Designing a Better World
As our global problems increase, the role of architecture, planning and design is becoming more and more important for humanity to have a better future. After all, architects have cured some epidemics in the recent past!
The International Union of Architects (UIA), which represents around 1.3 million architects around the world, has set a meaningful theme for this year's World Architects Day (October 3) and made a reminder: Design has a vital role to play in reducing human suffering, easing the burden on the planet and improving the quality of life.
This year's UIA theme "Design a Better World" finds examples in history. During the tuberculosis epidemic in 1882, after World War I and during the Spanish flu epidemic in 1918, doctors knew the culprit bacteria but did not have the medicines to deal with the disease. Basically, together with the architects of the time, they waged war against disease by design, achieving successes whose effects have lasted to this day. The sanatoriums, the first modern buildings built specifically for tuberculosis and other chronic diseases with a focus on health (airy, bright, open) and cleanliness (easy to clean), had a profound impact on modern architecture and furnishing. The rules that applied in hospitals soon reached homes. Heavy drapes and curtains, thick carpets, old ornate furniture, which were nests for dust and germs, were replaced by their easy-to-clean, modern counterparts.
How architects can design a better world will be discussed at Habitat III in Quito in October and COP 22 in Marrakech in November. Understanding how the architects of the 21st century can influence the next generations and the challenges of our time is only possible by reviewing and analyzing our design needs.
