My brother had just returned to Katrina-ravaged New Orleans to finish his undergrad degree and I had been considering visiting him and volunteering with Habitat for Humanity when my parents offered to cover airfare with frequent flier miles. I pounced on the opportunity, packed my bags, and joined the volunteer workforce repairing the broken city, taking one of my closest friends along with me.

Although I had only visited the city as a tourist, I felt a loyalty to New Orleans, if only because of my fond memories of belly-swelling, pecan-encrusted catfish, sunny Sunday mornings window shopping on Royal Street, and a quick order of beignets and chicory coffee at Café Du Monde. I wanted to give something in return to what Sherwood Anderson called “the most civilized place … in America.” I knew that many others were going to New Orleans and that I could only do so much in nine days. However, it takes many people willing to contribute whatever small amount they can to collectively make a difference. New Orleans, like Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire, had come to “depend on the kindness of strangers.”

I started reminiscing about my experience in New Orleans as I was trying to understand why so many of us contribute significant amounts of time and effort to help make our communities and our world a better place. This year’s AIA Convention theme, ‘We the People’, considers these same questions. What can we as architects contribute to help those less fortunate in our communities? How can the environments we create aid society as a whole? What are the implications of our contributions on broader issues such as repairing a damaged city like New Orleans or restoring a damaged environment through sustainable design? What small steps can we make in our own communities that will make a difference either for one individual or a city-at-large?

The three featured articles this month focus on the ideas behind ‘We the People’, highlighting programs dedicated specifically to using architecture as a means to help those who are less fortunate. Katie Swenson, Director of the Rose Fellowship, describes the Intersection of Architecture, Design and Community Development and the Rose Fellowship’s drive to utilize high-quality, affordable, and sustainable architectural design to create stronger communities for low-income families. We also interview Katie to learn more about her decisions to follow a less traditional career path so that she could better support a national need for quality low-income housing. In the same vein, we also hear from Evelyn Lee, an Associate AIA member, who also left the more traditional career path to work for Public Architecture’s 1% Program, a program directed towards pro-bono work from architects asking only 1% of their time to contribute towards the public good.

Christina Noble, Associate AIA, Editor

Chris Grossnicklaus, Associate AIA, Assistant Editor