More Details on the End of Architecture for Humanity

Following the recent news that Architecture for Humanity shut its doors after operating since 1999, FastCo.Design provides more details about what went wrong.

1 minute read

January 26, 2015, 7:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


The news of Architecture for Humanity's closure caught a lot of people off guard when it broke this month in the San Francisco Chronicle—including some of the organization's own volunteers. According to an article by Shaunacy Ferro, "[in] a way, Architecture for Humanity's public unraveling mirrors the deeper problems that ultimately contributed to its demise: disorganization, an inability to adapt, and simmering tension between the parent organization and its army of volunteers."

The article goes on provide more detail than previously reported about the organization's trouble keeping some projects on budget or, for that matter, completing them at all. The cause of the organizations downfall, ultimately, was a struggle to raise the funds necessary to support its increasingly global operations. In fact, in an addendum to the article, FastCo.Design reports that Architecture for Humanity expects to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in the next few weeks.

Although the article acknowledges that volunteers working at local chapters could move forward with projects still under development, there will be a lot of confusion about how to do that until the organization's bankruptcy is figured out.

Thursday, January 22, 2015 in Fast Co. Design

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20 - Streetsblog USA

Close-up on BLM sign on Continental Divide Trail in Rawlins, Wyoming.

BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule

The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.

April 20 - Public Domain

Calvary Street bridge over freeway in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path

Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.

April 20 - Smart Cities Dive