a full day disaster response training session strengths. Multiple meetings and workshops at the AIA Northwest & Pacific Region Con- have now taken place, including a State Levference in Vancouver, BC! el Exercise (SLE), which has given enough information to finalize the program for the disaster response workshops. Through the Illinois Architects’ Emergency Management/ support of the Illinois Emergency ManageDisaster Response Workshops ment Agency (IEMA), the workshops have AFH Chicago Chapter / AIA Chicago / AIA included not only AIA Illinois and AFH ChiIllinois cago members, but also municipal officials, IEMA staff, members of the State Incident By connecting with key leaders and groups Response Center (SIRC), and representain the communities, the Chicago chapter tives from the Illinois Capital Development has been able to share resources, discuss Board. For more updates, check out the common goals and strategies, and look for WorldChanging page. areas of institutional overlap or areas where each organization can leverage its particular
Yuko Okamura received her BA in Architecture from the University of Washington, and her M.Arch from the University of British Columbia. While always having a strong passion for humanitarian and environmental design, her experience volunteering in the tsunami-struck region of Japan fueled her particular interest in architecture’s potential to build back better and create more resilient communities following a disaster. Yuko joined Architecture for Humanity as a Reconstruction and Resiliency Studio intern in October 2012, and transitioned to a Design Fellow in January 2013. architecture for humanity
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