Recently, I've noticed what a difference it makes to know even a little bit about a topic. There are so many things to know about in this world, things you can research and delve into - and one person can't possibly know it all. But if you know just a little bit about something, it becomes much easier to connect with people who know a lot and have deeper conversations with them and learn things. My goal with this post is to give you a bare-bones education on Cameroon - its hi

Africa is a huge continent, made up of over 54 countries. The landscape ranges from desert to beach to jungle to savanna to subarctic mountain, and everything in between. As such, it should go without saying that Africa is an incredibly diverse continent, both in terms of landscape and culture. Despite that fact, many people often get the same images in their heads when they think "Africa": -Safari animals -Mud huts -Tribal music/ drumming -Corrupt, violent governments These

Charities are widely known for doing good in the world. However, there are a number of people who don’t believe in donating to charities. Why would they feel this way? First off, it’s important to understand the difference between a charity and a nonprofit. I had always pictured the two terms as meaning the same thing, but was surprised to find that the National Hockey League and PGA Tour are both technically nonprofits. According to Charity Central, a charity “must be establ

Participatory design is very hot in humanitarian architecture right now and it seems every project is boasting about their collaborative approach, but why has it all of a sudden become so popular? Participatory design is an approach to the design process which actively incorporates all individuals involved in the final structure. This means that designers and architects are now working with teachers, students, and communities to design schools, and working with doctors, nurse

Get ready for a very heartfelt and honest blog post. Design Cause is my baby and the thing I care most about in my life right now, but I would be willing to bet most people don't know that. This is because I never talk about it. I spend at least 75% of my day thinking about our first project in Cameroon; how the money can be raised, how to involve more people, how to get people excited about it, and how to further that into more projects so we can help more people, but I hard

It has been three months, almost to the day, since Design Cause was born. In that time we have done a lot of work to realize the goals of the organization and things have been going well. Earlier this week we reached our first fundraising goal of $5,000! Although this amount is less than 7% of our total goal of $75,000 it is a big step in the right direction. Being able to reach this small mile stone tells us that other people are interested in, not only our inaugural project

Unless this is your first visit to our blog you probably know by now that Design Cause believes that architecture has a greater role in society than just creating beautiful buildings. Architecture has the power to solve real problems and impact how people go about their daily lives. When dealing with developing countries and limited resources there are two main considerations that need to be well thought out in order for the design to be truly impactful; how the building resp

Artichoke Light Fixture, by Danish Designer Poul Henningson, is admired because of its ability to diffuse light through a space rather that emit direct harsh light. The fixture is able to achieve this because of its unique shape and layered panels. Design influences everyone. We encounter objects and spaces every second of our lives that were designed to function so effortlessly that the true design behind them goes unnoticed. Take a spoon for example, have you ever thought o

If a poor community needs a school why do so much research and put so much effort into creating a new design? They just need a building, something with four walls and a roof. This is a very common misconception; people who don't have anything just need the basics, nothing more. It misses the true mission of humanitarian work - giving people and communities the tools to improve their lives. ​ Many charitable organizations and well intended people have fallen into this ideology

Design Cause Inc. has been in the making for over two years. When I first started working with the community in Cameroon it was because I wanted to see how my education in architecture could really make a positive impact on the world. I was tired of hearing how the 'right design' of an expensive office building or high end residential home was making the world a better place. What I have learned during this process is that architecture and design holds a special place in a co