As human beings, words form an integral part of who we are and reflect us as sentient beings. When we call for action and advocate that it triumphs over words, it fuels our impulse for showmanship and display. In the case of design, talk is certainly not cheap. The repercussions of design without extended period of dialogue often to lead to dire results, evident in many design case studies.

This ‘artefact’ is a Muji 0.38 Black Gel Ink Pen. It is great for sketching as well as writing. This is important. The amount of ink that comes out is constant and does not shine through on the next page. The cap is attached tightly to the pen itself and never goes off unexpectedly, no matter how many items I stuff into my bag.

In context of the promotion of her new book Urban Warfare: Housing under the Empire of Finance, we had the honour to talk one-on-one with Brazilian author Raquel Rolnik. As architect and urban planner, she has been deeply involved in policies concerning social housing for several decades. During 2008-2014 she was the UN special reporter on the Right to Adequate Housing. We asked her about her drive, her ideals, and the current global challenges the social housing sector is facing.