Architects have struggled to be relevant in providing assistance for humanitarian disasters and crisis situations. On the one hand, architectural ideas and competitions are criticized for being fanciful and even unhelpful in the face of disaster. On the other hand a direct intervention can produce mundane and inappropriate results. With the frequency and ferocity of disasters likely to rise, and social inequity increasing globally, there should be a means by which architects can contribute to coordinated efforts to rebuild communities. But while there are increasing examples of architects working in this area and there is growing knowledge and experiences, there are no established practice pathways into it.

This forum will bring together a panel of three Australian organisations (Architects Without Frontiers, Emergency Architects Australia and Healthabitat) that have developed successful, but different models of action. It will offer the opportunity to discuss how architecture has been successful, the modes of practice employed to achieve this, and the pitfalls encountered en route. Can architects help communities rebuild their lives in the wake of such devastation, and is there even a place for architects in these situations?

Speakers will include: Paul Pholeros, Guy Luscombe and Esther Charlesworth.
http://www.architecture.com.au/extraordinary/session.html