Our Purpose
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We believe in the power of good design to enrich communities, harmonize with nature, and create joy for residents.
What we do (and why we do it):
At Architects FORA, we strive to be the best partners we can be in the pursuit of ending the housing crisis because home is a basic human necessity and access to quality housing is one of the greatest challenges of our time. We leverage the power of design to expand access to quality housing choices - serving our communities with responsive designs and healing spaces that celebrate people, place, and the planet.
Our primary role as architects in this process is to listen + ideate + design + innovate + lead a collaborative process to create restorative, community-focused, beautiful places. We recognize that design is a powerful tool and an impactful process in itself, so we are keen listeners who leverage a meaningful, responsive, human-centered design process. Our collaborative, transparent, diverse, and passionate team leads this process, weaving together joyful design, social responsibility, and environmental sensitivity. As continuous learners, we are ever-evolving and elevate the standards design, so residents of our buildings and our planet thrive for generations to come.
“It is an honor to create and a responsibility to do right by our communities, residents, society, and planet.”
— Sarah Vaccaro, Principal
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Design is better when diverse perspectives and disciplines are at the table, and those closest to the problem are closest to the solution. So we:
/ co-create visions with our clients and communities,
/ leverage hyper-local knowledge,
/ loop in outside experts, best practices, and emerging research when needed, and
/ design with empathy for end-users.
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Design is an impactful process and we hold a deep respect for humanity. Thus, we:
/ are keen and receptive listeners to the journeys and desired futures of our residents,
/ push conventionally exclusive boundaries of architectural design process with a more holistic and healing approach,
/ acknowledge the role our designs have to play in restoring justice to communities marginalized by broken systems and housing policies, and
/ our end goal is bigger than just a building. We want to see aspects of our world and lives transformed for the better.
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We pride ourselves on designs that synergize with communities and build upon their existing strengths. So we:
/ create opportunities for connection to community and amenities,
/ create connections to nature, and
/ promote health and wellbeing through healthy materials, natural daylight, and fresh air.
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We approach design with the goal of celebrating, respecting, and harmonizing with nature. So we:
/ recognize the healing power and beauty of nature elements integrated with architecture,
/ leverage technology to optimize our designs and design process,
/ reduce our impact through low energy, low carbon, and low water solutions, and
/ know that by future-proofing our buildings, we are ensuring our residents will not have to face a disproportionate vulnerability to climate change.
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We envision a world with housing for all income levels, designed for all ages and abilities, and equitable in opportunity across place. So we:
/ strive to increase the availability of high-quality housing choices, and
/ craft adaptive and flexible spaces that support residents’ wide spectrum of needs and opportunities
- FOR ALL
Because the future isn't healthy, joyful, and sustainable if it's not healthy, joyful, and sustainable for all.