World Architecture Awards 10+5+X Submissions

Task
The orphanage in Loango owns 10 hectares of land in the village of Niolo, 10 km away. The plan is to use the land to create a farm, the operation of which would contribute and enable financial support for the operation of the orphanage. In connection with this, there should be accommodation for the farm manager, a storage room for tools and accommodation for children from the orphanage, who could come during the holidays and learn about the operation of the farm. There are currently two small buildings on the property that are inadequate.

Charity
The project was created with the cooperation of a Czech charity and architects and designers. As part of the charity collection, money will be collected for the implementation of the project in Niolo in DR Congo.

Annotation
The land is transformed into a mosaic of fields and orchards with various agricultural uses. The fields are irrigated using a pond from a connected nearby stream. The ponds are also used for planting and bathing. A service road between Loangu and Tshela crosses the field.

In the southern corner of the property, there is a home for orphans and the caretaker's farm family, and then a repaired "larger" existing building, which serves as a tool store, a sanitary facilities facility, and an insaka social meeting space, typical of the local culture. The "smaller" existing building is recycled as a source of material due to its location on the plot and its poor condition. The main architectural design is the main building for living in the form of a longitudinal dome with a gable roof, which together covers the housing of the administrator, orphans, technical facilities and warehouses. The center of the dome is a veranda for multifunctional use, together with a drawing board wall. The entire structure is raised above ground level for protection from the elements and also offers seating around the perimeter.

The design of the building is based on the concept of an operational solution, a view, local identity and tradition. The sustainability of the project is supported by the production of electricity using PV panels from the abundant local sunlight. The object is thus self-sufficient off grid and can try to establish communication with the "Akon Lighting Africa" platform. Rainwater is collected in retention tanks and used for washing, cleaning and hygiene, irrigation.

The material solution uses local materials and technologies and processes so that the building retains the local atmosphere and is maintainable without complications. We use concrete foundations and slabs and a reinforcing ring, fired and unfired bricks, clay plasters, wooden fillings of structures and linings, steel design grids. The roof structure consists of a steel truss made of jackl profiles, corrugated sheet metal and palm leaves.

The internal microclimate creates a pleasant environment thanks to sufficient lighting and shielding against overheating. Clay plasters regulate the humidity in the space well. Ventilation is natural with the help of transverse windows and ventilation openings. All openings in the perimeter envelope are equipped with a mosquito net against insects.

We create a sustainable architecture and a pleasant environment for social interaction and knowledge.

Location:
village Niolo in DR Congo, Africa, 10 km from village Loango

Site:
10 ha = 100 000 m2

Field program:
rice, beans, palm oil, orchards, sheepfold, henhouse, ponds, etc.

Building program:
orphanage, farm's house, sanitary facilities, insaka, reconstruction of existing house


Authors:
Anita Černá, Jiří Petrželka

CG:
Jiří Petrželka

Supervised by:
Ing. Petr Čanda, Ing. Jan Tilinger, PhD

ICWD CTU in Prague

This thesis looks at incremental design with evidence and research-based method. Analysing the situation of informal settlements in Hong Kong, it aims to work between a blank slate rebuild and a low-tech DIY layperson strategy. Given that the nature of informal settlements in Hong Kong are temporary, the thesis takes this opportunity to provide quantifiable improvements in terms of thermal comfort, structural stability, and the community. It intend to demonstrate how the temporary can act as a vehicle for change, but not only a stopgap until something permanent can take place.

Keywords: temporary, construction, material, time, mistrust


Agenda

- Interest in Informal settlements

Apart from the prosperous and well-off aspects of Hong Kong, there exists another image of the city- informal settlements, or “squatters” and “slums” perching on the hillsides in some areas. According to the statistics of the Food and Health Bureau, there are 8476 squatter huts in the urban area of Hong Kong in 2019. The number informal settlements, or squatters has vastly increased after the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in 1945, as a result of the inability of the colonial government to manage the housing demand and restore order of the city. Informal settlements have emerged as a resource for managing poverty.

