Dr. Esther Charlesworth & Teresa - Architects Without Frontiers
About Architects Without Frontiers
Architects without Frontiers (AWF) is Australia’s first architectural non-for-profit organisation, who work with vulnerable communities to design and build health and education projects in the Asia Pacific region. AWF’s mission is to improve the social and physical infrastructure of these communities, irrespective of race, religion, creed or political affiliation, through using Australian design expertise. Since its inception AWF has provided over 50 design proposals and delivered 41 built projects with vulnerable communities in 12 countries.
About Dr. Esther Charlesworth
Dr. Charlesworth is a Professor in the School of Architecture and Urban Design at RMIT University and is the Director of the Humanitarian Architecture Research Lab (HARB). She is the Founding Director of Architects Without Frontiers and the Academic Director of the Master of Disaster, Design and Development degree (MoDDD) at RMIT. Since 1990, she has worked in the public and private sectors of architecture and urban design in Melbourne, Sydney, New York and Boston, and has published seven books on the theme of social justice and architecture including Divided Cities (2009), Humanitarian Architecture (2014), and Sustainable Housing Reconstruction (2015).
Q1: What are some of the processes you go through when selecting a project?
“ We only work with communities who reach out for services so that together we can create an appropriate response for the community.”
Architects Without Frontiers receives requests for assistance from a diverse range of stakeholders. Most of these requests come via AWF’s website and some via recommendations from former clients. Those who come to AWF seek our pro-bono services as they do not have the necessary resources to complete their project without external assistance. The AWF website has a Project Application form which requires applicants to outline which community groups and stakeholders will be involved in and assisted by the project. In addition, applicants must provide a detailed project overview. Once this information has been received, AWF assesses the project application against a specific selection criterion. AWF works with communities irrespective of race, religion, creed or political affiliation. Prior to working with a new partner, AWF Australia investigates their governance, transparency and capacity. We only work with communities who reach out for services so that together we can create an appropriate response for the community.
Q2: What are some things that you wished people knew more about the humanitarian architecture field?
“The humanitarian architecture field has the potential to make a significant impact on the lives of the most vulnerable populations such as those affected by economic or natural disasters.”
As most people already know, architecture goes way beyond the construction of a building. Architecture can completely transform the way that people interact, communicate, and live their daily lives. With humanitarian architecture, this goes a step further. The humanitarian architecture field has the potential to make a significant impact on the lives of the most vulnerable populations such as those affected by economic or natural disasters. Humanitarian architecture prioritises the use of local materials and incorporates local traditions and practices where possible. Depending upon the need, the focus may be on rebuilding structures to make them more resilient and sustainable or it may be developing a completely new structure specific to the needs of a community. For example, AWF was approached by a community in Dien Ban in Viet Nam to build a day care centre for children born with disabilities from Agent Orange during the Viet Nam War. This was a very exciting project for AWF as we knew this one building would affect the lives of several thousand people, with the centre providing education and physiotherapy and other rehabilitative treatments as well as a great opportunity for community and connection.
Q3: How does AWF measure, monitor and evaluate the impact of your work?
“From the outset of engagement with our clients, we spend a lot of time listening to their needs to ensure that our response is culturally appropriate and fully reflects the needs and values of our clients. ”
We are now developing a new ME Framework for all our projects. As AWF’s projects are so well received, we are able to build long-term sustainable relationships with our clients so that we remain in contact for many years to come. This enables us to track the progress and sustainability of our projects. From the outset of engagement with our clients, we spend a lot of time listening to their needs to ensure that our response is culturally appropriate and fully reflects the needs and values of our clients.
Throughout the project cycle, AWF engages with clients in the following ways:
Making a site visit during each key phase: scoping, design development, documentation, construction.
Maintaining weekly contact via email and telephone with the project partner regarding project activities.
AWF Australia requires overseas partners and volunteers to submit regular progress reports.
Q4: When providing context approach design, what are some of the considerations and processes that take place within the AWF project teams to ensure a successful design solution?
Ensure key project and community stakeholders are on board with the project from the beginning in order to undertake a full needs assessment for project.
Making a site visit during each key phase: scoping, design development, documentation, construction.
Maintaining weekly contact via email and telephone with the project partner regarding project activities.
AWF Australia requires overseas partners and volunteers to submit regular progress reports.
Q5: Are architects (as well as other designers) able to have a career working in social impact, while still being financially sustainable?
“Humanitarian architecture is a fast-growing sector and while there are financial limitations (…) there are opportunities for partnering with external funding organizations or, working for multinational businesses that are keen to emphasize corporate social responsibility”
Humanitarian architecture is a fast growing sector and while there are financial limitations for practices that focus on a humanitarian agenda (because many clients are unable to pay), there are opportunities for partnering with external funding organisations or, working for multinational businesses that are keen to emphasise corporate social responsibility. At AWF, we work in partnership with 13 of the top Architectural and built environment firms in Australia. This enables us to engage the top experts to develop creative and appropriate design solutions to projects, no matter how complex. As AWF is a non-for-profit organisation, our Network Partners provide this expertise pro-bono because they understand the value of having their staff engage in such fulfilling and life changing work.
Q6: Currently, most humanitarian architecture revolves around small-scale community projects, however, the field has grown significantly over the last decade. How do you see this impacting the type of projects and the way projects are approached moving forward?
“Researching the socio-political climate and exploring the regulatory environment well in advance of commencing projects goes a long way to offsetting problems, however unforeseen issues may still arise.”
Humanitarian architecture can be challenging because you are often navigating complex political and social contexts which come with their own unique challenges. Researching the socio-political climate and exploring the regulatory environment well in advance of commencing projects goes a long way to offsetting problems, however unforeseen issues may still arise. While these problems do not go away just because a larger organisation is involved, inevitably, when organisations work with institutions such as the government, such institutions do carry more weight and obstacles may be removed more quickly than is the case when working on smaller community projects.
Q7: What is the most rewarding aspect of your work? Can you tell us about a memorable experience?
Understanding the specific and often divergent needs of the project community and how a particular design solution can address those challenges.
Q8: Why should young professionals care about making a social impact beyond Australia's borders?
“In addition to the current challenges of Covid-19, climate change and food security force us to look beyond national borders”
More than perhaps at any other time in history, COVID-19 is showing the world just how connected and interdependent we are at a global level. The focus of humanitarian work has always been to work from a place of what we have in common as people rather than from what divides us. Young professionals are very aware of the broader impact that can be achieved when we work from this standpoint and really have a responsibility to have a strong voice in the humanitarian sector.
“One of the key challenges of climate change is the displacement of communities on a large scale.”
In addition to the current challenges of COVID-19, climate change and food security force us to look beyond national borders. Architects have been pioneers in many ways, turning their attention to climate change issues very early on, investigating and developing innovative approaches to sustainable design and building. One of the key challenges of climate change is the displacement of communities on a large scale. This is likely to increase significantly in the coming decades and architects will be at the forefront of mitigation efforts and rebuilding and re-imagining new communities.
Dr. Esther Charlesworth - Founding Director of Architects Without Frontiers
Big thank you to Dr. Esther Charlesworth and Teresa from Architects Without Frontiers for taking the time to answer our questions.