Design and Hope in Arch 114

Shelter | Written by Lee Schneider

Hope comes designed in amazing packages. I experienced a little of that hope this morning at USC, where I was giving a talk about Shelter on the theme of ‘designing for a culture.’ The freshmen architecture students liked the Shelter clips I played. Nobody napped during the talk. (Hey, students can be a tough crowd.)  I focused on two questions:  Why does design matter?  And also, when you design, who is really your client?  

After filming in Haiti this summer, a conceptual driver for the film took shape.

Designing for good might begin as a lofty principle, but on the ground and in country, it’s really about designing for a culture.

As we film Shelter around the world, I am seeing how architects, engineers and designers who listen to their clients and take time to connect with the culture they’re working in  – these are the people who do successful projects.  Those who are willing to adopt a visionary approach to the importance of design – these are the folks who prosper.Design matters. An example?  Steve Jobs.  Apple. When I asked the crowd of nearly 200 who had anything made by Apple, all hands went up. Apple has not only designed for a culture, Steve Jobs also created a culture.

To show how an architect or designer’s connection with clients can lead to unexpected alliances, I screened a piece of short media about EDAR, a portable structure in use in cities like Los Angeles and Phoenix, and also a short film Richard Neill and I made for the Architecture and the City Festival.

My favorite part of the morning came as some students were being honored for their creativity and achievement. The video projects they created captured the exuberance and freshness you can find in an architecture class.  Have a look at one of my favorites:

Many thanks to Lauren Matchison and Kara Bartelt, who invited me to speak at Architecture 114 – Architecture:  Culture and Community.

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