Architects Without Frontiers (AWF) is an Australian not for profit organisation that works ‘to transform lives through design’. Through their committed network of architects, landscape architects, urban planners, engineers and quanitity surveyors they facilitate the design and construction of health, education and community projects in Australia, the Asian Pacific Region and Africa.

As a Project Coordinator for AWF my key task was liaising between NGOs and client communities all around the world and the design professionals in Australia working to translate their hopes and needs into reality. On a daily basis this involved close consultation with both clients and designers, research, analysis of data provided and a lot of ‘cultural translation’ to ensure a diverse range of needs and conventions were met and understood. Having a working knowledge of design and the built environment is important but having an understanding of people is critical.

Recent AWF projects include:

• A special needs orphanage and school in New Delhi, India

• Two rescue centres in Tanzania for girls at risk of FGM and child marriage

• A school and orphanage in Kitgum, Uganda

• A women’s crisis centre in suburban Melbourne

• Two very different resource centres supporting women’s needs in Kabul, Afghanistan and Savusavu, Fiji