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Architecture Is a Tool to Improve Lives
Anna Heringer's Buildings Photographed by Iwan Baan

Anna Heringer was awarded the OBEL Prize in 2020 for the Anandaloy building in Rudrapur. With this award, the OBEL Foundation honors a project that exemplifies how architecture can go beyond the ordinary.

PublicationsArchitecture, Building, CityBuilding materials, ComponentsEcology, sustainability

Heringer’s designs are characterized by a holistic approach: they take into account not only functional aspects but also the human and social needs of the users. Sustainability and social responsibility shape and guide her creative process. She is concerned not only with the external form of a building but also with connecting architecture to life and love, with the goal of creating spaces that improve people’s lives.

Her work is characterized by depth, humility, and sincerity. Her respect for the land, people, and culture – whether in Africa, Asia, the United States, or Europe – as well as her sensitivity and commitment, have a lasting impact on her projects. The impact of her architecture extends far beyond the visible: it inspires, enhances quality of life, and combines creative design with social responsibility.

“Perfection blocks any form of participation and also leads to excessive consumption of resources.” In her book *Form Follows Love*, Anna Heringer describes her understanding of architecture. For her new book, she traveled to Bangladesh with Iwan Baan to visit the buildings constructed there, as well as her women’s empowerment project, Dipdii Textiles. Dutch photographer Iwan Baan is best known for images that depict life and interactions within architectural spaces. In Bangladesh, he captured intense and evocative images that bear witness to what architecture can achieve when its focus is not on representation but on social benefit.

Information und order

Anna Heringer
with pictures from Iwan Baan
Architecture Is a Tool to Improve Lives
Birkhäuser 2026, de/eng/fra, 192 Pages, Euro 52,–