Architects should see themselves as the representatives of the community in the building process and not simply as an agent of developers, argues low-cost housing specialist Victor Body-Lawson in this interview.

Body-Lawson, whose diverse studio designs housing for low-income areas in the US and Africa, told Dezeen that architecture is about finding ways to open dialogue and bring people together.

"Over the years of practising, I have come to realize that the best tool for empowering people is through affordable housing," he said.