DNADD, a nonprofit association, has launched a new architecture competition based on a fund-raising formula, necessary for the construction of the project in Lima, Peru. 

Participants are expected to develop a new community centre, able to constitute the reference point for the inhabitants. It’s around this new centre that people will organise their collective while trying to improve the settlements where they live.

"We climb an endless number of steps until we meet clusters of enormous rocks. Where the stairs come to an end, paths traced between the rocks start, until they disappear and every way fades and gets invisible. We are climbing the tops of San Juan de Lurigancho."

Such a district is Lima’s and Peru’s most populated one, with 1.038.495 million inhabitants and one of the three poorest in the metropolitan area of Lima. At present, more than half the population of San Juan de Lurigancho live in human informal settlements causing the dramatic increase in its population. Such areas have been shaped to become invisible. However, they still are quite clearly seen and not even included in future spatial planning.

The 76% of the informal settlements have at least one form of community organization to face their difficulties. Unfortunately, even though are characterised by a strong community organisation, they lack a place to gather: a communal space where pose the basis for their growth.

Techo is a nonprofit organization that, through the collaborative work of families living in extreme poverty with volunteers, seeks to overcome poverty in informal settlements. DNADD and Techo share the same mission: build a new community development center. Provide San Juan de Lurigancho’s inhabitants with a place to gather, where they can finally be able to work, study, play and, above all, share.

The community centre will be mainly used as a place for gathering and interactions between neighbours. Besides, it will be the theatre of different activities and, hence, it will constitute a changing environment, able to adapt to the needs of its users. 

Young volunteers will build the project over 4 days.

Calendar

Early registrations: July 31-September 2, 2019

Standard registrations: September 3-October 8, 2019

Late registrations: October 10-November 14, 2019

End of registrations and material submission: November 14, 2019

Results Announcement: December 5, 2019

Construction: April 2020

Prizes

1st prize: 1000€

Possibility to take part, as a volunteer, in the construction in Lima, Perù
Possibility to see the project published in architectural magazines
Publication of the project on the website of the association and social networks
Free participation to another DNADD competition

2nd prize: 700€

Publication of the project on the website of the association and social networks
Free participation to another DNADD competition

3rd prize: 300€

Publication of the project on the website of the association and social networks
Free participation to another DNADD competition

+ 5 Honorable Mentions

Jury

Patrick Dillon, ENSITU, Panama

Annalisa Trentin, University of Bologna, Italy

Julio Salcedo, Scalar Architecture, United States

Fernando Duarte Callizo, TECHO International, Paraguay

Filippo Magni, Iuav, Italy

If you have questions about the competition, please contact: [email protected]. To download the competition materials, please visit the competition's website.

Top image courtesy of DNADD

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