David Murray works at Article 25, the UK's leading architectural humanitarian NGO, based in London. Describing himself as the only non-architect in a team otherwise made up of architects with commercial backgrounds, his focus spans the charity's development, fundraising and volunteering.
Article 25 takes its name from Article 25 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the right to adequate and dignified shelter. The organisation works like a not-for-profit architectural practice, designing and building schools, hospitals and homes for communities in challenging settings, from post-disaster recovery to areas facing long-term poverty.
On the Architecture Social podcast, David set out how built environment skills translate into humanitarian impact: live projects spanning Niger, Nepal, Tanzania, Morocco, Myanmar, Montserrat and Dominica; the value of Part 1 and Part 2 volunteering for early-career professionals; the honest distinction between voluntary charity experience and paid commercial work; and the fundraising, from the 8x8 drawing auction to appeals such as the shelter response in Beirut, that keeps the work moving.
Watch or listen to the full conversation in the Architecture Social CPD: Humanitarian Architecture with Article 25 ft. David Murray.