Archinect - News

Duvall Decker Architects combine greater agency and public outreach to benefit Mississippi (and the profession at large)

2017-02-21T18:12:00-05:00

Since they founded Duvall Decker nearly 20 years ago, the Deckers, as they’re known, have focused mostly on neglected corners in and around Jackson, Mississippi’s capital. To pay the bills, the two have redefined for themselves the ambit of a small architectural practice. They have become developers and even branched into building maintenance: a soup-to-nuts strategy that has allowed them more than just financial breathing room.

Helping impoverished Mississippi communities? Check. Making money while creating a business model that empowers you with the decision-making powers of developers? Check. Being notable and effective enough to earn your own profile in The New York Times by Michael Kimmelman? Done, done, and done for Duvall Decker Architects, which also was named one of 2017's Emerging Voices by the Architectural League of New York. What's especially enheartening about this profile is how by virtue of increasing the quality of their own professional lives, the architects have also vastly increased the well-being of their community.

A war-torn Syrian's home, IKEA-style

2016-11-08T14:22:00-05:00

Living in a war-torn country isn't easy, which is why the idea to display a Syrian home in the comfort-addled environs of an IKEA store is remarkable. Shoppers can tour a 25 square meter mock-up that is modeled after a real Damascus-adjacent home that functions as living quarters for a family of nine (!) and then donate funds to those in need via special versions of IKEA's signature product tags. This video explains it all:

Olafur Eliasson's 'Green Light' responds to the refugee crisis in Europe

2016-05-17T11:30:00-04:00

Green Light is an artistic workshops that responds to the current situation in Europe, in which countless refugees are caught up in legal and political limbo. Together with TBA21 in Vienna, Olafur Eliasson has invited people from different backgrounds – refugees and locals – to take part in exchanges at TBA21-Augarten through a playful, creative process.

Over the course of the three-month project, which ends 5 June, participants put together Green light lamp modules designed by Olafur Eliasson on two days of the week and take part in practical workshops and language courses on two other days. During that time, TBA21 is also hosting a multifaceted programme of shared learning that features workshops, seminars, performances, screenings, lectures, and artistic interventions.

“Green light is an act of welcoming, addressed both to those who have fled hardship and instability in their home countries and to the residents of Vienna. I hope Green light shines light on some of the challenges a...

Shigeru Ban arrives in Ecuador to train locals in relief architecture

2016-04-29T14:25:00-04:00

Pritzker Prize-winning architect Shigeru Ban is once more jumping into disaster-relief efforts. The cardboard-wielding starchitect traveled to Ecuador earlier this week [...] to provide architectural training and brainpower in the wake of the deadly earthquake April 16 earthquake, which has killed more than 650 people and displaced another 26,000 from their homes.

The Colegio de Arquitectos del Ecuador Provincial de Pichincha issued this statement on its website (Google-translated from the original Spanish text):

"The Association of Architects of Ecuador, Pichincha Chapter (CAE-P) and the Pan American Architecture Biennial of Quito, officially announced the arrival of the Japanese architect Shigeru Ban because of the events that took place following the seismic event occurred on April 16 in the coastal area of Ecuador. The winner of the Pritzker prize expressed his solidarity with the moment in the country and has expressed interest in visiting the affected area and provide training sessions under these circumstances in the capital city."

Support Architecture for Humanity's work after Super Typhoon Haiyan

2013-11-11T16:16:00-05:00

With Architecture for Humanity's experience helping communities beyond the relief phase of disaster, we are currently mobilizing to assist in long-term reconstruction. Through speaking with local stakeholders and construction professionals, we are working to begin understanding the on-the-ground situation to prioritize rebuilding needs and help affected regions build back better and stronger.

Donate now and help support Architecture for Humanity's response in the typhoon-affected region. #Typhoonhaiyan

Architecture for Humanity Launches Philippines Floods Response Program for Long-Term Disaster Mitigation

2012-08-09T18:01:00-04:00

On August 6, the Tropical Storm Haikui brought two days of heavy rains that caused massive flooding and landslides throughout the capital city of Manila in the Philippines. Over 800,000 people were evacuated from their homes and 250,000 people have moved into emergency shelters. [...] Architecture for Humanity is committed to helping communities in Manila rebuild and prevent future disasters. We need your help.

Tornado Response UPDATE

2012-03-02T17:16:00-05:00

It looks like Harrisburg dodged more severe weather last night. [...] We've seen an impressive response to yesterday's appeal for volunteer and fundraising support, and have launched the Midwest Tornadoes Recovery campaign on our website and Global Giving. We got emails and calls throughout the day - we've directly responded to most already and are positioning talent offered for our response.

UVA students house Haitians

2011-04-05T18:53:35-04:00

Earlier this year, a UVA architecture program took top prize in an international housing competition sponsored by ARCHIVE (Architecture for Health in Vulnerable Environments).

Contestants developed sustainable and affordable homes that could offer attainable relief to a portion of the estimated 1 million Haitians left homeless after a massive earthquake devastated the region in January 2010. The UVA program, Initiate reCOVER, beat out 146 teams and received a $60,000 budget to construct its “Breathe House” in St. Marc, Haiti.