How can you design for social and economic change in architecture?

Combining Environment and Habit In any project, having someone who has an understanding of the local environment, including its culture, environmental aspects, and the needs of its users, can significantly guide the design process. This person can offer useful guidance on planning, budgeting, material selection, and accommodating user habits. It is necessary to understand that habit and environment have an impact that should not be disregarded during the design process.

Understanding the context is pivotal as it informs the architectural response to social and economic challenges. For instance, in a project I worked on, we integrated community workshops early in the design process to identify local needs. This led to a design that not only provided functional space but also fostered community engagement and economic growth by including a multipurpose area for local events and markets. Such an approach ensures that the architecture serves as a catalyst for positive change, tailored to the unique fabric of the community it serves.

La confiance : clef de la réussite du bon déroulement d’une mission. Du premier contact à la livraison du chantier, la confiance ??des deux c?tés?? est primordiale. Un chantier est une épreuve, il nécessite un investissement en temps, en énergie et en émotions. La perte de confiance peut tout faire basculer à tout moment. Les enjeux financiers, le timing et la qualité de la réalisation peuvent être mis en doute durant tout le temps de l’étude et de l’exécution. Le client doit être rassuré en permanence. La relation de confiance maintient le contact et permet d’avancer sereinement.

I’ve found it necessary to analyze the context thoroughly to derive a direction to solve a problem. Design for social change and economic benefit seems to me to start at creating a supportive and safe living city, and also a house to live in. When people are safe and have good schools and jobs they will attain economic benefit and this might lead to social change. Starting with an affordable house also is part of this picture. A supportive social network of family and friends in the community adds benefits too. By looking at basic benefits we can help people thrive.

One major important factor that can drive social and economic change in architecture is the involvement of the community before the design process kicks in. With that, you will be able to explore their challenges and come up with unparalleled solutions. Another factor is affordable and sustainable housing interventions. This alone boosts up economic change; housing is one important asset in a community that is difficult to attain globally. As an architect, bringing affordable and sustainable housing will make housing accessible to all also cater for generations yet unborn. This also tends to decrease the rate of streetism everywhere.

Facilitate participatory design workshops: Involve the community in decision-making, not just as passive recipients. Use creative methods like storytelling, sketching, and mapping to gather ideas. Prioritize marginalized voices: Ensure representation from groups often excluded from planning processes, like young people, elders, and people with disabilities. Build trust and ownership: Transparency and ongoing communication are key to creating a sense of agency and ensuring community buy-in.

Designing for social and economic change in architecture involves a thoughtful and inclusive approach. Begin by conducting thorough community assessments to understand local needs and dynamics. Collaborate with sociologists, economists, and community leaders to integrate their insights into the architectural design process. Prioritize sustainable and cost-effective building practices to address economic considerations, ensuring that the architecture contributes positively to the local economy. By intertwining architectural decisions with social and economic considerations, our projects can become catalysts for positive change, creating spaces that truly serve and uplift the communities they inhabit.

Involving users in the design project is important, but it's not enough; once you finally build the project, the use and the maintenance during the time could affect this type of the architecture. A good design and the creation of spaces that allow people to generate activities that continue impacting the social and the economy in the community should be a good way to continue the change in the society.

Buildings have a significant impact on the social and economic landscape of a place. An increase in information and technology and technological advancement means we have access to a wider range of data points and technology available, that can help improve the impact of buildings. Secondly designing adaptable, multifunctional and evolving buildings. A lot of spaces/buildings have a limited time of occupancy based on their typology. Spaces that are properly utilised to yield the maximum value in terms of function could increase their impact socially and economically and could make all the difference.

La hipótesis que "armamos" evidentemente incluye encuesta, conversaciones, tendencias, datos historicos, etc, etc, datos que en esencia vienen del usuario, pudiera ser hasta ilógico querer generar una solución para un grupo de personas sin incluirlos! No se trata del proyecto que queremos hacer para ellos. Se trata de la solución que se obtendrá con base en sus necesidades y deseos! Justo las necesidades y desos de este grupo de personas nos generarán los patrones base de nuestra hipótesis a resolver. Continuando con el circulo virtuoso, será el contacto con estas personas lo q hará q podamos comprobar la hipótesis para reconocer una solución q sea realista, y no que unicamente responda a un proyecto guiado por intereses externos al usuario

Challenge conventional models: Explore alternative housing models like co-housing or micro-units. Consider multi-functional spaces and adaptable architectures. Integrate technology thoughtfully: Don't just throw in smart gadgets. Use technology to address specific needs, like promoting accessibility or creating shared resources. Embrace biophilic design: Connect people with nature by incorporating greenery, natural light, and sustainable materials.

