Join the Housing Committee and speaker Alex Morales in a discussion about "Deployable Communities". Alex Morales is a design professional whose work and collaboration across the AEC industry span several years. Prior to his roles in construction project management, his career began in practicing traditional architecture, where he worked in industrial, commercial, mixed-use, civic, and institutional real estate projects. Bridging the worlds of architecture and construction led him to develop passion and build knowledge in steel design and construction. He is happy to share this passion to derive viable design options in steel with his community of architects, engineers, and contractors.

"Deployable Communities:  Finding a Model-In-The Middle To Address Homelessness"

Professionals in architecture have an increasing responsibility to advocate for social justice and equitable environments, not only in the accessibility of the practice as a profession, but also in serving the general welfare of diverse populations through the impact of design.  As such, this responsibility must actively embrace and include our underserved homeless populations--often left out in the progress of our communities.  Understanding that the skillsets of designers can be leveraged to address deficits in housing solutions, this session shares the story of Deployable Communities, a design concept intended to replace homeless encampments.  Deployable Communities proposes reusable intermediary shelter, supplemented by on-the-ground services to help individuals find pathways for more permanent housing options. Through storytelling and the collected content generated via the collaborative processes across disciplines, and through the ambitious opinions of emerging professionals supported by established architects and industry organizations, the audience will experience this journey to find a model-in-the-middle for aesthetic, deployable, reusable, and resilient shelter as one approach to find solutions to homelessness.