Design for Freedom

As we observe #HumanRightsDay, we're encouraged to announce our new Design for Freedom International Guidance & Toolkit is available for download. 28 million people around the world are held in forced labor conditions, many extracting the materials that go into our homes, schools, office buildings, & landscapes. We echo the UN: "This is the time to mobilize action to reinvigorate a global movement for human rights." The Design for Freedom Int'll Guidance & Toolkit, a comprehensive resource for design & construction professionals to implement ethical & forced-labor-free material sourcing strategies into their practices, builds upon the DFF Toolkit, published in 2022. In tandem w/ this release is a further amplification of the global DFF movement, w/ Elaine Mitchel-Hill's appointment as the first DFF int'l lead, leading strategic partnerships in India & the UK. "Forced labor in the building materials supply chain is a global issue,” said Sharon Prince, Grace Farms CEO & Founder. “By expanding our engagement in Europe and Asia & issuing the Int'l Guidance & Toolkit geared towards a growing global audience, we are better poised to address this egregious human rights violation together Through new public & private sector partnerships, we are accelerating a radical paradigm shift to design & build a more humane future for all.” The Guidance features contributions from experts: Lindsay Baker, @living_future ; Dr. Doreen S. Boyd, @uniofnottingham ; Dr. James Cockayne, NSW Anti-Slavery Commissioner; Anna Dyson, @yalecea ; Fanny Frémont, Responsible Mica Initiative; Felix Heisel, Circular Construction Lab, @cornelluniversity ; John Morrison, Institute for Human Rights and Business; Jonsara Ruth, @healthymaterialslab ; Stefano Savi, Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR); Chris Sharples, @shoparchitects ; Dame Sara Thornton, former Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, U.K.; & Eloise Savill, @antislaveryinternational . The Guidance opens w/ a contribution by the Right Honorable The Baroness Young of Hornsey OBE. Through this Guidance & Toolkit, which provides new human rights due diligence tools, we can all design & build a more humane future. Link in bio.

At the 2026 Design for Freedom Summit, we announced four new Pilot Projects, including the National accessArts Centre, Canada’s oldest and largest disability-arts organization. The National accessArts Centre supports a growing community of more than 400 artists through training, creation, and exhibition opportunities across multiple disciplines. Their new pavilion, the Multidisciplinary Disability Community Arts Hub, will be a home for the performing arts that approaches disability arts as a central force in cultural life. This zero-carbon building is designed for rehearsal and incubation, with public-facing spaces that bring the neighborhood into the campus, and the campus into civic life. The project is designed by DIALOG. Learn more about new and completed Design for Freedom Pilot Projects and how they model more transparent and ethical supply chain - link in bio.

The mining of metals such as copper, cobalt, iron ore, and bauxite has been linked to forced labor abuses, particularly in countries where the mining sector has come under the control of organized criminal organizations or the military. Download the Design for Freedom International Guidance & Toolkit now to learn about materials at a high risk of forced labor, and steps we can take to help create a more ethical building materials supply chain. Link in bio.

What you drink every day should stand for something. Our teas & coffees are crafted through direct relationships and designed to deliver — on taste and on impact. 100% of profits support the work of @gracefarmsct to end forced and child labor worldwide through @dffmovement .

Five years of action and awareness. One extraordinary day of momentum. Immeasurable impact. The Design for Freedom movement is accelerating! The milestone fifth annual Design for Freedom Summit welcomed 550+ leaders across sectors, and students from 21 colleges and universities nationally —an incredible representation of the present and future for the built environment. Across the River building and Barns, we engaged in critical discussions, shared innovative ideas and resources, and connected on a deeper level. From demanding ethical and circular construction in data centers to examining our glass and timber supply chains, exploring global policy responses, announcing new Pilot Project and so much more, we are advancing human rights. "In the life a movement, five years is a foundation. It is a time required for the reports, the research, the presentations that ground us. But for 28 million people trapped in forced labor conditions around the world, working in inhuman conditions to produce the very materials of our built environment, five years is a lifetime. We refuse to stay at a standstill . . .we must build without using that slavery discount, without exploitation built into the next generation of AI and the next generation of workers. Even more broadly, for every building to tell a story of dignity, I hope you will figure out the next step you will take, the next partnership, the next building, the next research project that will help steer the built environment towards human dignity and respect. Thank you for being here." - Sharon Prince, CEO and Founder, Grace Farms, addresses 2026 Summit attendees. Save the date for the 6th annual Design for Freedom Summit on March 31, 2027. Visit designforfreedom.org to learn more about how you can get involved in the movement Video by Christopher McDonald

