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Atlanta Expanding Architecture Conversations on Design as Activism Part III from Metropolis magazine on Vimeo.

Designers! You have the potential to benefit many more people than you currently reach. No, this is not a call for pro-bono work. Instead, we challenge you to play a direct role in solving critical social and environmental problems–and to incorporate this outreach into your practice to serve an ever-growing client base with real needs.

On January 22nd Metropolis magazine’s editor in chief Susan S. Szenasy, featured writers from the new Metropolis Books title Expanding Architecture: Design Activism, and designers developers, educators, manufactures, and policy makers took the conversation to Atlanta.

Panelists included Bryan Bell, Founder and Executive Director of Design Corps;David Green, AIA, Associate Partner, Perkins+Will; Faset J. (Bill) Seay, AIA, architect and planner; Steve Badanes, Assoc. AIA, founder of Jersey Devil and teacher; Brett Kincaid, director of design, Steelcase North America, and Erik Mehlman, AIA Principle, STUDIO B Architecture, PC.

Respondents included Valencia Coar, Ryan Gravel, and Chris Sciarrone.

Sponsored By Steelcase

MTFY attended the Atlanta leg of the Expanding Architecture: Conversations on Design as Activism tour hosted by Metropolis Magazine and Steelcase.

The panel included local and nationally recognized industry professionals; specifically Steve Badanes, Bryan Bell, Brett Kincaid, Bill Seay, Erik Van Mehlman. The panelists profiles their full bios on the Metropolis Magazine’s website here. The audience included local professional architects, industrial designers, interior designers, builders, students and local activists alike. The variety attendents and contributors brought forth discussion not only on the broader problems that face the world at large, but also the issue that are right outside our front door.

Bryan Bell, the editor of the newly released book ,  Expanding Architecture: Design as Activism, starts the discussion with his introduction of the topics and over view of the case studies presented in the book. His examples include

The concept of [Design as Activism] is expanding all design professions. It is to move from our current limited role and realize our greater potential. We need to change our vision of ourselves first, and in the goals we set for ourselves. Then, we can change the public perception of what we can contribute to the greater good.

Creating opportunities for expansion of contribution to the community through the new administration.

Using the new economy to  use unused development cycles to enhance community through design efforts.

Modernism – reaching out to a larger group of people and understanding the people that you are designing for as opposed to the ‘star’ architects that develop today.
Full video coverage of the conversation can be seen below or on the Metropolis Magazine website or directly on their vimeo page

Let’s go ahead and continue this conversation on Design as Activism right here on MTFY.

The person who contributes the most to the dialog in the comments below and demonstrates how they are making a difference everyday will get a copy of the new book Expanding Architecture: Design as Activism.

Also, be sure to check out the rest of the panel tour:

The person who is able to demonstrate how they are making a difference everyday will get a copy of the new book Expanding Architecture: Design as Activism. Please leave a comment below to let us know what you are doing to make a difference.