Architecture for Humanity and AMD recently announced the winners of its 2007 AMD Open Architecture Challenge. Each year the competition addresses architects and designers around the world, seeking “to harness the creativity and energy of the design community to address a different systemic issue facing those living in underserved communities.” This year’s topic of “Digital Inclusion” generated some incredible projects, with Seattle based Global Studio taking taking top honors for its SIDAREC Technology Hub.
Set in Nairobi, Kenya, the SIDAREC Technology hub was designed by Lucy Mathai and George Onyango to be “the next silicon valley”. The Slums Information Development & Resource Centre will combine education with technology to bring out the potential of youth and develop a vital community. The center will provide a technology media lab, library, and recording studio that will empower the youth of Mukuru Kwa Njenga and showcase a variety of sustainable building strategies.
South America’s winning project was from the Kallari Association, a stunning sustainable structure that will provide shelter and protection for organic cocoa producers and Amazon artists in Ecuador. Conceived by Heather Worrell, ChunSheh Teo, and Igor Taskov, the structure will act as a fair trade exchange, chocolate production center, and will also provide an Internet connection to rural communities through a series of satellite hubs.
Max Fordham LLP won the Asia Challenge with the Nyaya Health Center, which will provide telemedicine to a remote rural area of Nepal “where there is only one doctor for a population of 250,000.” The center will provide the region with access to health care from top physicians around the world via a sustainable, energy-efficient structure.
There are many more exciting proposals at the Open Architecture Challenge website, so be sure to check them out and see how architects and designers are helping to change the world for the better.
The AMD Open Architecture Challenge launches TODAY- Architecture for Humanity’s biggest and most ambitious design competition to date. The open, international design competition is co-sponsored
The Open Architecture Network is off to a blazing start, and today, in coordination with tech company AMD, Architecture for Humanity announced their $250,000 OAN
Leave a Comment
Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments.
Please note that gratuitous links to your site are viewed as spam and may result in removed comments.