Informal settlements often appear like a labyrinth. Though impenetrable and complex to the outsiders, it is highly accessible to the residents. They are multi-functional spaces where every scrap of sunlight, material and space has its use. Walter Benjamin have expressed interest in slums of early 20th- century Naples, where he identified the urban quality of 'porosity’, where the spatial and social subdivision of the city dissolves: where the interpenetrations of buildings and actions ‘become a theatre of new, unforeseen constellations’.

In addition, informal settlements are relatively high density, transit oriented, walkable and car free. They are often constructed with recycled materials with low embodied energy and concepts of passive heating/ cooling. Urban informality demonstrates how to integrate an incremental upgrading process for designing the low-carbon city.

- Temporariness and Permanence

The nature of informal settlements in Hong Kong are temporary. Due to the squatter control policy, they are only permitted to remain on a ‘temporary’ basis until they are cleared for development. It could imply that they remain until something ‘permanent’ takes place.

In the West, permanence is often linked with monumentality. According to Clay Lancaster, this is related to the materiality, as the Western edifices are built out of thick masonry walls. However, in Eastern cultures such as China or Japan, timber frame structures are prominent. Unlike monuments in the West like the Parthenon in Rome, the Ise Shrine in Japan was built to achieve permanence and immortality through renewing and rebuilding the structure . It celebrates death and renewal as opposed to the physical permanence adopted by Western traditions.

Working with a site where ‘temporary’ structures have stood for almost 300 years, this thesis takes the opportunity to challenge the ideas of time and materials, and to provide to provide quantifiable improvements in terms of thermal comfort, structural stability, and the community in a limited timeframe.

- Ship of Theseus

One of the most astonishing questions of philosophy involves the Ship of Theseus. During its long voyages, the ship of the mythical Greek founder-king of Athens needs repairs of different parts one at a time, and ultimately every component is replaced so that not a fragment of the original components remains. With its composition entirely transformed, is it still the same ship?
This relates to the philosophy of identity: to which point can a thing be modified before it was perceived as a different thing? Aristotle felt that form was an essential quality and matter accidental. According to identity theory, change in materiality do not necessarily endanger an object’s overall identity. The key to whether the object is still the same one lies in whether the parts and pieces were replaced slowly, seamlessly, so there was never a moment when it stopped to exist in its form, which stays the same even as matter changed.
Therefore, to preserve the identity of the informal village, the proposal should adopt the idea of incremental change as opposed to a blank slate rebuild. The proposal must also maintain the essence of informal settlements- the DIY spirit and work in human scale in terms of materiality and the construction process.


Definition of terms
1982 Survey
Refers to the territory-wide survey on squatter structures conducted in June 1982. The survey recorded the location, dimensions (i.e. length, width, height), building materials and use of the Surveyed Squatter Structure.

Squatter structures (SS)
refers to structures illegally occupying government land (GL) or erected on private agricultural land (PAL) in breach of lease conditions.

Surveyed squatter structures
refers to those unauthorised structures erected on government land and leased agricultural land before June 1982 and have been surveyed and recorded by the Government before June 1982(“1982 Survey”).

Licensed Structures
refers to the domestic and non-domestic structures on government land under a Government Land License (GLL) issued before mid-1970s.

Pok Fu Lam village was selected as the pilot scheme of applying the sustainable construction system for this thesis.
It is a historical village with almost 300 years history. Located on a hillside at the west of Hong Kong Island, the boundaries of the village were defined by mountains and streams for protection against strong wind, and supply of fresh water. The self-sufficient farming village has gradually developed into an urban area since the al of the British in 1841. The village was included on the 2014 World Monuments Watch. Today, the village is characterised by narrow lanes and alleys twisting through, with newer structures built around smaller traditional buildings and shrines.
Under the Town Planning Board’s Outline Zoning Plan (OZP), Pok Fu Lam Village falls under the village type category. The village has been organically evolved over time, forming a unique cultural landscape. Houses on private lots were restrained by town planning and lands regulations, and houses on government lands were considered squatters. Since the villagers were uncertain about the planning intention of the government, they did not have the courage to devote fully in the repair and maintenance work of their dwelling . As a result, temporary materials were widely used for construction throughout the village.
The fact that the village is composed of temporary (such as houses on government lands) and permanent elements (traditional buildings and shrine) makes it an interesting site for intervention. Also, as the titleship of Pok Fu Lam Village is complicated and it comprises of private land and government land, it provides opportunities for making use of the constraints in developing this pilot scheme.

