RSA – Sustainability As A Matter of Survival: 10 Years of Architecture for Humanity
Cameron Sinclair, joint founder of Architecture for Humanity, recieved an award, and spoke at the RSA on November 9th.
It was illuminating to gain some insight into the history, operation and future directions of AfH, direct from Cameron Sinclair. I experienced an immediate, if somehwat stretched, affinity, by discovering he was originally from Peckham. 
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AfH have a well-established model for participation and sharing of open-source architecture, via the Open Architecture Network. The classic decentralised ‘network’ approach, that Sinclair quoted as inspiring him, is Paul Baran’s model of distributed network nodes, from 1962, which was instrumental in creating the conceptual underpinning of the internet.
So, the aim is to decentralise, share and participate. You then get a multi-nodal flow of knowledge and experience. Function, meaning and activity will ‘enculture’ local and dsitributed networks, via skills, materials, techniques and symbolism, working across the spectrum of modern Product Design and Engineering. So we’ll explore ways to contribute in traditional Design Engineering (for example, partnering with architecture projects to develop appropriate technology for air-conditioning, heating, ect. for buildings; ‘Jua Kali’ fuel briquette manufacture for micro business, using unpowered machinery and waste organic materials), Industrial Design (for example, input into the useabilty and manufacturability – appropriately – of the above), Service Design (for example, exploring the networks and approaches for marketing and distributing the briquettes) and so on.
How will this work from a design and engineering perspective?
Well, Emily Pilloton has already established another analogous group – Project ‘H’ who approach the domain from a ‘product design’ direction.
The ‘Jua Kali’ prject and Madegood.net will offer another dimension to these, and other existing, models of collaborative, distributed design networks. As an integral part of the Jua Kali project, a collaborative link has been established with Kenyatta University, in Nairobi, where, computing hardware and software will be provided to train designers and engineers in 3D CAD modelling and analysis. This advanced virtual design capability will allow students to compete globally, while improving the efficiency of the design and prototyping cycle locally.
So, a key part of our ‘sharing’ will be making all part, assembly and drawing files available for contributers to use and modify.
The ‘Jua Kali’ project is our main focus and will be for 18 months, but we’ll, hopefully build capacity and bring online some more projects, UK domestic and international, as out network builds.
Again, hopefully, our network will complement those already leading in the vanguard of this movement in design.
