The third annual Design Like You Give a Damn: Live! is making its debut this year on the West Coast. Packed with innovative panel discussions, workshops and a “Design Open Mic,” this year’s program put on by Architecture for Humanity begins on Nov. 12 in San Francisco.

Design experts and enthusiasts, industry leaders across disciplines and more are set to come together to address the challenges and lessons learned in humanitarian design and community development. Panel topics will address cutting-edge issues while small-group workshops will allow for hands-on learning and AIA members will be able to earn eight hours of learning credits. 

Topics that will be discussed throughout the day at the various events include: Key Practices for Success in Disaster Reconstruction, Eco Development in Low-Income Communities, Investing in Place: From Micro-Finance to Community Reinvestment Funds and Neighborhood Security & Violence Prevention in the Built Environment.

Panelists at these events include: Omar Vulpinari, Director of Expanded Media and Head of Visual Communication for Fabrica; Art Agnos, former Mayor of San Francisco; Clark Manus, CEO of Heller Manus Architects; Nancy Mullane, journalist and author of Life After Murder and more. To learn more about the panelists and for a complete list, cick here.

Highlights from Design Like You Give a Damn 2011

Following the day’s events will be the Design Open Mic competition, which features emerging and established designers and architects presenting their humanitarian projects and designs in a rapid-pace, back-to-back format.

Throughout this marathon of innovative concepts, programs and design solutions, in which various designers from the area have entered, Peter Exley, Founder of ArchitectureIsFun, will be judging and choosing four winners.

The prizes include: First Place—AutoCAD Revit Architecture Suite 2012 or AutoCAD 2011 for Mac and a signed copy of Design Like You Give a Damn 2, Second Place—AutoCAD Revit Architecture Suite 2012 or AutoCAD 2011 for Mac and an I Love Architecture t-shirt, Third Place—Signed copy of Design Like You Give a Damn 2 and Runner Up—I Love Architecture t-shirt.

The two-day event kicks off on Monday, Nov. 12 with a cocktail reception and a keynote panel including: Brent Bucknum, Joao Miguel Pereira Segurado and Mick Scott—the winners of the 2011 Open Architecture Challenge. The workshops, panel discussions and Design Open Mic, all followed by a cocktail reception will take place Tuesday, Nov. 13.

For more information and for the complete schedule of events, click here.