The worth of a civilization can be gauged from the place that it gives to women. Women today have distinguished themselves in various spheres of life as orators, doctors, diplomats and so on. There is no denying the fact that women all across the globe have made tremendous progress in this constantly developing economy. While many have taken on the world with confidence there are still an awful lot of women trapped in the shackles of domestic violence and gender inequality. Violence against women need not refer to only physical violence. It is much broader and includes sexual, emotional, psychological and financial abuse. The obstacle between violence and empowerment is often a lack of education. Education has the potential to help women seek employment opportunities and make them financially independent. It is this independence that empowers women to not only seek growth themselves but also acts as a catalyst to empower others around them. It’s imperative that we facilitate a sustainable environment for women; one that is empowering and opens up multiples avenues for them to thrive.

“There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women.” - Kofi Annan, Former Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Opportunity

Opportunity Empowerment can be viewed as a means of creating a social ecosystem in which one can take decisions and make choices either individually or collectively to promote social transformation. Despite e-orts to get women to be a part of organizations such as these, there still seem to be a considerable amount of women who due to the remote location of these centres and other factors like cultural beliefs, economic condition and social structure. The community pavilion would serve as a medium to raise awareness surrounding the issues faced by women in today’s society. This platform would be used to empower women by building on their capabilities and strengths and encouraging their belief in their own ability to make a positive change. It’s time we build a space for change!

Challenge

Participants are to design a Women’s Community Pavilion optimized for 75 users engaging multifunctional spaces for women of all age groups using Architecture as a medium of change. The challenge here is focused on creating an architectural marvel that symbolizes the impact of women and their influence on our society. The designed spaces must integrate function, aesthetics and structural ingenuity. Participants are to consider an optimum usage of space while designing. The structure should not exceed 500 sq.mt of Footprint area. The proposed design should also be easy to maintain by its users. The space designed must include but are not limited to functions like reception and admin area, cafeteria, Spaces for sanitation, skill development workshop studios, exhibition space, Cultural spaces, Library, Shops, counselling cabin, intervention hall, community space, etc. Participants are encouraged to develop their own program in addition to this. The design should provoke innovative activities that stimulate and accelerate community development. This structure must symbolize hope and strength, the design should inspire the local community and be capable of raising awareness of women's rights and empowerment. The competition aims to promote architectural design as an instrument of social change.

Site Selection:

Participants are to choose a site in an urban or rural context for their design proposal. The site selected should be in dire need of change that can be well achieved through awareness and social transformation. The design should be well integrated into the context.

Awards:

Prizes of total USD 4000, broken as follows. 

1st prize USD 2000 + Certificate + Publication 

2nd prize USD 1200 + Certificate + Publication 

3rd prize USD 800 + Certificate + Publication

Schedule

Early Bird Registration: 28th August 2021 to 12th November 2021

Standard Registration: 13th November 2021 to 15th December 2021

Last Day for Queries: 10th December 2021

Closing Date for Submission: 22nd December 2021

Announcement of Winners: 10th February 2022

Eligibility:

We invite everyone, irrespective of their professions or qualifications, to join the competition and present their ideas. Participants are free to submit multiple entries but each entry needs to be registered separately.

Fees:

Registrations Deadline: 15th December 2021 11:59pm 

Submission Deadline: 22nd December 2021 11:59pm

Fees for Early Bird Registrations:

Participants from India: 1800 + 18% Tax (per team) 

Participants from other countries: USD 70+ 18% Tax (per team)

Fees for Regular Registrations:

Participants from India: 2400 + 18% Tax (per team)

Participants from other countries: USD 85 + 18% Tax (per team)

Read competition details on Volume Zero. 

Top image courtesy of Volume Zero

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