Design Can Change the World

For a class assignment I was asked to research designs and designers that are using what they do and how they think to change the world we live in. From my research I have found some great resources for designers, architects, or simply passionate people that care about making a difference. I have discovered that no matter who you are or what you do you can help to change the world. 


Ten design/designer organizations that are changing the world:

http://www.sustainableatlanta.org/

Sustainable Atlanta was founded in 2007 out of the City's commitment to long-term economic and environmental sustainability for Atlanta. Environmental sustainability is a critical factor in making Atlanta a more competitive and viable city.

http://www.edra.org/

The Environmental Design Research Association advances and disseminates behavior and design research toward improving understanding of the relationships between people and their environments. 

http://orgs.tigweb.org/design-for-change-contest

Design for Change Contest 2010 is an international competition to promote children taking the reigns of global change into their own hands so they can, BE THE CHANGE. The rules are simple: Children must design a solution to a problem in their community and make it happen!

http://www.handsonatlanta.org/AboutUs/index.php/index.html

Hands On Atlanta is a non-profit organization that  helps individuals, families and corporate and community groups find flexible volunteer opportunities at more than 400 service organizations and schools. Hands On Atlanta volunteers, now 37,000 strong, are at work every day of the year building community and meeting critical needs in schools, parks, senior homes, food banks, pet shelters, low-income neighborhoods and more.

http://architecture.about.com/od/socialconcerns/tp/relief.htm

When earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, and other horrific disasters strike, architects and designers play important roles in the recovery process. From constructing new homes to designing essential medical clinics and schools, volunteers help rebuild devastated communities. While dozens of organizations do wonderful work in relieving human suffering, the non-profit agencies listed here are remarkable for their ability to provide desperately needed construction materials and technical skills. Did we leave out your favorite architecture charity? 

http://www.usgbc.org/

The U.S. Green Building Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community of leaders working to make green buildings available to everyone within a generation.

http://www.dftw.org/

DFTW Foundation is a nonprofit, 501©(3) tax status organization that provides the training, tools and methods for constructing superior shelters and complete community systems, both urban and rural, for the world’s most needy. Monolithic EcoShells and Monolithic Domes are at the heart of those methods.

http://www.desis-network.org/

DESIS is a network of schools of design and other schools, institutions, companies and non-profit organizations interested in promoting and supporting design for social innovation and sustainability.

http://www.nrdc.org/buildinggreen/leed.asp

In the United States and in a number of other countries around the world, LEED certification is the recognized standard for measuring building sustainability. Achieving LEED certification is the best way for you to demonstrate that your building project is truly "green."

http://clodagh.com/about/vision.php

To enhance life and spirit through timeless, responsible design... total design.

Based on the 4C’s of design, total design aims to contemplate the space, cleanse it of unnecessary items while clarifying all goals, needs and desires thereby creating a space that is unique and timeless. Total design is about serenity and simplicity, open spaces and clean contemporary lines.

“a space cannot be truly beautiful unless it functions in harmony with who we are... it’s about pleasure: discovering what pleases us and creating an environment that will celebrate those qualities and sustain us”. Clodagh