What
is a 'Community Architect'?:
Perception and Perspectives
Somsook
Boonyabancha, Director of CODI
" When I was a young architect, I've work with many social activists
who were concerned with the discourse of individual rights. The dispute
between land owner's rights and the squatters' rights was a classic example.
It was an unending conflict. People could kill one another to secure their
'rights'. Architects could help resolve such conflict by going beyond
the discourse of 'rights' and actually present a tangible detail 'plan'
...."
>> more
Apichai
Kaptong , Director of Design and Construction (CODI)
" We've trained people - in every provinces and throughout the nation
- to be their own builders. We started by teaching people how to read
plans, how to select materials, how to do cost estimation, construction
managment, time, and budget management...." >>
more
Sakarin
Pu, Architect & Faculty at Mahasarakham University
" Making physical improvements to your house is like changing your
clothes...you don't think differently in new clothes; you just look different.
As architects, we should concentrate less on getting the houses done,
and more on gettting people to organized into groups. Once we have strong
working groups, the people would find ways to get things done themselves.
>>
more
Virat Trampongphan , Architect & Director of Community Projects
(Ashram of Community & Environmental Architects Ltd.)
" The notion of having a community is a constructed perception. Today,
just because people are living together doesn't mean that they see themselves
as a 'community'. To have a community, you must build it..." >>
more
The
Students Speak
(Ashram of Community & Environmental Architects)
" Traditionally, the architect is an elite profession with strong
ties to the ruling class. No people in their right mind would spend long
years of training so that they could be at the service of the poor. But
we're doing just that!"