Cameron Sinclair

Cameron Sinclair is the co-founder and 'eternal optimist' for Architecture for Humanity, a charitable organization founded in 1999 to develop architecture and design solutions to humanitarian crises and provide pro-bono design services to communities in need. The organization represents over 5000 design and construction professionals and has projects in twenty six countries ranging from schools, health clinics, affordable housing and long term sustainable reconstruction. Recent initiatives include the rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina, developing schools in post-conflict areas in West Africa and creating economically sustainable weaving cooperatives in South Asia.

In 2006 Sinclair and Architecture for Humanity co-founder Kate Stohr compiled a bestselling book Design Like You Give A Damn: Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crises. He is heavily involved in bringing socially relevant design into academia and serves on advisory boards of the Acumen Fund, the Institute for State Effectiveness and the Ontario Collage of Art and Design.

In 2004 Fortune Magazine named Cameron Sinclair was named as one of the Aspen Seven, seven people changing the world for the better. He was the recipient of the 2006 TED prize and the 2005 RISD/Target Emerging Designer of the Year. Recently he was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. Sinclair and Stohr were awarded the 2008 National Design Award for their work in elevating design and construction standards in areas of need. That some year he was profiled alongside Cameron Diaz in the show Iconoclasts on the Sundance Channel and was named as one of CNNs' Principal Voices.

As a result of the TED Prize he and Stohr launched the Open Architecture Network, the worlds' first open source community dedicated to improving living conditions through innovative and sustainable design. Every two years this network hosts a global challenge to tackle a systemic issue within the built environment. During the 2009 World Economic Forum they launched the largest initiative to develop sustainable, healthy and affordable classrooms in the US and abroad. As a result over 10,000 kids, teachers and building professionals responded to the call.