Recent News on Community Design and Pro Bono Work
[Aug-17-2007]
Two recent news items this week are highlighting the prevalence and relevance of community design and pro bono work in the design professional community.
A recently completed survey by Public Architecture of their 1% Solution firms shows that many of these firms are exceeding the target of 1% of their time devoted to pro bono projects - and this despite obstacles of financial constraints and available staff time cited by the firms. The survey also notes that social relevance and community benefit are the top motivators for firms in choosing their pro bono projects. The full press release can be found online at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/08/prweb546666.htm.
A second article in Architectural Record reports on the benefits of non-profit work in shaping the careers of young architects, and makes a strong case for greater support within the profession of these alternative training settings. Architectural fellowships focused on non-profit design work, community design centers, and work with local, national and international community organizations are teaching entrepreneurship, leadership, social responsibility and the full range of design and project management skills to new designers, as well as meeting critical needs in the areas where they are serving. However, despite ever-increasing interest from emerging professionals, there are far too few opportunities to meet the demand. The full article can be found at http://archrecord.construction.com/practice/clients/0708nonprofit-2.asp.
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