From Art to Impact: Architecture for Humanity

A recent episode of Iconoclasts on the Sundance Channel paired Cameron Diaz with Cameron Sinclair. The latter name sounded familiar, but I quickly realized that I knew very little about his man. Cameron Sinclair is a talented architect from England. While receiving his education in architecture, he developed an interest in how his art could impact communities around him. Many describe Sinclair as an eternal optimist. Much of this comes from his project Architecture for Humanity. Sinclair co-founded Architecture for Humanity in 1999. Architecture for Humanity is a charitable organization that seeks innovative, architectural solutions for humanitarian crises. The organization relies on professional volunteers around the world. In a nutshell, it is a large organization whose members use their artistic skills in architecture to create sustainable housing and shelter for communities. The organization has worked in Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Southern Asian after the tsunami, and the Mississippi and Louisiana, following Hurricane Katrina.

Sinclair is a fascinating individual to listen to. He is a man with a passion and is committed to building sustainable communities by putting his artistic skills towards a good cause.

Here is how Architecture for Humanity describes itself at its website:

"Architecture for Humanity is a nonprofit design services firm founded in 1999. We are building a more sustainable future through the power of professional design.

By tapping a network of more than 40,000 professionals willing to lend time and expertise to help those who would not otherwise be able to afford their services, we bring design, construction and development services where they are most critically needed.

Each year 10,000 people directly benefit from structures designed by Architecture for Humanity. Our advocacy, training and outreach programs impact an additional 50,000 people annually. We channel the resources of the global funding community to meaningful projects that make a difference locally. From conception to completion, we manage all aspects of the design and construction process. Our clients include community groups, aid organizations, housing developers, government agencies, corporate divisions, and foundations.

Design is important to every aspect of our lives. It informs the places in which we live, work, learn, heal and gather. We engage all stakeholders in the design process. We believe our clients are designers in their own right.

Thoughtful, inclusive design creates lasting change in communities by:
• Alleviating poverty and providing access to water, sanitation, power and essential services
• Bringing safe shelter to communities prone to disaster and displaced populations
• Rebuilding community and creating neutral spaces for dialogue in post-conflict areas
• Mitigating the effects of rapid urbanization in unplanned settlements
• Creating spaces to meet the needs of those with disabilities and other at-risk populations
• Reducing the footprint of the built environment and addressing climate change

Architecture for Humanity is a catalyst for innovation. We learn by doing. We know the value of sharing success stories and lessons learned—our own as well as those of others. To foster knowledge sharing and promote best practices, we developed the Open Architecture Network (www.openarchitecturenetwork.org). This groundbreaking on-line network empowers architects, designers, builders and their clients to share architectural plans and drawings—including CAD files. All plans are shared through an open-source model and can be freely downloaded by all.

Design is the ultimate renewable resource. Join us in building safer, more sustainable and more innovative structures—structures that are assets to their communities and an ongoing testament to the ability of people to come together to envision a better future.""

Phish On The Road

This is a repost that I decided to put up since Phish is now in the midst of a summer tour. Having just returned from two shows at the Gorge in George, Washington, I encourage anyone who can to check out a show.

Phish is both extraordinarily well-known and not well-known at all. It really comes down to the person you ask. I started listening to Phish in the fall of 1996 and have been to 17 live shows since. For someone who has not heard of Phish, this sounds ridiculous. But, in reality, it makes me an amateur Phish fan. There are many, many fans that have seen them thirty, forty, even ninety times. The reason is that Phish never plays the same set-list. With a repertoire consisting of hundreds of originals and covers, a concert-goer can go several shows in a row without ever hearing the same song played twice. This makes Phish interesting. Their concerts are about the experience. It is virtually impossible to know what will happen next at a Phish concert. You never know what songs they will play or what new, interesting covers they will break out. This is definitely not a band for someone who likes hit singles, since the chances are high that you would go to the concert and not hear your song.

Phish is often compared to the Grateful Dead. This is primarily due to their loyal following of hippie fans. While they have a few songs that are comparable to the Dead, their music overall is not like that of the Dead. Personally, I think Phish has a much fuller sound. The sound these four guys produce is quite amazing. Often, it is impressive because you would expect there to be more band members. The key is that there are four extraordinarily talented musicians that know how to play solos that double as the rhythm. At the end of the day, however, the sound is probably best associated with the tone of Trey's guitar.

Finally, Phish does not take its fan-base for granted. They openly encourage fans to tape their shows and give it out on the internet for free. The band has traditionally kept ticket prices low. They have built a strong following without having ever relied upon commercial radio or television play. After several complaints about ticket sales to their first three reunion shows in March, the band released the soundboard recordings of the show for free at the website the morning after each show.

A listener can find just about every genre of music in Phish's songs, which always have the added level of quirkiness that the band likes to throw in there. And of course, they are a jamband. Often their songs go on for ten or twenty minutes at their show. What I like about their performances though is the way they build their songs and take them in different places. It reminds me quite a bit of the good old days of jazz. A jam will be "out there," slowly build and rise like the tide, and finally crash into an all-out groove that gives a musical soul to even a white guy like me who has no sense of rhythm whatsoever.

Phish has returned to the road in 2009 from a five-year hiatus and has written some new songs along the way. Back in 2002, when Phish reunited from a prior hiatus, it was not one of their finer moments. The band did not practice much before going on the road, produced a sub-par album, and dealt with internal problems, such as Trey's drug addiction. But this time, things seem to be different. The band is sharp. They seem well-rehearsed. Their new songs are pretty good, to say the least. "Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan" is one of my favorites. "Time Turns Elastic" shows the band getting back to their compositional numbers. Soundboard recordings from their shows over the past week can be purchased at www.livephish.com. Check www.phish.com to see if they are coming through your town.