Architecture, Sustainability, Empowerment
Gyaw Gyaw uses sustainable architecture as a tool for development with participatory democratic processes as guiding principle. We work within the existing communal structures and focus on empowering local ethnic minorities by constructing buildings with, and for, existing schools.
Our respectful collaboration with a broad variety of local stakeholders has earned us a valued position in the local community. We use this position to show how our organization, and our projects, can be run democratically, in contrast to the militaristic hierarchical environment that is the norm in our area, and therefore empower new leadership and independent thinking.
Process
We are designing and building sustainable architecture for, and with, existing schools
and other community infrastructure that lifts education in our area.
We are designing and building sustainable architecture for, and with, existing schools
and other community infrastructure that lifts education in our area.
Architecture
Our projects are landscape and climate adjusted, designed for natural light and airflow and built with locally available materials that preserves the environment, are socially accepted and economic efficient in a long term perspective.
Our projects are landscape and climate adjusted, designed for natural light and airflow and built with locally available materials that preserves the environment, are socially accepted and economic efficient in a long term perspective.
Our area
All our projects are implemented in our neighbourhood among the Karen population in the remote mountain areas on the Thai-Burma border
It’s all made possible through longterm commitment from dedicated sponsors.
The support is based on clear agreements and full transparency of work and finances, and is given to Gyaw Gyaw as an organization, not to specific projects. The support makes it possible for Gyaw Gyaw to keep a continuous workflow and a steady development for the local team on the border. It allows for us to reach into small and remote villages where exchange economics are more prevalent than money economics and contribute to a sustainable development bottom up within them. This would not be possible without a healthy and well run administration, so, to keep these costs to an absolute minimum is not the goal, to have a well functioning administration that creates sustainable frames for our work is.
