For anyone who hasn’t come across Article 25, what do you do?

We’re the UK’s leading architectural NGO. For over 20 years we’ve designed and delivered hospitals, schools and homes for the communities that need them most, working with governments, NGOs and local partners. To date, our buildings in healthcare, education and housing have served over 3.1 million people in more than 35 countries, and our climate-resilient buildings now serve over 640,000 people every year.

What makes Article 25 different?

We start by listening. Every project begins with community engagement, and we co-design each building with the people who will use it. We work with local builders and local materials, and we train local people so they can maintain their buildings for decades. If local expertise can deliver a project at the same scale and quality, we won’t take it on. As our Chair, Denise Bennetts, says, it’s the power of the collective, with architects, engineers, contractors and communities working as one, that makes our approach distinctive. We design for the community a building will serve in twenty years’ time, not just for today’s problem. That’s our tagline: Possibility, built.

It’s been a big year. What are you most proud of?

This year we won an AIA UK Citation for Environmental Stewardship for the Kao La Amani Children’s Village in Tanzania, a fully off-grid home for 60 orphaned children. It’s our fourth award in as many years. We’re busy too: a paediatric eye clinic in Kenya, a new national hospital in Montserrat, a leprosy research laboratory in Nepal and the Khammouane Provincial Hospital in Laos. Each is being delivered with clients, NGO partners and local contractors. 

What does being WAF’s charity partner for a second year mean to you?

A great deal. WAF brings together exactly the people who can make a difference, and the trust of this community means a lot to us. It’s a chance to show that good design can, and should, reach everyone.

Tell us about More Than a Building.

More Than a Building is a unique international network that brings together leading architects, developers, engineers, project managers and contractors who share a commitment to making a difference through the built environment.

It's a partnership with a genuine two-way benefit. Our members help fund Article 25's life-changing humanitarian architecture projects around the world and, in return, we help them build valuable relationships, raise their profiles and create new business opportunities.

Membership opens doors to an exceptional programme of exclusive, senior-level networking events, including prestigious receptions at Kensington Palace and the Houses of Parliament in London. Members also benefit from joint PR and communications opportunities, complimentary NextGen events for their rising talent, and a meaningful way to demonstrate their commitment to corporate social responsibility and social impact.

What makes the model particularly powerful is that for every £1 donated, we secure a further £1 in pro bono professional expertise, effectively doubling the value of our members' contributions.

It's a simple but compelling proposition: doing good while doing business, with the opportunity to make extraordinary connections along the way.

What can people expect from you in Fort Lauderdale?

I'm really looking forward to being in Fort Lauderdale and meeting industry leaders who share our belief in the power of architecture to change lives. Whether you're interested in supporting our international projects, exploring a corporate partnership or simply learning more about Article 25, I'd be delighted to connect.

Please do get in touch at gemma-holding@article-25.org to arrange a meeting.

We'll also be bringing a little British architectural prestige to Florida! For just $10, delegates can enter our exclusive raffle to win a signed print by our Patron, Lord Norman Foster, one of the world's most celebrated architects.

Learn more about Article 25 | Become a More Than a Building member