The word ‘architect’ often brings to mind talented individuals, such as Renzo Piano, Norman Foster, and Frank Gehry, who have shaped and continue to redefine the horizons of global landscapes. Yet there are countless creatives whose architectural projects alter not only skylines but also the lives of the people who live within them.
With the aim of ‘preserving human dignity and cultural heritage’, Emergency Architects is a dedicated team of architects and environment specialists who together, seek to rebuild areas ravaged by natural disasters. Within hours of a calamity, Emergency Architects are on the ground seeking to devise the best possible plan to reconstruct and rebuild, all with the intention of respecting as far as possible the natural environment and the local people who inhabit it.

Set up by founder Patrick Coulombel in April 2001 following the floods in Somme and Oise in France, this dedicated team of over 500 unique architects from across the world is sponsored and supported by everyone from the French Red Cross to World Vision. Through architecture, they deftly transform the ruins of a disaster into fresh roots of hope.