Cameron Sinclair facts for kids

Cameron Sinclair was born on November 16, 1973. He is a designer and writer who uses his skills to help people and communities. He is known for creating designs that solve big problems in the world.

He started the Worldchanging Institute, which is a group that looks for new ways to help people during tough times. He also helps a group called Armory of Harmony. They take old weapons and turn them into musical instruments! Cameron Sinclair also helped start a gin company called Half Kingdom Gin.

In 1999, he co-founded Architecture for Humanity with Kate Stohr. This was a charity that used design and building skills to help communities in need. They helped people after disasters and brought professional design services to places that needed them. Cameron stepped down from his leadership role in 2013. From 2013 to 2015, he also helped oversee the building of a children's hospital in Ethiopia for the Jolie-Pitt Foundation.

Later, he worked at Airbnb. There, he helped create programs to find temporary homes for people who lost theirs due to disasters. He also worked on projects to help communities grow and thrive.

In 2012, Cameron started Small Works. This company focuses on rebuilding and projects that make a positive difference. They are famous for their special buildings that can be put together easily. Many of these buildings were used as schools in Jordan, built by Syrian refugees and Jordanian engineers. Over 11,000 children have learned in these schools! Cameron also worked on ideas like Otra Nation and BorderBNB, which aim to help families separated by conflicts or disasters.

Cameron Sinclair's Early Life and Learning

Cameron Sinclair grew up in South East London, England. He went to Kingswood School in Bath. In the mid-1990s, he studied to become an architect at the University of Westminster and The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London.

He became very interested in how design could help people and cultures. For his final project at university, he designed ideas for homes for homeless people in New York. This idea became the start of Architecture for Humanity. This organization grew very big, with many designers helping out. During his time there, over 2.8 million people benefited from the buildings they created. In 2008, the University of Westminster gave Cameron an special award for his important work.

Cameron Sinclair's Professional Journey

After finishing university in 1997, Cameron moved to New York City. He worked as a designer for several architecture companies.

On April 6, 1999, Cameron Sinclair and Kate Stohr started Architecture for Humanity. This charity used architecture and design to help people during humanitarian crises. They offered free design and building services to communities that needed them. The organization worked in 48 countries. They built schools, health clinics, and affordable homes. They also helped rebuild after big events like the 2011 tsunami in Japan, the 2010 earthquakes in Haiti, Hurricane Katrina, and the 2004 South Asia tsunami.

In 2006, Cameron and Kate wrote a book called Design Like You care: Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crises. In 2012, they released a second book, Design Like You care [2]: Building Change From The Ground Up. Cameron often gives talks and teaches about sustainable development and rebuilding after disasters. He has taught in places like New Zealand, Spain, Japan, and the United States.

In May 2013, Cameron left the board of Architecture for Humanity. The organization later stopped its operations in mid-2015, but then relaunched as the Open Architecture Collaborative.

From 2013 to 2015, Cameron worked for a private family foundation. He helped with health, education, and conservation projects in Cambodia, Ethiopia, and Namibia. In 2015, he started working with Airbnb on projects to help rural communities in Japan. During this time, Cameron also helped design Re:build, a building system that can be moved and set up easily. As of 2025, 48 classrooms have been built using this system by Syrian refugees in Jordan. These classrooms have helped over 11,000 children get an education.

In 2016, Cameron joined Airbnb to lead their social innovation efforts. He helped the company create temporary housing for many people in need.

Awards and Recognition

Cameron Sinclair has received many awards for his work. In 2004, Fortune Magazine named him one of the "Aspen Seven," recognizing him as one of seven people making the world better. He won the 2006 TED Prize and was named the 2005 RISD Emerging Designer of the Year. He and Kate Stohr also won the Wired Magazine 2006 Rave Award for their work after Hurricane Katrina.

Because of the TED Prize, Cameron and Kate launched the Open Architecture Network. This was the first online community where people could share ideas for design that helps improve living conditions. In 2012, the Open Architecture Network joined with Worldchanging to expand its work.

In August 2008, Architecture for Humanity and its founders, Cameron Sinclair and Kate Stohr, received the Design Patron Award at the 2008 National Design Awards. In 2008, he was featured on CNN's Principal Voices and on the TV show Iconoclasts with Cameron Diaz.

In 2009, Cameron and Kate were given the Bicentenary Medal of the Royal Society of Arts for helping people become more resourceful. Cameron also won the Pilosio Building Peace award in 2013. He was a finalist for the World Design Impact Prize in 2016.

Cameron Sinclair was also recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.