Initially released in digital form on Kindle last March, TAO Shelter Magazine 20th Anniversary Edition (TSM20): Stories of Change will now be available in its print version. In this special issue TAOPilipinas shares the evolution of its work (that embodies their motto: “It is time for us to go to the people rather than ask the people, especially the poor, to come to us”), the lessons and experiences with community partners, and its advocacy for architecture’s social role.
TSM20 Stories of Change presents a collection of articles that highlight the impact of technical assistance on the ground by TAO-Pilipinas, an NGO of design professionals–architects, engineers and urban planners–practicing a participatory approach to planning and design. TSM20 celebrates TAOPilipinas’s two decades of planning and designing with poor communities and acknowledges its pioneering work in bridging technical design professionals and the marginalized, underserved sectors.
TSM20 assembles a dozen articles (profiles, essays and interviews) and over 70 photographs which examine and document the people’s planning and capacity-building processes and alternative solutions that enable urban poor communities to assert their housing rights. It also reflects on the lasting effects of TAO’s postdisaster interventions from eight years ago, the fruitful collaborations built by TAO with stakeholders in the shelter and urban development sector, and the enduring influence created by its immersive training program for young professionals. It features women community leaders and profiles TAO’s women-led board of
trustees. Lastly, it explores the concept of gendered spaces and the rights-of-nature framework as TAO, looking forward to the next decade, broadens its view of sustainable human settlements development.
Limited copies of the magazine will be sold by TAO at the price of PHP295/copy (excluding shipping fees). A box set of TAO Shelter Magazine, a collection that includes TSM20 and nine back issues at PHP1000/set, will also be available as a fundraiser to support TAO operations. Fill-up the online form at https://tinyurl.com/OrderTSM20 to pre-order and reserve your copy.
About TAO Shelter Magazine:
TAO-Pilipinas published TAO Shelter Magazine from 2006 to 2012, releasing 12 magazine issues in print. The magazine was a platform to communicate and give focus to sustainable human settlements issues, especially those that affect poor and marginalized communities. Themes that were featured in the magazine included housing on water, disaster risk management, solid waste management, preparing for extreme hazards, climate change, water and sanitation, managing flood risks, living with earthquakes, and resettlement and housing.
In 2022, TAO revived the magazine to release a special 20th anniversary issue. Follow our Instagram account @architectsinthemargins or email taopublications@gmail.com to get updates about TAO publications.