Photo by Jason Mandella
It has long been the accepted paradigm that only the most affluent communities can be focal points of innovation. However, across five continents, on 11 project sites, socially responsible architects are proving that bringing contemporary design to under-served communities can be a cost-effective means for improving social and economic conditions. The 11 noteworthy built or under construction projects are part of the new exhibit, organized by The Museum of Modern Art, “Small Scale, Big Change: New Architectures of Social Engagement.”
As you initially walk through the vast exhibition room, it is easy to dismiss the intricate designs as idealistic and intrusive ventures to impose outside cultures on vulnerable communities. However, after a closer look at the many photographs, plans, renderings, and drawings of each display, you quickly realize that these projects were not done in spite of a local culture’s people and traditions, but in tandem with them.
By engaging with the social, economic and political circumstances and resources of their particular area, the architects were able to show deference to the various communities while developing pioneering site-specific ecological and socially sustainable practices. These radically pragmatic projects, which include schools, community centers, housing and infrastructural innovation, represent what the participants refer to as “acupunctural” projects, or those with limited interventions and wide-reaching effects.
Photo by Siméon Duchoud/Aga Khan Trust for Culture
One such project was developed in Gando, Burkina Faso. The village was beset by derelict educational facilities with no access to expensive building materials such as concrete and steel. Instead, the architect opted for local traditions of unbaked mud and a large roof to protect the walls against rain and heat. In place of hiring foreign contractors, he engaged local unskilled workers, causing the community to become involved in the construction and making them responsible for and invested in its success. By utilizing local materials and employees, the architect cut down on the environmental impact of the project as well, usurping the need to transport materials over long distances or the need to travel individuals. With current school attendance extremely high for the region, plans are already in the works to build an annex, houses for teachers, a library and a women’s center.
Photo by Siméon Duchoud/Aga Khan Trust for Culture
To learn more about this particular project, MoMA is sponsoring a follow-up program, “From the Earth Up: Architecture as a Social Catalyst,” featuring the architect, Francis Kéré, who will discuss the social issues surrounding the school’s construction, on Thursday, November 11, 2010, 6:00 p.m., Theater 3.
Small Scale, Big Change: New Architectures of Social Engagement is currently open to the public and runs through January 3, 2011. For more insights into the initiative as a whole, the MoMA is also holding a Brown Bag Lunch Lecture on the entire exhibit on October 18 and 21, 2010, 12:30 p.m., Classroom B. You can also visit MoMA.org for more information.
