Do you know how to create beautiful buildings that truly promote social change?

Architects need to understand how to design for social equity, but too often this is presented as a choice between work that does good and work that looks good. When done well, building for social equity can directly enhance the formal, experimental and creative language of architecture.

Renowned architects Sara Caples and Everardo Jefferson, who have been designing for underserved multi-cultural communities in New York for decades, provide thought leadership that is deeply rooted in practice. By urging architects to approach equity projects with an open mind, the volume highlights the need  to dig deep into the diverse culture of local neighbourhoods. It provides techniques to encourage listening, communicating and fully engaging with users, resulting in imaginative design responses that draw on all the tools that the architect possesses.

Packed with interviews from established and up-and-coming designers, and highly illustrated case studies from all over the world, this accessibly written book serves both as a point of inspiration and a challenge to Western-centric ways of working. Ultimately, it explores how listening to the aspirations of diverse communities enriches designs and broadens the architectural language of all involved.

Featuring:

-          International case studies from Austria, Brazil, Bolivia, China, Egypt, India, USA and many more

-          Interviews from leading designers, including: Tatiana Bilbao, Wanda Dalla Costa, Andres Lepik, Xu Tiantian, Li Xiaodong, Sara Zewde

-          Guidance on a range of topics, from integrating narratives to working with colour, communicating with communities and stakeholders to ethical practice.

Sara Caples and Everardo Jefferson are Principals and co-founders of Caples Jefferson Architects. Caples Jefferson’s social equity work has gained national recognition in the US and has been published internationally for its exceptional design qualities. Among its most notable projects are Heritage Health & Housing social services agency, located in a former garage in Harlem; Queens Theatre-in-the-Park, expanding a World’s Fair building into a public theatre; and Weeksville, a new visitor’s building and campus built around a rediscovered freedmen’s preservation site. Sara is a practising architect who has worked on social equity projects for over 30 years. Everardo’s community service has included serving on the boards of social justice and educational institutions, and he is currently acting as a Commissioner of the New York City Landmark Preservation Commission. Everardo and Sara frequently teach as guest educators in schools of architecture, most recently as Davenport Professors at Yale University. Sara is currently Fellow for Innovation in Engagement at Pratt Institute.