We're gearing up for the 3rd annual Design Like You Give a Damn: LIVE! and we hope you can join us. The practitioners' forum of innovative panel discussions and workshops will take place on November 12-13, 2012 in San Francisco. This year's event promises to provide the best programming yet and will qualify AIA members for six learning unit hours.

The two-day event brings together designers, architects, real estate professionals, manufacturers, academics, philanthropists, media and business leaders to address the challenges and lessons learned in humanitarian design. Panel topics address cutting-edge topics relevant to the field and workshops allow participants to gain hands-on knowledge from expert panelists.

The spring finally arrived in Tohoku, and we're ready to resume the phase two of the Akahama Covered Alley project.

Finally, after long months of tendering and negotiations, construction has started at our project site in QwaQwa! The QwaQwa Football for Hope Center, is getting its foundations built right now and should be completed in early September.

Architecture for Humanity Board Member and Technology Chair Representative, Scott Mattoon, shared the structure and function of the board, and ideas for further strengthening the connection between the Architecture for Humanity staff and the Board of Directors at last week's Design Open Mic.

During Architecture for Humanity's weekly Design Open Mic (April 18, 2012), Peter Cohen, from the Council of Community Housing Organizations, poses questions related to development, growth, and design. Peter presents that green development projects and smart growth development policy should have socially equitable benefits. The Council of Community Housing Organizations ask the question in their work: who benefits from the plans and policies and investments that drive green projects and smart growth development, and who potentially is negatively impacted or excluded from those benefits?

We have two weeks to sell our shirts.

The I Love Architecture t-shirt by SelflessTee will be on the market for two weeks, from May 7 - 21, 2012. Selfless at built a campaign to land us a donation for every tee ordered in this window.

We're sure you've all been waiting with bated breath for the answers to April's Sketchy Scramble.

Six months after the first registrants decided to enter the Open Architecture Challenge: [Un]Restricted Access and partner together to design post-military environments, registration has now closed and the military bases are all looking forward for their rejuvenation treatment.

Tomorrow is the official launch of Design Like You Give A Damn [2]: Building Change From The Ground Up.

The Architecture for Humanity team has assembled an indispensable handbook for anyone committed to building a more sustainable future. With more than 100 projects from around the world, it is packed with practical and ingenious design solutions, addressing the need for basic shelter, housing, education, health care, clean water, and renewable energy.