Bring your questions about the Design for Freedom movement to our May Office Hours session on Wednesday, May 6 at 12 pm EST. Sign up to join Nora Rizzo, Ethical Materials Director, and Brigid Abraham, Design for Freedom Senior Project Manager, as they offer best practices on applying the International Guidance & Toolkit, the latest product discoveries, answer follow-up questions from the 2026 Design for Freedom Summit, and more. Reserve your place and find more details - link in bio.

What are the stories behind the materials that make up our homes, our buildings, our community spaces? First opened in 2024, With Every Fiber is an evolving, immersive exhibit at Grace Farms that presents this question to every visitor. It's a space where you can see, hear, and experience the stories behind at-risk materials, discover innovative approaches to ethical sourcing, and reflect on the very real people making the materials that surround us. Curated by our Chief Strategic Officer and Founding Creative Director, Chelsea Thatcher, With Every Fiber is built on collaboration and community— two pillars at the heart of Grace Farms. Its first iteration opened with contributions from 20 preeminent designers, material suppliers, cultural institutions, and construction industry leaders committed to Design for Freedom. Significantly, @gracefarmsct was invited to the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of @labiennale , bringing With Every Fiber to an international audience. The Biennale display featured new content developed just for the exhibition. Forced and child labor in the building materials supply chain is often hidden, but this exhibit brings it to light while also offering hope. Since October 2025, the evolution of the exhibit, "With Every Fiber: Pigment, Stone, Glass" has focused on the high-risk materials stone, pigment, and glass. Featuring innovative approaches to ethical and sustainable sourcing from world-renowned artists and institutions, including a recording by the @londonphilharmonicorchestra , Dr. @hannahrosethomas , @john_sabraw , @ninacookejohn , @webbyates , and @thestonemasonrycompany , it proves fair labor practices in construction are possible. Awareness is the first step to creating change. Explore "With Every Fiber: Pigment, Stone, Glass" on your next visit to Grace Farms--it's free and open six days a week. Learn more - link in bio. Photos by Andrew Werner

We're delighted to share that our CEO and Founder, Sharon Prince, will receive the Champion of Architecture Medal from @centerforarch at the 2026 Honors and Awards Luncheon on April 24. This honor recognizes individuals outside the architecture profession whose work advances the impact of architecture and design in society. Grace Farms is rooted in Prince's belief that space communicates values and brings people together. She commissioned SANAA to design the River building—a boundary-defying place that welcomes visitors from around the world to explore nature, arts, justice, community, and faith. Through her leadership, Prince also launched the global @dffmovement , mobilizing the architecture and construction industries to eradicate forced and child labor from building materials supply chains. Learn more about this year's honorees, and reserve your seat for the 2026 AIA Honors and Awards Luncheon - link in bio. Pictured: Sharon Prince (Photo by @melanilustphotography ) 2026 AIA New York Honors and Awards Luncheon (Image by AIA New York)

