Eventually, Duong hopes to use her experience designing Abu Dhabi to assist the less fortunate. One possibility: critical infrastructure restoration after disasters. And yet, no matter where she sets up shop next, she says she’ll always strive to make “a tangible impact on people’s wellbeing and sense of attachment to their home.”
Iron and glass (and underground pipes, apparently) can certainly have that effect; physical structures are often how people describe their communities to others. But as inspiring as the built environment is, ideas can be equally effective at bringing people together.