The One Percent Solution for Pro Bono

If all of the United States' 240,000 architects gave 20 hours a year to pro bono work, the result would effectively be a 2,500-member firm, working full-time for clients who could not normally afford professional design.

If all of the United States' 240,000 architects gave 20 hours a year to pro bono work, the result would effectively be a 2,500-member firm, working full-time for clients who could not normally afford professional design.

A Web-based undertaking to corral that talent was launched this month: the 1% Solution asks for firms to pledge one percent of billable hours toward pro bono work.

You can read about present and later phases of the plan at www.onepercent.org or www.archvoices.org.

So far the list of ground-floor participants includes some leading firms, including: AZ Architecture Studio; Ben Ledbetter Architect, ; Bridges Architecture; Buttrick Wong Architects; Culvahouse Consulting Group, Inc.; Duo Dickinson Architect; Garafolo Architects; Harris Welker Architects; James Barnes Architects; Jova/Daniels/Busby; Charles F. Bloszies; Oglesby Greene; Peterson Architects; Pugh & Scarpa; Sparano & Mooney Architecture; Speegle: Architecture; Sylver Image Architecture Services; Tuck Hinton Architects; and Van Dusen Architects.