Design for Living

I feel designers should travel to the underdeveloped and globalizing places of the world where they can contribute a whole lot to improve the living standards of the local disadvantaged people.
One of the non-profit organizations which has taken this initiative is "Habitat for Humanity". The volunteers build simple and low-priced homes for families around the world. Design plays a very important role here; simple and affordable living needs to be carefully designed in order to maximize the space available to provide housing for a large family. In addition to housing, schools and hospitals in these underdeveloped areas also require careful planning. Moreover, there are other dimensions such as the drainage system, water pipe system and communication connections that can be undertaken by a designer or an urban planner.
Housing is the main concern as there are so many people homeless, or living in overcrowded and inadequate spaces as the world is experiencing global housing crisis. Mexico City for example is facing this crisis as it is very populous, full of poverty and corruption. Thousands of people have been left without shelter and those who live in low income houses are overcrowded and compete for water, electricity and other resources.
Therefore there is an urgent need of urban planning and designers and architects need to resolve this issue by proposing ideal design models for a more beautiful and ecological environment with a more organized structure. Incorporating the natural resources in houses to produce an urban environment that is sustainable in the future is of great importance. Hence, it is the duty of us designers to take on these major challenges to protect the environment and to promote a sustainable environment in the long term.

-- Post by Radha Kapoor