Esther Charlesworth is the Founding Director of Architects without Frontiers (Australia), a design non-profit organization committed to working with communities in need. She is Associate Professor in Architecture and Design at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia.
'What is humanitarian architecture? What is the role of architects and designers in the field of humanitarian action? This collection of personal stories and practical experiences provides a much needed insight into the business of post-disaster shelter, from individuals whose diverse work with communities affected by natural and man-made crises has done much to shape the understanding of and approach to shelter after disaster.' - Graham Saunders, Head, Shelter & Settlements, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies 'Challenging the conventional wisdom about the role of architecture and architects in reconstruction, Esther Charlesworth assembles seminal views from a wide range of experienced professionals looking up and out from the wreckage of cities destroyed by various calamity, to thoughtful insights of academics on design vs. construct, and reflections on innovations past and future. A must-have reference in the libraries of professionals engaged in supporting the recovery and reconstruction of towns and cities struck by war, disaster, or decay.' - Dan Lewis, Chief, Urban Risk Reduction, UN-Habitat 'A ground-breaking book that is essential reading for students, designers and recovery officials. Containing rich experiences by leaders in the field and highly creative designers, this will inspire, inform and guide readers to become involved in a noble humanitarian cause.' - Ian Davis, author of Shelter after Disaster (1978), visiting Professor in Disaster Risk Management in Copenhagen, Lund, Kyoto and Oxford Brookes Universities 'Why aren't we better prepared for these frequent disasters that devastate communities? We can and should do better. We have an obligation to humanity to make progress each time. These fifteen cases in Humanitarian Architecture: 15 stories of architects working after disaster are a good way to learn from what experts have done and how we can all move forward from here.' - Bryan Bell, Founder and Executive Director of Design Corps