John Peterson (right), founder and president of Public Architecture, confers with Zach Reisler in the non-profit's office space in San Francisco, Calif. on Tuesday, April 21, 2015. Photography © Paul Chinn, The Chronicle

For the past decade, San Francisco’s Public Architecture firm has worked to nudge the architectural profession toward a larger role in the quest for a nation where smart humane design is not only for the financially well-endowed.

The quantitative results are impressive, with more than 1,300 firms having pledged to devote at least 1 percent of their billable hours to projects in “under-served environments.” Here’s what might be most striking of all: The small nonprofit is still going strong. It didn’t collapse when the novelty wore off.“If you have a good idea and some momentum, people respond in the beginning,” said John Peterson, 52, who launched the nonprofit as an offshoot of his now-defunct design firm back in 2002. “It’s your ability to stay the course that makes the difference between being a fad and playing a long-term role.”......Continue Reading