ARTICLE | DISATER RELIEF
Loi says, “because during the aftermath there will be those who have lost everything and will need a helping hand to rebuild their homes.” For architects, knowledge is power, and our power is in problem solving. Initiative is a superpower Architects don’t have to be superheroes to aid communities in a disaster. Architects do, however, need to involve themselves in rebuilding, disaster relief, and helping their neighbors and communities in times of crisis, because initiative and visibility are important for a profession that is struggling to define its relevance to outsiders. One thing we should strongly consider is to throw our support behind social impact design programs -- including new funding models for pro-bono design work such as the National Design Services Act (NDSA). If we want to support our communities in need such as the aftermath of Harvey, we need to make such efforts sustainable and attractive to both the profession and the markets in need, which the AIA believes the NDSA could offer. Never heard of the NDSA? The National Design Services Act (NDSA) would enable recent architecture graduates to provide design and planning services for their communities in exchange for student debt forgiveness. This will contribute to the economic revitalization of underserved or recovering communities while relieving financial burdens on the next generation of architects, elevating the profession in the process. Like the stories above, we support efforts to use architecture to help. Sign up at the link below to follow this bill as it evolves: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5ZDKRQT
For Loi, it’s significant how architects are typically perceived, and what he can actively contribute to healthier perceptions. “I also feel like, [as] architects, we are often looked at as a field that serves the wealthy elites or the top 10% of society. This to me was the main factor because I wanted the general public to know who we are as architects and the value we can provide […] it’s important that we engage the general public in some kind of way that would let them know we can serve them.”
Crisis means a dedication to both urgent needs and long-term rebuilding, and as architecture professionals we can involve ourselves in the conversation early and often rather than waiting on invitation. We already possess great personal initiative to work hard and do what’s right by our fellow citizens, and we should be more encouraged by events and stories like these to utilize it. ■
Two interesting suggestions he has for his fellow young architects: first, to join an organization that helps the community, such as Habitat for Humanity or participate in the AIA’s Safety Assessment Program (SAP); and second, to learn a trade. Both are relevant, BELOW LEFT: STANTEC EMPLOYEES GETTING THE WATER AND DEBRIS OUT OF FLOODED SCHOOLS - Courtesy Stantec BELOW RIGHT: BAO LOI PROVIDING SOLID ADVICE FOR RENOVATING AND CLEANING FROM ARCHITECTURAL EXPERIENCE - Courtesy Sarah Killingsworth
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THE ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN JOURNAL OF THE YOUNG ARCHITECTS FORUM