Imagine using your education and passion to breathe new life into a neighborhood in need.

The Enterprise Bart Harvey Fellowship − named for former Enterprise CEO Bart Harvey, who drew inspiration from Enterprise co-founders Jim & Patty Rouse − helps fellows use their talents to make real, practical change in low-income communities. By working with Enterprise’s executive leadership, fellows cultivate relationships, develop leadership skills and learn how to effectively manage an organization while navigating the challenges of affordable housing and community development finance. The Enterprise Bart Harvey Fellowship can transform a drive to serve into a meaningful career.

Apply online. Applications are due June 17.

Watch Eric Cesal and Schendy Kernizan on a typical day on site at a large refugee camp on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince.

Video produced by Architectural Record as part of their Rebuilding Haiti series

Schendy Kernizan (pronounced "skendee") is a Design Fellow with Architecture for Humanity Haiti team. He works alongside Eric Cesal to assess and remediate the recent destruction.

Schendy was born in Newark, NJ and went to high school in Haiti at the Union School. He later received a degree in Architecture at Philadelphia University (Pennsylvania), graduating in 2008.

Schendy became interested in Architecture for Humanity and our projects when he learned about their collaboration with Yele. He reached out and before long his work was raising eyebrows at Headquarters. After the earthquake, Schendy was recruited to help Eric Cesal in Port-au-Prince. Now he works on anything and everything–drawing floorplans, assisting meetings, building clinic platforms and conducting research as an all-star Jack-of-all-trades.

Architecture for Humanity
Diana Bianchini
310.288.0077
press@architectureforhumanity.org

Joint Design Fellowship will support sustainable reconstruction efforts in Haiti

For immediate release
June 2, 2010 (Washington, DC) - The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) have announced their support for an Architecture for Humanity Sustainable Design Fellow, who will help play a critical role in rebuilding the infrastructure in Haiti that was demolished in the devastating earthquake. The qualified design professional selected will make a two-year commitment to work directly with community members on the ground in Architecture for Humanity’s Rebuilding Center based in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

“As the dust begins to settle, Haiti is faced with critical need for new and structurally sound homes, schools, hospitals and infrastructure,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, USGBC. “The Sustainable Design Fellowship will equip a seasoned green building design professional with the tools he or she will need to help Architecture for Humanity in its rebuilding of sustainable communities in Haiti.”

As our projects develop past the schematic design phase, the complicated shipping issues become more and more real. The AfH team is researching best options for shipping. The import process through Haiti's ports is extremely complex and difficult to navigate, that's why organizations, like the UN Logistics Cluster, have initiated a large effort to facilitate transportation through Haiti's various ports. We can also look to the UN Logistics Cluster to find information about free and safe local transportation for humanitarian services.

(For more information about what the Logistics Cluster is doing, visit: Logistics Cluster: Operation Haiti: Sea + River Transport Documents.)

In late January 40 young musicians came together and played to a sold out crowd in downtown Mill Valley and raised over $11,000 for Doctors without Borders.

The second concert will be May 30 in the plaza in downtown Mill Valley. Ten groups comprised of youth street musicians will play around town, and approximately 15 bands will play in the plaza.

Youth Rock is partnering with Architecture for Humanity with a goal to raise enough funds to build a school/community center/shelter. The Bezos Family Foundation has offered matching grants up to $2500 for each youth group or band that raises money through Students Rebuild.

If you are in Northern California this weekend, take a trip to Marin and cheer on the rock stars of tomorrow.

The AfH Haiti team is conducting soils testing at a new school campus site in Port-au-Prince. We've brought in a French team of soils experts who are taking core samples at the site. The tripod helps drive a 10-20' pile into the earth, which, when pulled out preserves the order of layers of soil students will soon be standing over. This core sample is taken to a makeshift soils lab where core samples from several places around the site are reviewed.

The soil consistency determines how deep foundations must go to support the school buildings. It will also determine how large the buildings can be, although that is less of a concern when all new schools in Haiti are required to have two or fewer stories.

Original article on Students Rebuild

Congratulations to former Design Fellow Susi Jane Platt (2005-2007), UN Habitat and the Pinsara Federation of Community Development Councils whose project, The Yodakandiya Community Complex* in Sri Lanka, is one of nineteen buildings been short-listed for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, one of the highest honors in the architectural world.