“Smart and Mini Architecture for Local communities and Low income,” or SMALL Architecture, was founded by architect, Li Ye, and is the Beijing chapter of Architecture for Humanity. Barely a year old, SMALL have undertaken a number of socially-led projects to offer design as a service to the often forgotten local Chinese communities. We met with Li Ye this month to discover more about the organization and working as an NGO in China.

Notes on Design: Can you tell us about SMALL Architecture. When was it founded and why?

Li Ye: SMALL was formally founded in July 2009. We provide an architectural service to those who require non-commercial work, and our clients are usually local communities who do not have much money (i.e. low income). In this context, we consider design as a social service.

The concept for SMALL was actually formulated in the summer of 2008 when I was ready to graduate from Tsinghua University’s School of Architecture. Most of my classmates chose paths like real estate or architectural firms for quick money or fame, but I felt I wanted to do something different. I took a break between university and “starting a career”, and tried to do something non-profit; I wanted to see what I would learn this way.

Fortunately, I found my partner, Xiao Zhen, who works in real estate. Also in our team are Hao Xue (law background), Rong Xiao and Huang Zheng (architecture) and Zara Arshad (design). We are currently focusing on small projects to fulfill SMALL’s vision.

Tulou Housing project, Fujian province.

Notes on Design: What is your relationship to Architecture for Humanity (AfH)?

Li Ye: SMALL was registered as AfH’s financially independent Beijing chapter. Chinese regulation, however, enforces very strict control over border cash flow. If you operate as a branch of a foreign firm or NGO, you cannot accept local donations or investment. This severely limits our work, so we decided to run the financial aspect of our organization independently. Our aim, however, definitely remains the same as AfH – bringing design services to communities in need. Read the rest of this entry »

Halldór Gíslason, known by most as Dori, is a project leader and teacher in the Faculty of Design at KHiO, Oslo’s National Academy of the Arts, Norway. With an extensive career in Architecture and teaching, Dori is currently located in Maputo, on a special mission to support both the establishment of the first higher education academy of art and design in the country, the Institute Superiore de Artes e Cultura [ISAC], and a number of social design action projects, both directed at innovation, entrepreneurship, design and gender equality. We spoke to Dori this week as he lands back in Maputo again.

Notes on Design: Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Dori: I am an Architect originally, but have worked for design in various forms over the years. I was a senior lecturer in Architecture in the UK during the Nineties, moved to Iceland to become the first dean and establish the first Faculty of Design and Architecture at the Iceland Academy of the Arts 10 years ago and then moved to take over as the Dean of the Faculty of Design in Oslo National Academy of the Arts in Norway, where I worked until a year ago. I also worked in the Norsk Form design centre – a Foundation for Design and Architecture in Norway – focusing on projects directed at making the everyday simpler, easier and more beautiful. There is an active institution working there named Design Without Borders that I’ve worked with, they run a number of international development projects.

Notes on Design: Where and how did your career start?

Dori: In the beginning I worked as an architect and design consultant in Iceland after education in UK and Italy. I ran an architectural practice and still do – designing various buildings, private houses, companies etc. It was and still is enjoyable, but Iceland is not very big, so I had to move abroad again to enjoy bigger and broader stimulus and dialogue about design, and its function in society.

Notes on Design: Why did you choose a teaching career?

Dori: Because of the stimulation of the dialogue that you have in education, there is more time for research and experimentation than when one is busy with every day practice. Students do fantastic work in their projects and stimulate new ideas and possibilities for design and architecture. Education continually opens up new avenues Read the rest of this entry »