Design Against the Elements is a global architectural design competition meant to find a solution to the problems presented by climate change.
It has been spurred on by the devastation wreaked in the Philippines by tropical storm Ondoy (Ketsana) and driven by a multidisciplinary group of organisations from the private, institutional, and government sectors and aims to draw together innovative minds in the fields of architecture, design and urban planning to develop sustainable and disaster-resistant housing for communities in tropical urban settings.
The winning design will be built as a prototype disaster-resistant and livable eco-village in Taguig City, Metro Manila.
The village will be the first green and disaster-resistant community in the country and provide a model that can be studied and replicated in similar areas.
The finished project will house a marginalised community living in an environmental danger zone, giving them a sense of security, ownership, and awareness of sustainability that can be practiced at all levels in their everyday lives.
The project also aims to present a definitive green building solution in a truly local context.
The submitted design will be expected to address all of the following tasks:
- develop a masterplan for an urban housing development that can be applied to similar areas
- integrate development that addresses the sustainability of the community by understanding the local economic, social and environmental attributes
The design is expected to take into account the various economic, social, and environmental conditions of the community in which it will be built.
Submissions close November 19, 2010.
Visit http://www.designagainsttheelements.org/home.htm#overview for more information.
