The design nonprofit group Architecture for Humanity surprised everyone when it abruptly declared bankruptcy and closed shop in January 2015. Since that time, local chapters around the world have banded together in an effort to create a new identity and a new structure for the organization. In January 2016, they were briefly known as the Chapter Network before the newest rebranding effort was announced in early march.
The organization is now known as the Open Architecture Collaborative and is looking to retool its approach to “reach more people than we ever imagined with the level of locally focused engagement that humanitarian design ultimately demands,” Garrett Jacobs, the new Executive Director of the organization said in a statement.
As Curbed.com reports, the 30-chapter organization is based on ground-up governance and is looking to deliver “design advocacy, facilitation, assessment, and small build services to local grassroots chapters’ marginalized communities,” according to the group’s website. Additionally, OAC wants to help younger design professionals gain field experience.
While this rebranded organization is still in its infancy, it has many big ideas for the future.
“Cities are rapidly transforming and this organization provides local designers and experts to work with the communities that feel those pains the most,” Jacobs said in a video posted to the group’s YouTube channel.
A guiding principle for the OAC is that they believe if people design and build their own environments, they will be more likely to keep them safe, invest in them, and sustain them long term.
The organization will complete its board of directors shortly as the final few seats will be voted on and filled.
Related Stories
Affordable Housing | May 14, 2024
Brooklyn's colorful new affordable housing project includes retail, public spaces
A new affordable housing development located in the fastest growing section of Brooklyn, N.Y., where over half the population lives below the poverty line, transformed a long vacant lot into a community asset. The Van Sinderen Plaza project consists of a newly constructed pair of seven-story buildings totaling 193,665 sf, including 130 affordable units.
K-12 Schools | May 13, 2024
S.M.A.R.T. campus combines 3 schools on one site
From the start of the design process for Santa Clara Unified School District’s new preK-12 campus, discussions moved beyond brick-and-mortar to focus on envisioning the future of education in Silicon Valley.
University Buildings | May 10, 2024
UNC Chapel Hill’s new medical education building offers seminar rooms and midsize classrooms—and notably, no lecture halls
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has unveiled a new medical education building, Roper Hall. Designed by The S/L/A/M Collaborative (SLAM) and Flad Architects, the UNC School of Medicine’s new building intends to train new generations of physicians through dynamic and active modes of learning.
Sustainability | May 10, 2024
Perkins&Will’s first ESG report discloses operational performance data across key metrics
Perkins&Will recently released its first ESG report that discloses the firm’s operational performance data across key metrics and assesses its strengths and opportunities.
MFPRO+ News | May 10, 2024
HUD strengthens flood protection rules for new and rebuilt residential buildings
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued more stringent flood protection requirements for new and rebuilt homes that are developed with, or financed with, federal funds. The rule strengthens standards by increasing elevations and flood-proofing requirements of new properties in areas at risk of flooding.
Government Buildings | May 10, 2024
New federal buildings must be all-electric by 2030
A new Biden Administration rule bans the use of fossil fuels in new federal buildings beginning in 2030. The announcement came despite longstanding opposition to the rule by the natural gas industry.
Sustainable Development | May 10, 2024
Nature as the city: Why it’s time for a new framework to guide development
NBBJ leaders Jonathan Ward and Margaret Montgomery explore five inspirational ideas they are actively integrating into projects to ensure more healthy, natural cities.
Mass Timber | May 8, 2024
Portland's Timberview VIII mass timber multifamily development will offer more than 100 affordable units
An eight-story, 72,000-sf mass timber apartment building in Portland, Ore., topped out this winter and will soon offer over 100 affordable units. The structure is the tallest affordable housing mass timber building and the first Type IV-C affordable housing building in the city.
Architects | May 8, 2024
Ivan O’Garro, AIA joins LEO A DALY as a vice president
Integrated design firm LEO A DALY welcomes Ivan O’Garro, AIA, as a vice president and managing principal of its Atlanta studio.
K-12 Schools | May 7, 2024
World's first K-12 school to achieve both LEED for Schools Platinum and WELL Platinum
A new K-12 school in Washington, D.C., is the first school in the world to achieve both LEED for Schools Platinum and WELL Platinum, according to its architect, Perkins Eastman. The John Lewis Elementary School is also the first school in the District of Columbia designed to achieve net-zero energy (NZE).
