Article 25 is a UK registered charity that manages sustainable architecture projects in areas of extreme poverty and disaster. In 2015, Article 25 merged with US-based ARCHIVE Global – another architectural nonprofit focused on the link between health and housing – to broaden their operations and work together for the benefit of some of the world's most vulnerable societies.
History
Established in 2005 as ‘Architects for Aid’ by Maxwell Hutchinson and Dr Vicky Harris, the name was changed to Article 25 in 2008, to make reference to the principle of the 25th Article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that safe and adequate shelter is a fundamental human right. Caught up in the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, architect Maxwell Hutchinson recognised the potential impact the built environment could have on saving lives and preventing natural hazards from turning into full-blown disasters. This gave him the idea for the charity. Article 25 has grown to accommodate a board of seven distinguished trustees’, eight permanent staff, 15 volunteers, ten professional partner organisations, and around 700 student members. The Charity was registered in 2006.
Activity
Article 25’s projects range from one-off building projects for community-based organisations to large master planning projects for international organisations, including technical consultancy services for NGOs who have little access to vital design expertise. It has consulted with government organisations, NGOs and relief organisations on reconstruction projects including latrine blocks and schools in Haiti, earthquake resistant homes in Pakistan, and a new media centre in Port Harcourt. Some of the completed projects include an award-winning earthquake resistant housing programme in Northern Pakistan with Muslim Aid which received the 2009 Asia-Pacific Urban Land Award, and an award-nominated school for street children in Goa, India, with El ShaddaiStreet Child Rescue. The charity has tended to over 50 projects in 20 countries across five continents.
