Architects don't do a lot of pro bono work for community groups in Australia, and few would consider it an integral part of their practice. People cite concerns about liability, loose scopes of work, uncertain time farmes, not to mention office profitability. Yet the legal and medical professions have been involved in pro bono work for decades.
Seeking a way to increase the importance of Pro Bono to built environment professionals, Architects For Peace* last night launched a referral service to match requests for assistance from non-profit organisations with a list of suitable member architects. Contracts and forms of agreement have been developed with Clayton Utz lawyers (working pro bono).
The service is modelled on local groups like the Public Interest Law Clearing House (
http://www.pilch.org.au/ ) and the American organisation Public Architecture (
http://www.publicarchitecture.org/ ).
An assessment panel has been formed in Melbourne and will be actively promoting the service to the architectural profession in the coming months. Initial projects include the reinvention of a carpark at the Collingwood Housing Estate, and a community centre in Bacau, East Timor.
PRO BONO SERVICE
* I am a member of Arch-Peace and have been involved in the pro bono service set up.
Comments
Isn't that a fancy name for working unpaid overtime?
A friend and I were keen to contribute at the start of this year. I think the project was an artist's shelter.
Thanks!
http://architectsforpeace.org/abri/index.php?option=com_contact&Itemid=3
That some architects see thier work as valuable enough to offer free to the disadvantaged is wonderful. You will probably find a lot of artists will greet you at the site visits. In fact wanting to do more valuable work for the disadvantaged, as an artist, is the primary reason I chose to start being an architect, That and climate change.
FAREstudio
WAF Health category
How they managed to send an architect to work on site for a year for free is not clear. In my limited expperience in Pro Bono work, in these sorts of projects the design phase is done Pro Bono and this extends into assisting the community group to secure funding from an aid organisation or government. After that, the architect is paid if they are retained.
Grocon's presentation at Arch-Peace's Words@Bld50 night in September illustrated another method. This developer-led attempt to build atower for the homeless in Melbourne's Flemington Road required all participants to work on the project without profit. From the sparky to the architect. It probably helps to be a Grollo when asking people to do this. The 25% (!) reduction in project cost meant that the client (HomeGround and Yarra Community Services) could approach the government for funding, having already 'raised' the required 25% of building cost.
WORDS SEPTEMBER
HomeGround press release May 08
charging hourly rates. for time - sounds good for everyone.
risk - liability (loss) is also eliminated along with profit.
when lawyers work pro bono - it means just that.
on top of that it has huge potential to be a cash flow gravy train for all involved.
maybe the hairdresser has been cutting too much dirty hair.
- and of course anyone who criticises it is a bastard?
methods for the deilivery of infrastructure, buildings and services is an interesting topic but i don't think it has much to do with architecture - look at the building, wots good about about it? does a social programme and discounted charitable intentions redeme a building? probably not but i guess some dogs r ok.
Then, when I was sent in Burkina to supervise the construction works as a consultant, of course I was given a rembousement for the expenses from the NGO, given that I spent there 18 months. FAREstudio, of whom I am just one member, kept supporting me with technical help and various site visits for free.
Erika Trabucco
FAREstudio
Here's the entire FARE project at archdaily: LINK
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It seems every architect and his dog has been working pro bono in some capacity in the victorian bushfire areas, alongside paid up consultants in allied disciplines. Why are we so nice?
To anyone involved, how is it going?
I've been personally involved in a project, and will try to sum up once the dust has settled. Anonymous posters shouldn't have to wait so long.
Maybe start by answering this common question: if the fee has no value, is the service valued?