IAQ #1:

To some, architecture is seen as a luxury only available to the privileged, or to institutions and municipalities with the means to tailor structures to their whims.  Is this true, or can good design be available to all?

Good Question!  Historically this may have been true.  Academically trained Architects have only been around for 150 years or so in this country. Initially it is fair to say they were employed or commissioned by the elites or by the government. In recent years we have seen the growth of a species of designer who believes everyone deserves good design. McLeod Architects is one of those practitioners. We have designed houses for clients with limited means and, along with students at Middlebury College, designed 8 Habitat for Humanity houses over the course of 5 years. Another germane example to illustrate this attitude grows out of our experience with Design Assembly. This summer program brought together Architect, Builder and Students for a one-week project whereby an identified community need is designed, built, and fulfilled.  http://design-assembly.org/

The chicken tractors pictured above are but one example of a dozen projects completed to date, all of which raise the ordinary into the realm of architecture.

Other examples of like-minded architects:

Sam Mockbee, Rural Studio

http://samuelmockbee.net/rural-studio/

ruralstudio.org

Marlon Blackwell, 2020 AIA Gold Medalist

www.marlonblackwell.com

David Salmela

https://www.salmelaarchitect.com/

Brian MacKay-Lyons

http://www.mlsarchitects.ca/

Diébédo Francis Kéré

https://www.kerearchitecture.com/

Architecture does not require sumptuous materials, vast space, or ornate details. Architecture is not only an urban art. As seen in these examples from Africa to Minnesota, Nova Scotia to Alabama, and here in Vermont, it is possible to produce rich works that serve a human need, are safe, durable, and please the eye and spirit. Architecture for all. Everyone deserves good design.