We have the liberty of living in one of the most advanced countries in the world, and our style of living is quite high. Our daily lives are structured around comfort and well.. aesthetic purposes. A well designed house for us is pleasing to the eye, with unusual or advanced ideas for simple products such as the stairs or the bed, and the outside of the house would preferably have a lawn of grass and flowers with a nice pavement. However, there is a different design occurring all over the world right now – instead of serving the pleasures of a person, these designers are serving the needs of the people.
In the article Rescued by Design, designers are helping slums and communities living in poverty all over the world. And what better way of actually going to the people to find out what they want instead of assuming what they need? These designers are designing according to the needs of the people. “The poor… are the creators and implementers of the most comprehensive and far-reaching systems for solving problems of poverty, housing and basic services.” The best ides are the simple ideas, or solutions, that stem from the complexity of the living situations of the people. For example, architects were assigned to help devise row houses for those living in houses along the Canal in Bangkok, helping the families build steadier living environments based on what they wanted.
Now if you ask me, this is something worthy of reading. Instead of designs, such as apple, that serve to benefit our lives beyond our needs, these designers and architects are actually helping to improve the necessary needs and living environments of people.
This is just like Keith’s post! It’s great how many designers now are catering to the poor instead of the rich. The homeless need buildings more than rich CEOs need new offices.
This is certainly a great idea to design building for the poor and a great way to improve our world.
Similar initiatives should be taken in the States (as a result of a federal mandate perhaps). America faces the prospect of a Double Dip Recession and the gap between rich and poor will only widen. Steps must be taken to ensure that the poor are compensated for and housing initiatives are a worthy start!
This is a brilliant idea and exactly the type of change we need in the world! Like you mentioned, instead of focusing all of our attention to amplifying our lives through advanced technologies, why not bring design and technology to people who need it the most? Awesome idea; I believe this is how societies should come together, by helping each other out. Good deeds like these go a long way.
Hey Jessica, this is really a wonderful and inspired idea like you mentioned. The most interesting and impressive aspect is how the project is aimed at designing buildings based on the opinions of the people for whom they are being constructed. I totally agree that the poor are probably the best experts on design solutions to improve their living conditions.