Designer: Joyce Tze Yuet Hui
Supervisor: Eike Schling

Indonesia is an archipelagic country and the 4th largest population in the world. This population density is often found in cities who have high pressure on mobility, work and stress. Many individuals need a break from the hustle and bustle of urban life.

I designed the Glamping Villa that I chose to be located on a hillside filled with pine trees, far from the hustle and bustle of the city, which aims to relieve all the fatigue of the city. The shape of the villas is inspired by pinecones that fell around the site, connected to each other by paths.

This Villa includes:
1. 1 lobby
2. restaurant
3. 3 single/couple rooms
4. 3 family rooms
5. bonfire
6. nets for children's play ground.

Each room has a second floor that allows visitors to relax and playing with their children. above the second floor there is a hole that can enter light, this shape can create a warm and refreshing impression for the occupants in it, as well as for natural lighting, so you don't need lights to illuminate the room during the day. It can be found in the other buildings too like the restaurant and lobby.

at night, visitors can enjoy the stars by a bonfire or while walking on the path that has been provided. The restaurant is always open 24 hours and from here we can enjoy the atmosphere of the pine forest with a refreshing aroma. from the room we can also see the stars on the second floor through the hole in the roof. This will provide a unique experience for visitors.

Likewise, good architecture can provide a unique experience for visitors through their senses, such as eyes, smell, skin, and textures formed in the building.

Location: Pine Forest Dlingo, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
Land Area: 2880 m2
Buildings area: 1000 m2
Materials: pine woods, bamboo, glass, shingle roof, hollow steel, pipe steel.

Designer: Michelle Jannes Wahono
Supervisor or Instructor: Linda Octavia, M.T

This project aims to redesign each urban block and connected it in tandem with a linea r transportation system. An intertwined approach is used to try to solve the problems of the city. The four specific zones identified—based on opportunity and potential—are characterized by different strategies and uses. They can be described as: Waterfront activities center, Cultural and Creative Center, Agricultural Trade and Food district and innovation center.Coupled with citizen participation, allow users to customize their own street activities and behaviors. We aim to provide a sustainable urban design that belongs to the local population!

Beirut is one of the oldest cities in the world, devastated by the Lebanese civil war 30 years ago. Its cultural landscape underwent major reconstruction. For nearly three years now, Lebanon has been assailed by compounded crises—specifically, an economic and financial crisis, followed by COVID-19 and, lastly, the explosion at the Port of Beirut on 2020, the economic lifeline of the city was forced to stop functioning. —“After the explosion: What’s next for Beirut?”

This project takes a bold approach towards rethinking the future for Beirut by adopting a strategic tactic to incentivize and distribute development across the neighborhood. In the hope to convert it from a transient neighborhood, with little or no relationship to its various adjacencies—namely the Medawar district, Saifi Village—the strategy adopted here is that of re-linking by a new public transport system and re-negotiating thresholds to create an equitable and sustainable future.

"Re-intertwine" adopts the design concept of the 15-minute city that integrates different modes of transport, including cycling, and increasing green space and public space. It takes an interesting user-oriented approach to developing multimodal solutions for every user profile, using public transportation to get to different hubs in the neighborhood.

It is our belief that Beirut can develop towards becoming a city of diverse tech nodes. Thus the project aims to reimagine Beirut by leveraging its unique location and proximity to waterfront, by attracting investment from international businesses and neighboring countries in the Mediterranean, converting excessive infrastructure from a liability into an asset, reconnect people to water and nature to have a place that's more human skin, more calm and protected.

