Study Architecture 
ProPEL 
Author(s): Nina Pawlicki
Today´s architectural practice and academia is being reshaped by technology. Apart from the more visual effects such as digital fabrication or computer modeling techniques, it is also deeply affecting the way the different stakeholders are communicating.New means of communication may serve as a working tool for ALL actors involved. Different disciplines, cultures, levels of education or forms of access to the Internet are a challenge public interest design projects are facing. To tackle this challenge by incorporating new media as a tool in order to benefit from the possibilities they are offering is the crucial point that yet has to be solved. Many DesignBuild programs with a focus on a socially engaged architecture and/or cross-cultural exchange as well are seeking to facilitate their work by the means of new communication tools. Online meetings with the clients that might be far away, live-streams from the building site, webblogs offering insightful views and worldwide research possibilities are clearly affecting their work.The paper will present a DesignBuild-Studio and the resulting development of a DesignBuild network initiative as case studies. The ‘Mexikoprojekt’ is a DesignBuild program established in 1998. So far 43 building projects were realized by European and Mexican students in Mexico for communities in need. Whereas the challenge of communication between the students as planners in Europe and the clients in Mexico stayed the same for the lifetime of the project during all stages of the process: design, realization and documentation/evaluation, the means of communication changed from post letter to regular Skype meetings. Based on this experience an international DesignBuild exchange network is currently being developed by an European research consortium. It aims to promote the implementation, distribution and sustainability of the DesignBuild methodology by using a web-based platform as most effective tool. It will enable the knowledge transfer and exchange of experiences amongst DesignBuild protagonists. It will mitigate problems and strengthen the efficiency in the work of DesignBuild Studios through creating a corporate identity for DesignBuild Studios and facilitating the search for cooperation in regards to partners and funding. It will incorporate an extensive interactive DesignBuild database that will be filled by the acting participants worldwide.
Volume Editors
Sergio Palleroni, Ted Cavanagh & Ursula Hartig
ISBN
978-0-935502-94-7
