Design for Freedom is a movement that is bringing industry leaders together to eliminate forced labor in building materials supply chains to build a more equitable future. According to Grace Farms Foundation, the organization behind the movement, the mission of Design for Freedom is to end modern slavery and gender-based violence, and to create more grace and peace in our local and global communities.
Have you ever thought where the materials for your next project are coming from? Not the business you plan on purchasing from, but where the raw materials are sourced from and by whom? Laws are in place that forbid the use of slave labor in the construction industry, but what many do not realize is that the materials going into the building can be reliant on forced labor.
It is time the AEC industry started asking whether their building is ethically sourced, without forced labor, and is it being sustainably designed? The answers are not always readily available, but the Design for Freedom movement has provided principles and education resources to help raise awareness and to start the transformation for an equitable future.
Here is a great video describing the Design for Freedom Movement and the awareness it is bringing around forced labor.
A Building for Democracy
The Design for Freedom movement first came to our attention during preliminary discussions about The Karsh Institute of Democracy project at the University of Virginia. This new facility is being built to “synthesize and build on UVA’s existing expertise in the study of democracy, public policy and leadership, and its history as a public institution founded to prepare citizen-leaders to serve a fledgling democracy” The Karsh Institute will be designed and constructed honoring the Design for Freedom principles. Both Hourigan and UVA are passionate about this mission of Design for Freedom and want to commit to change for the future.
The new facility will include convening spaces for small- and large-scale events, including an auditorium enabled for television broadcast and remote collaboration. Media production spaces will be especially important, encouraging faculty and students to speak to the world beyond the University.
Rendering of auditorium space where future debates and public speakers can have the opportunity to voice opinions in The Karsh Institute of Democracy.
The Karsh Institute of Democracy building will host academic and research endeavors as well as public events. The goal is to foster a higher level of collaboration, inviting scholars, speakers, community members, and visitors to engage in conversations around democracy. If putting in the resources to allow students and the community to come together to speak freely on tough topics, shouldn’t the building holding these events be ethically sourced?
Rendering of lobby space at The Karsh Institute of Democracy building.
The hard questions lay with the preconstruction team. Figuring out where materials come from, who is behind the process, and how individuals in that country are treated all play a part in determining where raw materials will be ordered. As the team goes through this process for the Karsh Institute of Democracy, the Design for Freedom Principles will be used as a reminder of the ultimate goal.
At-Risk Materials
Thousands of unique and complex materials are needed to construct a building leaving it nearly impossible to knowingly purchase all slave-free materials. According to the Design for Freedom Toolkit, these are the highest risk embedded slavery materials:
The top 11 at-risk materials of embedded slavery.
The toolkit provided on Grace Farms’ website goes into explicit detail on each raw material, explaining which country is best known for each material, and who is producing the product. It is a highly recommended educational starting ground to really get to know where these materials are being sourced. Find the toolkit here.
Take Responsibility to Act
Design for Freedom is raising awareness to disrupt forced labor in the building materials supply chain. More than 80 industry leaders and experts in the built environment are raising global awareness about forced labor in the built environment through pilot projects, media, conferences, and partnerships with leading universities. All community outlets such as project teams, universities, governments, and the public are encouraged to join in this humanitarian work. Coming together will reduce forced labor. Standing behind the Design for Freedom movement will build a more humane future.
