (AfH).
Under the leadership of Sinclair and Kate Stohr, AfH coordinated design
solutions for communities in need after natural disasters or humanitarian
crises. That work was in a range of places, including Sri Lanka, following
the 2004 tsunami; Haiti, after the earthquake that struck in 2010; Japan,
in response to the 2011 earthquake and tsunami; the Gulf Coast, after
Hurricane Katrina; and the New Jersey shore, hard hit after Hurricane
Sandy. The organization grew, and eventually had more than 60
chapters in 25 countries and volunteers worldwide.
AfH changed perceptions of what architects and designers can
accomplish in terms of design for the public good in global locations,
and Sinclair coined the catchphrase "Design Like You Give a Damn."
Many supporters and young designers proudly affiliated themselves
with and supported AfH because the essence of AfH conveyed the
highest aspirations for architects and designers.
So, like many people in the architecture and design community,
I was saddened with the news in January that AfH was closing (page 26).
I was aware since 2013 that the organization was experiencing significant
challenges, but the closing was unexpected.
AfH established a benchmark and grew as not just an organization
but as a movement. It was exciting to see the work of Sinclair and his
colleagues, contemporaries of mine, as a new field of public interest
design emerged this century. That work was led by Gen X designers
(who said we are all slackers?) who wanted to accomplish great things
utilizing design skills with a strong sense of purpose.
While AfH has closed, we know this: The field of public interest
design is now established and robust. As we see in social media posts
since the announced closing, many people worldwide are passionate
about this work and will carry the torch and persevere with the good
work that architects and designers can do to assist communities in need.

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The Public Interest Design Institute provides training to architecture
and other design professionals in public interest design, and the
University of Minnesota has recently begun offering a certificate
in public interest design.
The Contract 2012 Designer of the Year MASS Design Group
continues to grow and produce excellent projects that have significant
social impact in places like Rwanda, Haiti, and other countries. Public
Architecture, led by the Contract 2009 Designer of the Year John
Peterson, identifies a variety of problems that require innovative
research and design solutions.
Contract will seek out excellent work in public interest design
and advocate for it as an important, necessary component of a relevant
architecture and design profession. In fact, in this issue, we are pleased
to publish an outstanding example of a new generation of public interest
design, the El Guadual Early Childhood Development Center (page 60)
conceived by two young designers in Colombia.
Focusing on public interest design, Contract will be producing
the seventh annual Inspirations Awards to specifically honor
architecture and design that benefits the public good. Sponsored by
Tandus Centiva and presented by Contract, the awards recognize a
commitment to social responsibility in commercial interiors, using
design to improve the quality of life for a worthy cause. The winning
clients will receive generous grants from award sponsor Tandus Centiva,
the winning designers will be honored in a ceremony at NeoCon® in
Chicago this June, and the winning projects will be published in Contract.
The deadline for entries is April 17. Visit inspirations.contractdesign.com
to learn more and to enter your work.
We all look forward to continuing to support public interest design,
and with so many passionate designers, I expect that we will see exciting
new organizations and initiatives that will develop from the end of AfH.
Perhaps the 15-year history of AfH is only the first chapter of public
interest design as we will come to know it as well as the broader role
of architects and designers in the 21st century.
Sincerely,
John Czarnecki, Assoc. AIA, Hon. IIDA
Editor in Chief

contractdesign.com

MARCH 2015
http://inspirations.contractdesign.com http://www.contractdesign.com
Contract - March 2015

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