This project will be led by local administrative units or professionals in its overall urban planning direction. Local residents can participate in public space decision-making in various areas..

In the process of urban planning. Public participation can increase the usefulness of the space through the use of a mobile app. Transparency of the cost, time and different functions of urban development. People can understand the future of their city through APP and AR. We have designed a variety of activity opportunities in four different activity directions. Let citizens customize their open spaces. The public can participate in the process of regional planning. Build cities that serve the public interest.

This project rejects the traditional urban design scheme of top-down and bottom-up. Instead, it adopts cooperative urban planning and design, and distributes its creativity and voice. Rather than redefining power relations for decision-making, the purpose is to strengthen collective practice and interactions between professionals, local governments, and citizens.
■　Studio：11X STUDIO for Architecture and Urbanism
■　Designer：Qin-Chao Zhou (Co-Founder & Design Director), Wan-Hsuan Wu (Co-Founder)
■　Instructor：Charles tzu wei chiang
■　University：National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (M.Arch)

Humans have always been exploring nature. From the plains to the hills, from planet Earth to the Milky Way. Mars has too many attractive exploration factors, such as rich topography. Therefore, Mars is no surprise where people are eager to explore in the future.

【The Third Nature - Mars Human Habitat】

Not all the destinations for human exploration are suitable for biological habitat. According to whether it is suitable for biological habitat, the destinations for human exploration can be divided into two kinds of nature: The First Nature (suitable for biological habitat) & The Second Nature (not suitable for biological habitat).Some spaces on Earth are similar to the Second Nature, such as desert(natural). ruin(artificial) and so on. Mars belongs to the Second Nature, so how to establish a habitat for explorers on Mars is called the establishment of the Third Nature.

Therefore, the whole story revolves around Mars exploration. People who are keen on exploring the Second Nature in the future will form the Second Nature Exploration Alliance, and Mars is also one of their exploration destinations. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a habitat for explorers on Mars.

【Cacti on Mars】

Due to extreme natural conditions, human habitats are almost impossible to establish. In the uninhabited desert areas of the earth (Similar to the Second Nature), cacti grow. People are impressed by cacti's ability to adapt to extreme environments. People borrowed cactus biology and started to build their own Mars home.

【Translate Five Main Characteristics of Cacti for Design】

By extracting the five main biological characteristics of cactus which are helpful to adapt to harsh environment, we try to translate them into the space design of Mars habitat which will help our design adapt and respond to some special and severe environmental problems on Mars.

1 Hygroscopic Expansion - Simulate hygroscopic expansion, use the inflatable expansion technology to form minimal space to meet satisfaction of various minimal living space.

2 Hybrid Growth - Simulate hybrid growth by grafting of different types of cactus tubers, design different types of space units and form buildings to improve environmental adaptability.

3 Phloem & Sieve Tube - Simulate the structure of cactus epidermis - phloem & sieve tube to form a three-layer defense wall of Martian stone, water ice and inflatable bladder to resist to sandstorm, radiation and other problems.

4 Thorn & Flower - Simulate the thorn and flowers of cactus to form a functional epidermal system to meet satisfaction of daily life needs.

5 Horizontal Root System - Simulate the horizontal root system of cactus to form the traffic network of Mars habitat.

【Cactus Algorithm】

We take the advantage of algorithm. By trying to extract cactus's feature to define its shape and growth mechanism, then we compile the cactus generation algorithm to generate the external shape of buildings. This helps us to generate different types of design projects quickly and efficiently.

【Imagination of The Third Nature】

The algorithm can generate innumerable cacti, but how to create the third nature of Mars is what human beings should define and what we want to discuss most. We look forward to the third natural habitat of mankind, which is in the ascendant and full of vitality.


Human Migration Plan - Mars Habitat Design Project
Design: Zhiwei Xu, Wei Ye
Supervisors: Weiguo Xu, Likai Wei, Xiayu Zhao
Institute of Future Human Habitat (iFHH), Shenzhen International Graduate School (SIGS), Tsinghua University