Architecture Community Struggles To Find Its Place In Rebuilding Effort

"The architecture community has rallied for victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and in some ways its sympathy is easily quantified: As of mid-October, more than $100,000 had been pledged to the organization Architecture for Humanity (AFH), and the AIA website had registered offers of pro bono services from more than 600 architects.

But the difference between offering to do the work and getting to do it can be frustrating. Many architects perceive the disasters as opportunities to implement good design principles throughout the Gulf Coast. However, several developments taking shape suggest that design professionals are being excluded from initial relief and planning efforts."