Green Street Arts Center, Middletown, Connecticut
Nothing says the Holidays like the gift of elevated cholesterol, unless it is giving people something they really need.
People are always in need of good design: whether it is for a home that uses materials and energy efficiently, a school building that promotes learning and community, or a public space that unites and delights a neighborhood. Unfortunately, not everyone has access to good design, and as a result they may be left to inhabit buildings or spaces that affect them negatively. Buildings built without the input of designers or architects often fail to adequately shelter the body or enlighten the soul.
The challenge for me and others is how to widen access to good design to those who need it, not just to those who can afford it. There are many organizations working toward this end, such as Public Architecture and Architecture for Humanity, as well as colleges offering courses that teach about social responsibility and design, like Rural Studio and the Yale Building Project. The majority of architects, however, do not work for non-profit organizations, but many still want to share their skills with individuals or groups that are not paying clients.
There are many ways to do this. Here at Centerbrook we have been involved in projects that were done at cost, such as the Green Street Arts Center in Middletown, which is scheduled to be included in an upcoming book on such work. As a firm we also financially support projects and organizations such as the Yale Building Project, so that the designers of the future will consider those who may not be traditional architectural clients.
Access to design can also be widened within a for-profit project that we do for corporate or academic clients. Our interactive workshops involve buildings users and even representatives of the local community for large civic buildings, inviting a broad range of stakeholders to participate in the design process. This means that decisions will be made not just by the president or CEO, but also with the input of the various interest groups who will use and, hopefully, love the new building.
Many of us at Centerbrook have offered our services to nonprofit organizations and groups on our own time. A number sit on local design review boards or historic commissions, while others contribute their brains and brawn to Habitat for Humanity affiliates in the area. Still more have been instrumental in the setting up of a chapter of Architecture for Humanity in New Haven and working on local and international projects, including a school for girls in Kibera, Kenya’s largest slum, an effort that was led by two Wesleyan students.
Plans are being finalized to form a community outreach committee at Centerbrook to promote internally the ways that our staff is already involved in widening access to good design, and to encourage others to consider donating their time and expertise, too.
While it may not be nearly as tasty as holiday cookies, the gift of good design may last in the lives of a community and its people for many holiday seasons to come.
