ASF-Italia aims to facilitate processes of equitable and sustainable development through the socially responsible practice of architectural design and planning, endeavouring to support marginalised individuals and communities who would not otherwise have access to the competence of architects.
We believe that the physical environment is a fundamental ground where processes of inclusion and participation can be positively negotiated and that the architectural project can be a powerful medium to work out global issues of social, economical and environmental sustainability according to the specificity of communities and territories. We pay special attention to the spreading of appropriate and appropriable building technologies as tools that can enable community participation and facilitate the emancipation of people in the production of their own habitat. Our work takes form in two main fields of action: in international cooperation, we design and plan projects that help to generate sustainable processes of development, recognizing local communities as the primary players within any process of transformation of the environment; in education, we organise courses, workshops and pubic talks in the attempt to raise awareness on the potential of responsible design and planning within society.