Renaissance 2.0 Racism: The Problem Architects Haven’t Solved Yet

Renaissance 2.0 Racism: The Problem Architects Haven’t Solved Yet is an online event organized and created by Daniel Dehghani. Open to architects, designers and creatives of all form, the artefact aims to open up the conversation of the role architects play in tackling global issues.

Throughout the past year, humanity has been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. So much so that architects and designers have had to adapt to the current climate and envision new ways of spatial design to meet new needs. But a bigger virus which has existed much longer than Covid-19, is racism. Or as I like to call it, the silent killer.

Using architecture as a tool for humanitarian change, the buildings we design should not be the final outcomes. They should be the facilitators of change and the work we create are contributions to social improvements through the ways people experience spaces, places and each other.

The industry is losing track of what an architect is. Or even worse, who an architect can be. The notion of serving others is being lost in the blueprints. And although many see this profession as an excuse to elevate themselves through social hierarchy, it is a disservice to the reason one has entered the industry.