Abstract
This paper investigates aasset‐based aarchitecture design practiices through an analysis of three architectural interventionss case study across vulnerable communities in differeent locations. Departing from deficit‐ddriven modelss of aid and ree construction, these projeccts illustrate hhow local asseets can be leveraged to drive empowwering, inclussive and culturally embedded sustainaable develop mment. The study draws on asset‐baseed design obsservations witth cases of Gaando Primary School (Burkina Faso), Itathao Tribee Community Rebuild (Taiwwan) and Zhoou Shan Village House of Dreams (Chiina). Each project is anaalysed throughh the lens of ttangible (builtt, natural, financial) and intaangible (sociaal, human, political, cultuural) capital cconditions andd outcomes. TThe findings highlight how ssimple, local, and cost‐ effective dessign strategiees, when aliggned with booth human aand non‐humman actors, ccan uplift communities,, preserve traaditions, and sstimulate groowth in post‐ddisaster or rurral contexts. TThe study adds to the “Design Practices & Imppacts” discourse by pre seen ting an assset‐based architectural framework tthat prioritizees co‐creationn, local capaacity, and cuultural empowwerment. It redefines architecture not just as a physical outccome, but as a means of enabling collecctive action, rresilience, and lasting transformationn in marginalizzed com munit ties.
Keywords
Assset‐based deesign; Architecctural interveention; Commuunity empoweerment
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.1172
Citation
Chan, H.,and Hasdell, P.(2025) Empowering through design: Fact-based architectural practices for vulnerable communities, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.1172
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 10 - Design Practices & Impacts
Empowering through design: Fact-based architectural practices for vulnerable communities
This paper investigates aasset‐based aarchitecture design practiices through an analysis of three architectural interventionss case study across vulnerable communities in differeent locations. Departing from deficit‐ddriven modelss of aid and ree construction, these projeccts illustrate hhow local asseets can be leveraged to drive empowwering, inclussive and culturally embedded sustainaable develop mment. The study draws on asset‐baseed design obsservations witth cases of Gaando Primary School (Burkina Faso), Itathao Tribee Community Rebuild (Taiwwan) and Zhoou Shan Village House of Dreams (Chiina). Each project is anaalysed throughh the lens of ttangible (builtt, natural, financial) and intaangible (sociaal, human, political, cultuural) capital cconditions andd outcomes. TThe findings highlight how ssimple, local, and cost‐ effective dessign strategiees, when aliggned with booth human aand non‐humman actors, ccan uplift communities,, preserve traaditions, and sstimulate groowth in post‐ddisaster or rurral contexts. TThe study adds to the “Design Practices & Imppacts” discourse by pre seen ting an assset‐based architectural framework tthat prioritizees co‐creationn, local capaacity, and cuultural empowwerment. It redefines architecture not just as a physical outccome, but as a means of enabling collecctive action, rresilience, and lasting transformationn in marginalizzed com munit ties.