Architect Edward Paul Haladay, a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake, aimed to use prefab architecture in order to create an affordable housing solution for the large amount of population living below poverty in Baltimore, Maryland.

The couple’s white Bulthaup kitchen is set within a double-height volume hung with Tom Dixon Beat lights, arranged in a custom configuration by interior designer Maria Rosa Di Ioia. Overhead, Cubit shelving artfully displays books and objects, accessible by a glass-walled footbridge added during the renovation.

With buildings shifting from resource consumers to ecosystem service providers over the next 20 years, green builder and educator Bryan Henson offers crucial insights. Henson will speak onstage about his hands-on experience with recent buildings, such as one of the first passive-house certified projects in Southern California—a multifamily project for Habitat for Humanity. Home by Allen Construction.

Architecture for Humanity, a registered non-profit organization, addresses global humanitarian challenges at a local level by delivering vital, innovative, community-driven architectural construction and planning services to vulnerable populations worldwide.

Interested in attending Dwell on Design New York? Get your show passes now for a chance to participate in three days of discussions, installations, and more.

Taking place at Dwell on Design New York, the fifth installment of Design Like You Give a Damn: LIVE! will highlight how design can make a lasting impact on society—improving the health, environment, economy, and overall well-being of communities now and into the future. The event will include three full days of programming with lectures, panels, and a Design Open Mic. Pictured, Design Like You Give a Damn: LIVE! in 2011.

The three-bedroom home wraps around the atrium between the garage and main building. Since the garage faces the alley, this orientation opens up the front yard and garden. The big sliding doors off the atrium help the home connect with the community, supporting sidewalk interactions. "The idea was to draw the space back out to the neighborhood," he says, "and create different levels of security and privacy."

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Construction took place from 1964 to 1967. The original project was adapted from Safdie’s graduate thesis at Montreal’s McGill University.

The tables come in two heights, one standard and one bistro style, but Brenner is planning to release a larger, coffee table sized version this year.

The glass top is 3/8th of an inch thick and can hold approximately 180 pounds per square foot, so dancing on your new plant table is not prohibited, but also not recommended.

PARASOL Lamp for Habitat This angular lamp shade in painted metal comes with a base offered in different finishes. Available in March 2013 for purchase at Habitat stores.

Depending on the size, the tables cost between $1,250 and $1,400 with plants.

“The challenge was designing a piece that was not just a planter with glass on top, but a clean, functional, contemporary table that did not compromise any of the plant's necessities. The final concept came to fruition after years of prototyping and plant trials” — David Brenner

@colorhousepaint: Stickers and buttons with a heart. Our fave swag at Dwell on Design NY from @archforhumanity #DODNY

so Chris integrated a modern white design with a custom island. The oven is by IKEA; other major appliances were purchased from the Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

The RV's kitchen now boasts freshly painted cabinetry and butcher-block countertops, both of which have been sourced from a Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

Components for low-cost prefab homes designed by Habitat for Humanity and the firm Minarc for South Central Los Angeles were trucked in and assembled over three days. Photos by Art Gray.

Lenny Portable Speaker Make beautiful music with this Bluetooth-enabled collaboration between the British home goods retailer and the French hi-fi manufacturer.

The first of three was built for noted choreographer, and Thibault’s close friend, Jean-Pierre Perreault, and was based on a set design Thibault made for one of Perreault’s dance performances.

The Guillen Residence in New Orleans, Louisiana. Photo via Architecture for Humanity.

Other programming for Design Live You Give a Damn: LIVE! will include panels on the post-Hurricane Sandy reconstruction process, the Sports for Change program in Africa, and the Pillars of Sustainable Education program. Additionally, be sure to catch Architecture for Humanity’s Executive Director, Eric Cesal, who will be participating in a conversation on building for resiliency on October 9.

An anticipated highlight is the annual Design Open Mic, which will take place on Saturday, October 11, 2014. Entry is open to participants worldwide. The event invites emerging and established designers and architects to present their humanitarian projects in a rapid-pace, back-to-back presentation format, powered by PechaKucha. Want to take part? Submit your ideas here by September 25. Finalists will be announced on September 30 and will be invited to present their ideas and projects at Dwell on Design New York.

Architecture for Humanity Home “We are enthusiastic about these home designs that reflect traditional life ways, while exemplifying deep green public-impact architecture," says Nathaniel Corum, architect, Architecture for Humanity.

Architect Josh Shelton said some of the midcentury influence that shaped the Heartland Habitat prototype in Kansas City came from a previous project, his own home, which featured slotted doors and an entry courtyard. The overall design rests on the idea of the outdoors as a social gathering space. "I've been fascinated with how you can extend the climate of a place like Kansas City into the domestic space," says Shelton. "You don’t see a lot of homes like this built in the city. Ventilation and circulation can really open up the home and add a few more months of not using air conditioning or heating."

Shelton's team also made sure sustainability went hand-in-hand with affordability. The rainscreen double-wall system with Hardie Panels and the corrugated metal roof reflect sunlight and provide a less expensive, less maintence-intensive house, while strategically placed windows aid cross-ventilation and help cool the home during the humid summer months. The sloped roofs also empty into a rainwater collection system that feeds into the garden.

Shelton was impressed with the way the organization opened up the volunteer labor force to new material exploration and alternative construction methods. "I was blown away by Heartland Habitat's willingness to try something new, especially when they have a model that’s not broken," he says.

Shelton looks at the finished results as more of a spec home of sorts, with lessons that can be applied to future projects. "I really appreciate the midcentury California and Eichler homes, and the attention they took to indoor and outdoor flow," he says. "It’s important in this context. The first thing that happens is people mount a satellite dish and then shut down."

Habitat ’67 achieved Heritage status in 2009.

Deau retained original details, like the stone fireplace in the living area and the Jean Prouvé lamp mounted onto it. Vibrant throw pillows by Nathalie Du Pasquier for Hay offset the neutral sofa and armchairs from Habitat and the Moroccan rug. Vintage English occasional and coffee tables stand at the room’s center. Ceramics and objects from Guillaume Bardet, Jonathan Adler, and Ferm Living accent the space.

El Dorado designed the interior of the ADA-compliant home with accessibility and ease of use in mind, with simple layouts and enhanced cross-ventilation.

All doors are salvage from Habitat for Humanity.

Architecture for Humanity's Cameron Sinclair will deliver a keynote at Dwell on Design.

The architect continues to refine the Habitat concept.