Architects as Mediators: Three Cases of Dialogue Between Communities, Governments, and Businesses in the Global South

"In contemporary times, architectural practice goes far beyond designing buildings or materializing ideas; it has become a multidimensional field, taking on broader and more complex roles. In contexts marked by inequality, environmental crises, and territorial disputes, architecture becomes a tool for negotiation, capable of mediating interests among diverse actors. In this scenario, architects also assume the roles of cultural translators, social facilitators, and, often, advocates for collective rights."

"But how can architecture genuinely mediate conflicts and drive transformation in such unequal realities? In societies where community voices are often silenced by market pressures or centralized public policies, architectural practice must go beyond technical drawing and position itself as a space of both symbolic and material engagement. This article explores this question through the analysis of three experiences in the Global South, where architects acted as mediators in complex processes involving communities, private companies, governments, and international funders."

"SEALAB, a studio based in Ahmedabad, India, founded by Anand Sonecha and Mariana Paisana, is known for community-focused projects that value slow, participatory processes attentive to local cultural identity. Their work was recently recognized in the 5th edition of the ArchDaily Next Practices Awards. A notable example of their mediating role is the School for Blind and Visually Impaired Children in Gandhinagar."

Architectural practice now functions as a multidimensional field that negotiates interests among diverse actors amid inequality, environmental crises, and territorial disputes. Architects act as cultural translators, social facilitators, and advocates for collective rights, positioning design as both symbolic and material engagement. Case studies from the Global South—SEALAB (India), Yasmeen Lari (Pakistan), and Comunal Taller de Arquitectura (Mexico)—show architects mediating processes involving communities, private companies, governments, and international funders. SEALAB emphasizes slow, participatory, culturally attentive processes, exemplified by an accessible School for Blind and Visually Impaired Children in Gandhinagar that balances student access and teachers’ pedagogical needs.

Read at ArchDaily