We understand that non profit organizations are often reluctant to devote scare resources to buildings and infrastructure projects. The prevailing thinking is that the more time and money you allocate for your facilities, the less you have available for your beneficiaries. This is a false equivalency and misses the truly transformative power of design to reinforce and expand the mission of an organization.
We believe in the transformative power of design. We have seen firsthand the effect that a well-designed project or an inclusive process can have on a community. Many communities living in poverty have concluded that agency and beauty are only available to the wealthy and powerful. We believe that everyone has the right to a voice in their community and that everyone deserves beauty in their lives. Beyond it being a simple matter of justice, assisting a marginalized community to create something that is not only useful but beautiful is a way to increase capacity and self-sufficiency.
Beyond the benefits to the community and the organizations beneficiaries, good design benefits the organization itself. Good design saves money. Well designed and built buildings require less maintenance and last longer than their cheaper counterparts. Repairs and rebuilding are expensive and often come at times when funds are not readily available.
Good design is safe design. While building codes in many parts of the developed world enforce a minimum level of safety, working in developing countries often means that going with the ‘standard’ design risks accepting an unsafe facility for your staff and beneficiaries.
Good design creates ownership. Often a building will outlast the organizations presence. If a building is loved by the community, that community is more likely to act as stewards for the building.
Good design plans for the future. Proper planning allows for growth and enables new projects to build upon existing projects for a multiplicative effect as opposed to a slap dashed development pattern.
Everyone deserves good design but perhaps those who have not historically had access to it deserve it a little more. Non profit organizations and non governmental agencies have a unique opportunity to use design to not only increase their impact but to help their beneficiaries realize just how much they can do.