thinking about
This week Bruce Nussbaum, noted design critic and professor of Innovation and Design at the Parsons School of Design, took shot across the bow with his piece "Is Humanitarian Design the New Imperialism?". Sounds scary, doesn't it?
I grew up in these neighborhoods. Bromley, Peckham, Isle of Dogs, Dominican Harlem. These communities were dotted with 60's built towers.
Here is a trailer for a new film on one of these 'landmark' buildings (via Arkinet)
President Obama, have you got game?
A few years ago the idea of socially responsible design, also known as humanitarian architecture, was viewed as the ugly stepchild of the architectural world. However, thanks to a new army of altruistic designers, where purpose trumps profit, it has gradually become part of the mainstream of the profession. A case in point is the OS House Design Competition. During the spring over 3100 designers from 45 countries were hard at work developing ideas for low cost housing in West Africa. The result, a sustainable off the grid housing unit that could become a benchmark for the worlds' emerging middle class.
