The Women in Design Symposium at the 2016 ArchitectureBoston Expo (ABx) will explore the impact of public interest design on the evolving building industry. As designers, we shape our built environment by providing spaces for living, learning, working, and playing. While we collaborate with our clients to achieve their vision, we also assess the impacts and opportunities of their projects in the greater civic realm. With an ever-growing focus on public-interest design, practitioners engage in human-centric projects that address social, economic, and cultural dynamics as critical factors to the design inquiry and to the project’s success. While there are numerous examples a practitioner can look to for inspiration, the process remains enigmatic. How does one define “public-interest”? Is it a typology of architecture, a business model, or a funding strategy? What players are necessary to assess the socio-economic needs of a community and navigate the politics of the process? What do public-interest methodologies offer professionals working within the private realm? As this sector expands, it broadens the impact and expands our opportunities to make critical contributions to our built environment.