"These projects tell stories of how our industry is challenging the status quo and bringing a more humane future into view." - Nora Rizzo, Ethical Materials Director, @gracefarmsct . A highlight of the fifth annual Design for Freedom Summit was the announcement of four new Design for Freedom Pilot Projects, including two international projects. They include the National Juneteenth Museum in Fort Worth, TX (project team: @big_builds , Alligood Song Architecture, @kaienterprises ), the Bloomberg Office Expansion in New York City (project team: @bloomberg , @fogartyfinger , @socotecusa ), the National Access Arts Centre in Calgary, Canada (project team: DIALOG, National Access Arts), and Médano by Viñoly in Montevideo, Uruguay (project team: @rva_ny and Integrated Developments). "As we continue to accelerate, Pilot Projects are integral to scaling the movement . . . Each project generates its own set of outcomes and research, creating ripple effects throughout the market." - Nora Rizzo. Significantly, there are now over a dozen Pilot Projects across four continents. Learn more about the Design for Freedom Pilot Project program and find more information about the newly-announced projects via the link in our bio. Pictured: 1. Nora Rizzo, Ethical Materials Director, Grace Farms, and Brigid Abraham, AIA, Design for Freedom Senior Project Manager, announce new Design for Freedom Pilot Projects at the 2026 Design for Freedom Summit. Photo by Melani Lust. 2. National Juneteenth Museum (Fort Worth, Texas). 3. Bloomberg Park Avenue Office Expansion (New York, New York). ©Bloomberg LP. All Rights Reserved. 4. National Access Arts Centre (Calgary, Canada) 5. Médano by Viñoly (Montevideo, Uruguay)

The 2026 Design for Freedom Summit plenary, "Cultural Context and Risk in the Global Timber Supply Chain," offered vital insights. @kaiuwebergmann , FAIA, Partner, @big_builds , highlighted BIG's Gelephu Mindfulness City project in Bhutan. Gustavo Ferroni, Program Manager, @the_freedom_fund (Brasil), brought in a perspective from the Amazon and what we can learn from Indigenous communities. @toshiko.mori_ , Principal, @toshiko.mori.architect , architecture professor at @harvardgsd , provided a global forest view. Sharon Prince, CEO & Founder, @gracefarmsct , shared how Grace Farms cultivates ethical and sustainable solutions. "[The forest] has been witness to historical events and tragedies alike, it's ingrained in the memory of civilization and continues to exist as a cultural monument itself." - Toshiko Mori "The Amazon is a living system...it's a forest and a people together, and we should not ever separate that." - Gustavo Ferroni “[The King] invited Bjarke to Bhutan to start thinking about how to envision a future...a new city of 80,000 people...and create a new economic zone on the border with India," said Kai-Uwe Bergmann. "[The airport] is the project we've taken on first...Now there's one issue, which is how many carpenters are there in Bhutan and have they ever built anything or delivered anything at this scale?...So we went to the Biennale in Venice . . . We wanted to address the issue of the carpenters, and the idea of how this incredible craft can actually be learned. We introduced a robot that's machine learning from the actual carpenters. We asked the carpenters, ‘Are you afraid? Do you feel threatened by this?’ And they said, ‘No, we actually see this as a chance to really celebrate the craft.’..It's an evolving conversation that's very important about cultural appropriation. We're very clear we're not wishing to impose a Western approach of Bhutanese architecture, but the King has challenged us to create a conversation that then the Bhutanese can fill out themselves.” "Timber, like glass...demonstrates the capacity for the built environment to communicate beauty and dignity, as well as exploitation." - Sharon Prince.

Thank you to the @newcanaansentinel for highlighting the fifth annual Design for Freedom Summit! As we reflect on this landmark moment, we're grateful for the partnership and shared commitment of all who believe in our mission to eradicate forced and child labor from the building materials supply chain. What began as a call to action by Sharon Prince, CEO and Founder of @gracefarmsct , has grown into a global movement—amplified by the leadership and efforts of advocates and organizations across sectors. Read the full New Canaan Sentinel feature to learn more about the sold-out 2026 Summit, including four new Pilot Project announcements, impactful plenary panels and breakout sessions, and more - link in bio. Be part of the movement to create a more humane built environment - visit designforfreedom.org Photo by @melanilustphotography

More than 550 leaders joined us for an afternoon of dynamic breakout sessions and workshops throughout the River building and barns at the fifth annual Design for Freedom Summit. Discussions centered on key issues including prison labor in the U.S., global policy responses to child labor and worker exploitation, circularity in the glass supply chain, and the impact of industry collaboration. The day also featured screenings of "Dancing Trees" and "Søren Pihlmann: Make Materials Matter," which opened this year's Humanity in Architecture Film Festival. These conversations create vital opportunities to share ideas, build relationships, and take action to advance the movement to eradicate forced and child labor from the building materials supply chain. Learn more about the landmark 2026 Summit - link in bio. Photos by Melani Lust (Captions in Comments)