Solo – The 2011 Open Architecture Challenge: Revisioning Decommisioned Military Facilities presented by Cameron Sinclair, Chief Eternal Optimist, Architecture for Humanity

Summary:
Every two years Architecture for Humanity changes the design world to tackle a global project. In 2005 we looked at health care delivery in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2007 looked to develop digital inclusion facilities in developing nations, leading to the building of the SIDAREC community resource center in Nairobi. In 2009 we invited architects around the world to design the classroom of the future in partnership with students and teachers. Schools are currently being developed and built in Haiti, Uganda and the United States. In 2011, given that the most sustainable building is already built, we will look at re-purposing decommissioned military facilities. This includes one of the most high profile facilities in the world. In this talk we will present this program, its’ aims and objectives as well as other open source architectural programs from Architecture for Humanity.

Cameron Sinclair Bio:
Cameron Sinclair is the co-founder and ‘chief eternal optimist’ for Architecture for Humanity, a charitable organization which provides architectural solutions to humanitarian crisis and brings professional design and construction services to communities in need. Since its’ founding the organization has worked in thirty eight countries on projects ranging from schools, health clinics, youth technology facilities, affordable housing and sustainable development. Sinclair works with more than 6,000 building professionals and city based 80+ chapters. Their work has been internationally recognized for its’ post-disaster rebuilding efforts as well as alleviating poverty through community-led building solutions. Sinclair is a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum and a recipient of the National Design Award, the Bicentenary Medal of the Royal Society of Arts and the Wired Magazine Rave Award for Architecture. As a result of the 2006 TED prize, Sinclair launched the Open Architecture Network, the worlds’ first open source community dedicated to improving living conditions through innovative and sustainable design. He is currently co-editing the second volume of Design Like You Give A Damn and in the midst of acquiring an online media company and merging it to create the largest open source sustainability platform on the internet… possibly announced at SXSW.