"If I get a contract, so does the entire neighborhood."
With these ten words, Haitian artisan Mackenzy Vil sums up the philosophy behind MASS Design Group's latest video series, "Lo-Fab." Short for locally fabricated, the Lo-Fab videos follow in the footsteps of MASS Design Group's provocative "Beyond the Building" series, advocating for a more holistic understanding of the processes that go into actually constructing a building, particularly when designing for communities in need.
The first video in the series documents Vil's work in creating the sky-blue screen facade of the GHESKIO Cholera Center, in a community where Haitians are still dealing with the after-effects of the devastating 2010 earthquake. "On every project, we highlight and scale local innovation and ideas, hire local labor, and use local materials," explains MASS Design Group, resulting in an influx of both money and dignity to the places where they work.