Una vez que se tiene desarrollada la hipótesis, que nació de necesidades y deseos puntuales del grupo de personas que buscamos ayudar con el dise?o. Y una vez que ya se tiene constatado que en verdad el problema no es hipotético. Es en ese momento cuando tenemos las herramientas para poder generar un cambio real, uno que tenga cómo insignia el mejorar la calidad de vida de las personas. En esto es vital entender que nada sucede de manera asilada! Sera necesario sumar a la solución distintos rubros de la sociedad y generar en el dise?o los mecanismos de comunicación y evaluación para que todo lleve el objetivo tatuado en cada fase. Que forzosamente deberá ser no el proyecto en si. Si no ser claros que la responsabilidad es ayudar a personas.

El principal factor que nos lleva a innovar son las circunstancias adversas, cuando nos encontramos atrapados aparece la capacidad de respuesta y eso mezclado con el profesionalismo nos hace alcanzar caminos necesarios para la innovación. evidentemente la experiencia nos hace el recorrido mas fácil.

L'innovation est bien entendu essentielle pour construire les batiments du futur et répondre notamment au défi du changement climatique notamment. Le travail dans ce domaine ets immense.

Just as architecture and design have always been a team work, in order for a design to be more effective, it is necessary for the design team to be something more than the cooperation of engineers, and in this regard, we need to have a great design from different aspects of psychology, Sociological, economic and political analysis, then expanding cooperation beyond the borders of the engineering team can be helpful

La clave es identificar socios afines; la colaboración entre partes con metas compartidas refuerza la implementación efectiva y sostenible del dise?o arquitectónico. Al facilitar la optimización de recursos individuales, se potencia aún más el impacto del proyecto.

Une bonne collaboration entre les différents acteurs permet d'arriver au meilleur projet possible. Si l'IA pouvait atténuer les effets du fameux "facteur humain". Pour l'instant je reste circonspect.

Social consciousness regarding climate change, drives designer to evaluate the design, the adoption of eco-building materials, energy efficient design, etc.

Cambio social y económico positivo... es la realidad que todo arquitecto quiere alcanzar con cada uno de sus proyectos, bien sea desde el bajo uso de presupuesto o la reestructuración de espacios que parecían "inservibles". muchas veces a pesar de tener la mejor voluntad y querer hacer las cosas bien, quienes ponen las trabas son los mismos clientes, por ello hay que ser astuto e inteligente. y llegar a acuerdos que no solo funcionen para el proyecto si no también para todo lo que lo rodea.

El primer paso es construir índices sociales y económicos que nos permitan medir de cierta manera el impacto del proyecto en la cultura del momento, esto ayuda de gran manera en el dise?o de prototipos a gran escala basandonos en hechos reales y concretos.

Learning from social change can happen only if there are sufficient space to disseminate this learning. Previously it was possible for an architect to have authority over projects under them, this position diminishes when the social role an architect plays in society is diluted. Changing times also change social norms, therefore what social responsibility entails, as well, all of these must be adequately accounted for by professional bodies. If a professional must be empowered to facilitate social change, what are the resources required for such an event should be guided by verified policy.

Prioritize affordability: Ensure your designs are accessible to the target community, avoiding gentrification or displacement. Think long-term: Design for resilience and adaptability to meet future needs and changing circumstances. Celebrate diversity and inclusion: Create spaces that foster social interaction and acceptance of different backgrounds and abilities.

The produce of architecture design process is always singular. That means, architects can construct only one design out there. We cannot make multiple designs for the same project and give people a magical remote control to shift to the building they want to experience. The real 3D empirical world is singular. Hence the criticism of architecture works has to start way before the actual act of building. Architects should be subject to accurate criticism right through the entire design stages. Once a building is made, criticism is pointless. If we want social inclusion, our process has to be more objective. We architects have to stand corrected before the construction. If this is not done, social change cannot happen thru architecture.

To design for social change, engaging society in the design process is necessary. Participatory design practices ensure the democratisation of architecture and guarantee that the designed spaces cater to the community's diverse needs, including social, recreational, and economic activities. The participatory design also results in culturally relevant solutions that respect and reflect local cultural, historical, and social contexts to create a sense of place and community ownership. Most people need to realise how crucial good design is in their lives. It is an education crisis that can be solved purely by virtue of good design practices sensitive to our times' social and economic context.

One of the more significant problems impacting social change is architects' aspiration to be recognised and the anxiety about feeling better than others in the profession. Architects should strive for recognition from the people they are meant to serve rather than their peers. There is a significant rise (in India), especially among a generation of architects, to want to prove they are better, using extremely silly reasons such as better grades in their pre-internet undergraduate programs. Architects strive for recognition instead of making way for architecture. It is time social responsibility is ingrained within professional practice policies before expecting what to become of it in the field.