All this month we've been asking "What do you see?" Now we're giving the visions of some of the top architects from around the world—to you.

Donate to Architecture for Humanity and you could receive beautiful works from signature architects including Frank Gehry, Daniel Libeskind, Steven Holl, Richard Meier & Partners, Renzo Piano and more.

This year we repeat our homage to public interest design in holiday song format, highlighting 12 great moments of humanity and architecture, for 12 days. Enjoy!

Seven weeks have passed since Hurricane Sandy struck the East Coast, and Architecture for Humanity's Reconstruction and Resiliency team is on the ground planning for long-term reconstruction by talking to community members, assessing damages and meeting with town officials. The Hurricane Sandy Reconstruction Program is dedicated to helping communities by assisting families and community leaders navigate the reconstruction process. Together we can change lives!

Ed Kloskowski is not a designer or an architect. But upon seeing his native New Jersey struggling in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, he took it upon himself to do what he does in the name of awareness for recovery: Ed ran. Ed ran the length of New Jersey, 220 miles from November 16-21 CARRYING A FLAG, meeting community members and raising nearly $10,000 online and for Sandy recovery. We appreciate his support as we launch our New Jersey and New York programs for long-term sustainable reconstruction.

MAKOTO Business Seminar
Business development seminars in Ishinomaki.

Dates: November 23, December 7, December 14, December 21, January 11, January 25, and February 1 from 18:00~19:30

Place: Architecture for Humanity Ishinomaki Office

Instructor: Tomorhiro Takei, MAKOTO

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake occurring off the Tohoku coast rocked the recovering area at 17:18 on Friday 12/7/2012 (Japan time). All Architecture for Humanity personnel and clients on the ground are accounted for. According to Yomiuri Newspaper, 11 people got injured, and one missing.

The tsunami warning in Miyagi prefecture is still effective at this time. Some tsunamis have been reported ranging from 20-100cm. Several smaller aftershocks were recorded as well.

Our team is visiting the coastal village of Maeami tomorrow, and will report back further on impacts after their visit.

Today, the master of Brazilian Architecture Oscar Niemeyer passed away at 104. Niemeyer, a truly visionary architect, shaped the global design world for nearly a century. We send our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. Know that he has nurtured generations of architects and improved the livelihoods of untold thousands. Niemeyer always repeated that life is more important than architecture… but he never stopped designing. He was one who truly loved architecture and will forever be an inspiration to us all.

Niemeyer leaves us with his words: "We have to dream. If we don’t dream, life just doesn’t happen."

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Morreu hoje aos 104 anos de idade Oscar Niemeyer, mestre da arquitetura moderna brasileira. Um verdadeiro visionário, Niemeyer ajudou a definir os parâmetros do design e da arquitetura contemporânea por quase um século. Mandamos as nossas mais sinceras condolências à sua família e amigos. Niemeyer é fonte de eterna inspiração para as novas gerações de arquitetos, e através de seu legado ajudou a melhorar a vida de inúmeras pessoas. Não cansava de repetir que a vida é mais importante que a arquitetura... no entanto, nunca parou de projetar. Melhor pra nós.

"A gente tem é que sonhar, senão as coisas não acontecem". Nós, aqui na Architecture for Humanity, fazemos nossas as suas palavras.

"The median age in Ghana is 21; 40% of the country is under 15." The Mmofra Foundation can readily count off the reasons why creating urban play spaces is so important. The country is rapidly urbanizing, and there are no public spaces for children outside of school grounds. There is no culture of public green space utilization in Accra – whose metropolitan area is home to 2 million people.

"As a result, children create their own play spaces, often in unsafe or unsuitable environments," Mmofra states. What's more, Ghana's education system is based on rote-memorization, leaving "few opportunities for imagination and creativity."

Mmofra's aim is no smaller than changing the paradigm of public space in Ghana.

Last summer the organization invited local and international experts to convene in Accra and charrette a park for the Dzorwulu neighborhood that would become a foundation for recreational reform. Two of our veteran design fellows joined the discussion.

(from the desktop of Cameron Sinclair)

Those who have visited our site or been on facebook will know we are one of 25 finalists in the American Giving Awards in the running for $1M of funding.

In order to be eligible for prize money we have to win our category (community builder) and have less than 36 hours to go. I am asking if you could take a few moments out of your day today to help us.

Why: http://architectureforhumanity.org/americangivingawards
Vote: http://apps.facebook.com/americangivingawards/charity/view/id/22
Share: Update your facebook or twitter status or email 10 friends to get involved.
Donate: Too busy to vote? Just donate and support our work directly. http://architectureforhumanity.org/donate