Conflict areas like the West Bank offer opportunities for architects to combine their design ambitions with a desire to make a difference in the world, according to Ron Arad (+ interview).
The London-based Israeli designer has just unveiled plans to build a cancer treatment centre in northern Israel, which will serve Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Druze communities in both Israeli and Palestinian territories.
"Architects have a duty to do good things," explained Arad, 64, in an exclusive interview with Dezeen.

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"There are some places that I would avoid and refuse to take jobs," he said. "But there are some places where not only is your eagerness to do architecture satisfied, but also your eagerness to do good, and this one is a perfect example of that." Proposed for the existing Ha-Emek Medical Centre, Beit Shulamit will for the first time offer cancer sufferers in West Bank cities like Jenin and Nablus access to specialist treatment.
Arad has designed the cancer treatment centre as a three-storey tiered structure that follows the slope of the terrain, creating a series of indoor and outdoor spaces for patients
"Luckily Ha-Emek understands that sometimes you have to invest in things that normally there isn't enough money for," he said.
Ron Arad trained as an architect at the Architectural Association in London, ...