We've just heard from Cameron Sinclair, co-founder and ex-director of Architecture for Humanity, that the organization has "pivoted its mission and is planning to close".
According to John King at the SF Chronicle, "While there has been no official announcement of the organization’s demise, all staff was laid off Jan. 1 by the board and the nonprofit shut its office near Union Square."
Message from Cameron...
Thank you for designing like you give a damn.
We just heard the news that Architecture for Humanity, the organization we started more than 15 years ago, has pivoted its mission and is planning to close. We are deeply saddened by this.
Our hearts are with the staff and chapter members who worked so hard to build a wonderful organization that did so much for communities around the world. We made so many wonderful friends and will continue personally to support your work.
We ran the organization and grew it from just a small circle of volunteers to an international organization with chapters in 25 countries. For more than 10 years, together we led the movement to bring social design where it is needed most. We built award-winning buildings, ran innovative programs, personally raised more than $5 million in annual funding, year in and year out, and established more than five community design centers that set the standard for rebuilding after disaster.
We hope the profession will continue to design like a give damn--in whatever form that takes... And we urge the chapters to continue their much needed work.
Thank you,
Cameron Sinclair and Kate Stohr
Co-founders, Architecture for Humanity
10 Comments
This is such sad news.
Meanwhile there is no shortage of funding for starchitect atrocities.
this stinks - I hope someone else is able to take up the cause.
Still don't understand why they closed.
Very saddened to hear this.
The Archdaily post makes it sound like some chapters will remain:
"In response to this, a number of chapters have made it clear that they intend to continue operations, with Architecture for Humanity London releasing a statement saying that “as an independent, established, financially stable, UK-based registered charity, AfH London is operationally unaffected by this news.” Similarly, Architecture for Humanity’s New York, Newark, Chicago, Vancouver and LA chapters have all published tweets implying that they intend to continue operations."
The donations could no longer cover the offices and staff in Haiti and SF. The chapters in the US are all volunteer. All have pledged to continue the work we have been doing for the last 15 years.
Mike McHugh / Architecture for Humanity Boston
Huge problem that media that forgot about AFH long ago despite continuing great work. When Sinclair left, it seemed inevitable. Also ironic that this comes in wake of media bashing of architect profession that has mostly been volunteering work for AFH for 15 years. Same editors tweeting condolences now we're writing thinkpieces critical of socialyl concious architecture.
I know I may not be in the majority opinion on this, but I have heard Sinclair lecture twice, and both times, his preachy "my non-ego is better than your ego!" attitude left me with a distinct vomit taste in my mouth. He soap-boxed about the social good of volunteer architecture but in such a pompous, my-work-is-so-much-more-meaningful-than-yours attitude I really couldn't stomach it.
Not trying to bash the guy, but did anyone else get this vibe from their organization? It seemed odd, to have a nonprofit organization which relied solely on donations and volunteers, to project a pretty holier-than-thou attitude.
I have done my share of volunteer work for the disabled community as well as HfH, so I understand the temptation to see your work as so much more significant than run of the mill architecture. Maybe I am the only one who got this vibe from Sinclair - the volunteers I know who participated in AfH all seemed like stellar people - but I really hope this didn't contribute to its demise.
I got the same vibe from Sinclair, but I think his ego is what drove the organization. It was a bit overhanded, but in this case was necessary at the beginning. They should have evolved a bit more though
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