The document outlines several potential international design/build collaboration opportunities for Cornell students. The main objectives of such projects would be poverty or disaster relief, sustainable community development, exposing students to other cultures, and fostering international relationships. Several existing project models are described that integrate design/build work with local institutions and communities abroad. The pros and cons of different approaches are discussed. Potential partners at Cornell and external organizations are also listed for establishing international design/build collaborations.

1. INTERNATIONAL DESIGN/BUILD
- poverty or disaster relief
MAIN OBJECTIVES - sustainable community development
- expose students to other cultures
- foster international relationships
INTEGRATION:
• Can look into working together with institutions/centers on campus that works overseas
• Can be a part of Summer Program or Study Abroad program
• High Volt Lab can be a place for Pre-Fabrication or Prototyping before shipping
• Communication team can gear towards looking for sponsors and local non-profit partners
• Partnering local universities help to develop overseas ties
• Social design firms or individuals can become advisor or collaborator
• There are extensive opportunities and a lot of work to be done

2. PROS: CONS:
• Relationships and networks can be fostered • Project construction will most likely be dur-
through international collaboration ing summer or winter breaks
• Increase Cornell’s outreach effort and glo- • Can be more expensive because of travel
bal presence • Uncertainties in travelling to developing
• Developing nations have more urgent and countries
pertinent problems • Transportation of materials and labor can
• Limited resources means more creativity be difficult
• Opportunities for impactful interventions • There is a concern about coming as aid or
that entail economic development an ‘expert’ creating dependency
• Students tends to be more excited about
going abroad
• Media and sponsorship opportunities will
be plenty

3. TEMPLE UNIVERSITY INT’L HUMANITARIAN D/B
PROJECTION MAIL INDIA MOBILE CRÈCHES
www.internationaldesignclinic.org
Institution: Temple University
Instructor: Scott Shall
Partner:
International Design Clinic (IDC),
Mobile Creche Mumbai
Type: 5-week Summer Program
PLAYSCAPE FOR ABANDONED CHILDREN extending to Spring Semester

4. PROS: CONS
• Diverse small-scale but effective projects • The projects may not necessarily ad-
are created such as in the Mumbai project dress true sustainability at large
• The projects are quick and can be done • Projects were based on affordability
with only individuals or teams and using innovative (re-used) materials
• This will create a more umbrella structure rather than prototyped innovation
rather than a design/build team • Because it is a summer program, it is
• Partner with non-profit organizations lo- too short for more ambitious programs
cally such as Mobile Creche and IDC
• Summer program means that time would
be less of an issue
• Students from other schools can join
INTEGRATION:
• Summer Program can be under Summer Abroad or Summer School programs in Cornell that
is open to everyone

5. EDUCATION AFRICA
KANANA PRI. SCH.
MAGALULA SKILLS CENTER
www.education-africa.org
Institutions:
Universitas luav di Venezia
Fachhochschule Salzburg GmbH
Technical University of Vienna
Instructors:
Dustin A. Tusnovics
Peter Fattinger
ORANGE FARM TOWNSHIP PROJECTS Sabine Gretner

6. PROS: CONS
• Education Africa can connect the schools • The participating institutions have to ar-
to local partners and have readily available range their own funding for travel
projects to work on • Materials and student participants have
• They were promoting in CU two years to be sent to the site which may become
ago, brought by Mark Cruvellier logistical difficulties
• Local partners create longevity where • Transportation may not be sustainable
more projects can be done in the future
• Trust from community and ease of
project grows over time such as the Orange
Farm Township
• Relationships are created amongst insti-
tutions, communities and cities
• International ‘poverty relief’ projects
are very likely to gain media attention and INTEGRATION
sponsorships
• Local partners / non-profits funds the • Pre-Fab or ‘ReadyMix’ constructions can
project which includes materials and labor be done in the High Volt Lab upon which
since they are the clients construction can be done in 6 weeks
• The program becomes more value add- • There are professors in various depart-
ed because of friendships and technology ments that are connected to developing
transfer communities (e.g. AguaClara – Honduras,
CIIFAD, etc.)

7. GSD: SoCA [ Social Change and Activism ]
www.gsdsoca.blogspot.com
www.harvardpk.blogspot.com
Institution: Harvard GSD
Type: Student Group
Partners:
Art Aids Art
MonkeyBiz
DesignCorps
INSERT! Chinatown
projectKhayelitsha SFI 8 conference

8. PROS: CONS
• A student group umbrella structure al- • If not tightly integrated into curriculum,
lows for a much loser organization there may be a lack of commitment
• The organization can fund multiple • Participatory process would require
projects at once increasing the opportuni- more time and more ground work which
ties for students to participate or create may cost more
their own initiatives • In this case, not many students can trav-
• Participatory process was included in the el to the site
design workflow to create transparency and
increase buy-in from clients and users
INTEGRATION:
• Form a university organization or an institute that creates an umbrella group for initiatives

9. MIT Tsunami safe(r) House
MIT Design-Build Cambodia

10. PROS: CONS
• Because it is under the SENSEable City • It requires a committed long-term fac-
Lab, the projects call for an innovative multi- ulty or advisory to organize a “lab”
disciplinary approach • The project timeline may not be suitable
• The “lab” structure allows for continued for the semester structure of Cornell
research and long-term commitment that • Short term projects may not allow for
can be passed on or around post-occupancy evaluation
• Research, Design, Development and
Build workflow
• Consultation were done by large firms
such as Buro Happold
• The project is a combination of high-
tech and low-tech with in-depth research on
technology and socio-aesthetic components
• It is a prototype project that is replicable INTEGRATION
and scalable
• The project included architects and engi- • Create a lab or institute rather than a
neers and a few students from Harvard (out- course in the long-run
side of the institution) • Projects can be a mix of prototyping
• The project was done in a short amount and low-tech design/build
of time
• Locally derived materials and building
technologies were used for efficiency
• Local builders work alongside students

11. EXTERNAL
ORGANIZATIONS /
FIRMS
Potential Integration:
• Firms or individuals can be invited as visiting faculties or advisors
• CUSD can jump on board their projects in the summer and help with re-
search and development during the semesters

12. LOW-DO
Loxodonta Housing, Gauteng UTEC, Lowell, MA
DSGN AGNC
BSA research grant
Low-Cost, Low-Tech Housing, Facatativa, Colombia

13. MASS group
Butaro Hospital Girubuntu School Rwanda Coffee/Bike
Francis Kere
Pri. School, Gando Secondary School, Dano

14. Anna Heringer

15. CORNELL UNIV.
POTENTIAL
COLLABORATORS
Potential Integration:
• New projects can be developed with the institutions in Cornell University
• We can latch on to the contacts that have been established
• Each center has allocated funds and they can be combined with careful planning

16. CORNELL INSTITUTIONS
Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture & Dev. (CIIFAD)
Cornell Co-Operative Extension
Cornell University Public Service Center
Cornell Center for a Sustainable Future
Sustainable Global Enterprise
CU Institute for African Development
Mario Enaudi Center for International Studies
Polson Institute for Global Development
Cornell GHESKIO clinics, Haiti
Cornell Institute for Public Affairs
AguaClara, Honduras
Engineers for a Sustainable World: Solar Oven Team, Nicaragua