At Engage FORA, we know that design is better with diverse perspectives at the table.
/ MISSION
Our work is to facilitate thoughtful conversations and craft meaningful design activities centered on community-rooted values. We curate a restorative process where community members feel genuinely empowered in helping to shape the places they call home.
// VISION
Community engagement uncovers hyper-local insights about culture, context and values. These insights are invaluable, as they help us create spaces that truly serve the community, reflecting both the people who inhabit them and the unique character of the place. When we envision the future, we see community engagement as an integral part of every architectural design process.
/// VALUES
We engage for many reasons. Here are just a few of them:
To amplify diverse voices & celebrate hyperlocal knowledge
To encourage empathy-building
To promote equity & justice through meaningful, inclusive processes
To resist the commodification of housing
To extend building lifetimes - because designs that are loved, last
To get quality housing built faster
Because buildings are more than just objects
Engaging should be a continual and evolving process
Early Design Workshops, Focus Groups, Surveys, Interviews, Pop-up events, Post-occupancy Evaluations, Property Tours, Future Resident Engagement, Construction & Timeline Updates, Website creation & Management, Event Recruitment, & more!
The best time to engage is now, and always! We provide a holistic spectrum of services for every stage of a project’s life, so we can continuously learn and improve the designs of current and future projects.
ENGAGE Before / Design is better with diverse perspectives at the table. By engaging before designing, we can get a deep sense of a community’s values and provide meaningful opportunities for the design to respond to those values.
ENGAGE During // Change can be an intimidating process. By engaging during the construction process, we can ease a lot of unknowns for both project neighbors and future building residents.
ENGAGE After /// There is much to learn from a building after it’s been lived in. At Engage FORA, we go beyond the traditional metrics of Post-occupancy Evaluations to analyze if the design contributes positively to the well-being of residents and is responsive to the community's needs.
