MakeforAll
About Us
Derived from NASA's Black Marble Project, this map visualizes the 2023 global nighttime lights. The inception of MakeforAll occurred that same year during a humanitarian trip to Zambia, Africa. We now focus on the world's unlit regions—areas often plagued by systemic vulnerabilities like poverty, conflict, and extreme natural disasters. Our mission leverages medium-scale, replicable passive buildings. These micro-houses are more than just shelter; they are catalysts for local industry and a mindset of self-empowerment. This is how we work to bring light to the darkness, forging a future through collective action.
Collaborative Creation:
Fusing design excellence with
grassroots ingenuity
Every design is the product of a deep collaboration between designers from world-leading institutions and local artisans who master productivity in off-grid or low-power settings.
Together, we create minimalist homes that are deeply local and have the potential to help a community build its own industrial base from the ground up.
Sustainable Stewardship:
Honoring local landscapes and low-carbon principles
To protect vulnerable landscapes from being eroded by makeshift modernization and non-compliant concrete constructions, we exclusively design and produce passive buildings that utilize locally sourced materials.
This approach minimizes carbon emissions and safeguards the build site from the damages of inappropriate construction practices.
Foundational Empowerment:
Building both physical and psychological resilience
We strategically partner with long-established NGOs and international self-empowerment coaches to co-create targeted programs. These initiatives are designed to ignite inner drive and foster durable self-reliance, empowering residents in underserved areas to unlock their latent potential and construct a resilient foundation for life, both materially and psychologically.
Get to know Our Team
We are a multidisciplinary team with diverse expertise
WANG YANYUN
Founder / Principal Designer
Wang YanYun (Clare Wang) is a director and designer working across the integrated fields of art, design, film, and humanitarian practice. She founded MakeforAll based on a unique synthesis of these disciplines, driven by the belief that meaningful innovation occurs at the intersection of narrative, design, and social impact.
In film and art, Wang employs a sophisticated storytelling approach that revitalizes culturally rich yet often overlooked regions, bringing them into contemporary discourse and amplifying their social relevance. Her documentaries have garnered more than 800 million views online. Since the age of 19, she has also published three books and held several solo exhibitions, offering systematic cultural observations that further illuminate her cinematic and artistic practice. One notable film—documenting the collaboration between rebellious Chinese artists and marginalized elderly artisans in a rural community—was recognized by national television as an exemplary work of rural revitalization.
In design, Wang has earned international accolades, including First Place in Archiol’s “Into the Rabbit Hole” competition, which foregrounds psychological healing as an architectural methodology, and a Gold Award in the Public Building category of the UN Design Award. Beyond design itself, she acts as a visionary producer, connecting designers and scholars worldwide to co-create forward-looking visions for communities. She also works as a social strategist, mobilizing local NGOs and self-empowerment coaches while systematically fundraising to ensure designs materialize beyond the drawing board.
Underpinning these endeavors is a profound commitment to hands-on execution. Wang is currently pursuing professional certifications in electrical work, welding, and carpentry—skills that enable her to serve as a critical bridge between global academic institutions and vulnerable communities. Her work is dedicated to translating complex architectural knowledge into actionable vocational training, empowering people to build their own dwellings using essential, accessible methods—laying not only physical foundations for homes, but also symbolic ones for self-determined lives.
LI WENHAN
Co-Founder & Education Director
Driven by a profound commitment to architectural education and heritage revitalization,Li Wenhan co-founded MakeforAll to bridge advanced academic research with tangible, on-the-ground impact.
With a specialized academic focus in architecture, Li's work is centered on spatial design and the contemporary renewal of built heritage, particularly through the lens of digital transformation. His research and practice critically examine the commercial viability and adaptive reuse of heritage assets, with a parallel dedication to innovating small-scale residential design. He is recognized for his advanced expertise in architectural visualization, employing it as a key methodology for research, analysis, and communication.
Beyond design practice, Li possesses mature capabilities in design pedagogy and cross-age program management. His extensive teaching career is marked by the direct mentorship and development of nearly a hundred students, cultivating a new generation of design thinkers and practitioners. This dual strength in both creation and education enables him to effectively translate complex architectural concepts into actionable vocational training, empowering communities through knowledge and skill transfer.
MakeforAll