Architecture plays a pivotal role in the way towns, cities, and countries develop, evolve, and inspire its inhabitants. We cannot deny that buildings shape us, they modify and even determine our mood, our personalities, and without these structures, life simply wouldn’t be the same. In order to celebrate the importance of architecture, and so that its main goals can be remembered, the International Union of Architects (UIA) celebrates the World Architecture Day on the first Monday of October.
There are many issues that, especially during the last decade, have become the main concern of every professional in the industry. These include climate change, equity in practice, sustainable designs, alternative materials, universal access, and many others that we have mentioned in previous posts. The UIA always chooses one of these issues as the theme of World Architecture Day in an attempt to raise awareness and highlight all the different projects and firms that aim at tackling each and every one of these situations. This year’s theme is “Architecture… Housing for all”, and it mainly focuses on the human side of architecture.
As we have discussed on more than one occasion, finding the balance between affordable housing, sustainable design, and eco-friendly alternatives are one of the biggest challenges that the industry faces currently. Yet, there are many firms and projects out there that are finding very innovative solutions to these problems. At its core, this is the main purpose of the UIA when boosting World Architecture Day: to recognize the efforts that are already going into this matter and to inspire others to take action and be part of the change that this industry so desperately needs, and so do we.
The UIA website states that this year’s theme for World Architecture Day came up as a way to remind professionals in the industry that it is essential for us “to make cities and human settlements safe, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable. It is with this idea in mind that this year’s theme came into being”. Also, UIA’s President Thomas Vonier stated that the theme “is not just a tagline; it is a duty, a demand, and a commitment.”
As part of World Architecture Day and the celebrations and events that surround it, the UIA wants everyone, not just professionals or students, to help them bring more visibility into this matter. In order to do so, they are asking readers around the globe to share their favorite housing projects. They will select the best responses and publish a list of their favorites. This should help spark a conversation in social media, and hopefully take it to real life, too.
