New Ideas for Recyclable Housing

1.

INTRODUCTION

“The many natural disasters that the world experiences every year pose a unique challenge to housing solution providers. In most disasters, residential properties will be destroyed, resulting in masses of homeless victims. The immediate response has always been to provide some sort of temporary shelters, typically tents of all shapes and sizes. This is typically followed by the provision of semi-permanent structures like wooden houses, or Styrofoam-sandwiched panel houses. Permanent housing solutions will be implemented many months after the disaster first struck. For example, hundreds and thousands of people in Sichuan now live in rows of Styrofoam-sandwiched panel houses, awaiting for permanent houses to be built.

Habitat for Humanity is an international Christian housing charity, focusing on providing housing solutions to the needy of all race, language, religion or nationalities. It has thus far been focused on providing permanent housing solutions. At the disaster areas in which Habitat operates, it has been observed that there is no connection between elements of temporary and permanent housing solutions. Temporary and semi-permanent structures like tents and wall panels are simply dismantled, and discarded, resulting in great waste of resources, and damage to the environment.

The challenge is to find a design for temporary or semi-permanent shelter unit, which can also be incorporated as part of a permanent housing solution. The material used for temporary or semi-permanent housing solution can thus be recycled into permanent use, resulting in great cost saving, and environmental protection.”

2.

OBJECTIVES

The key objectives of the competition are:

1. To create a proposal for a prototype housing that can be implemented on actual disaster relief sites. The primary idea is about the design of a temporary shelter for housing victims post crisis, which can then be later “recycled” (- converted or incorporated) into permanent housing structures for these victims.

2. To encourage creative and original design ideas for temporary relief shelters that can be adapted as part of the permanent housing solutions; so as to develop purposeful, buildable, mobile and housing prototypes, which address situations stated in Part 1.2, and embrace the spirit of the ArchiFest ‘09 theme: Architecture for Humanity.

3. To promote an integrated approach in the design of post crisis shelters that addresses short term fundamental needs, as well as long term sustenance issues in the form of permanent housing solutions, so as to aid emergency situations, as well as support social and community development in a holistic and sustainable manner.

3.

ELIGIBILITY

Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA)
79B Neil Road
Singapore 088904
under SIA Architectural Design Competition Guidelines.

4.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

1. Two (2) panels of A1 landscape sheets, mounted on exhibit-ready 841mm (W) by 594mm (H) white compact-foam panels of not more that 5mm thickness.

2. One (1) set of design report comprising
   • Reduced A3 size colour copies of the A1 boards.
   • Narrative description with a minimum of font size twelve (12), of not more than two A3 sheets.
3. The content of the panels should include :
   • Site plan (if any, 1: 200)
   • Floor plans (of each 45 sqm housing unit at 1: 50 scale)
   • Elevations and sections
   • Details (1: 20 scale)
   • Axonometric or isometric drawing at any scale
   • Photographs of model may also be used
   • Artist impressions to illustrate the external image of the building and internal quality of the spaces created by the design
   • Explanatory sketches or diagrams as the competitor considers appropriate
   • Description of issues like buildability, mobility, durability, and protection against various elements (sun, rain, and wind). Contestants are also encouraged to consider environmentally friendly material and construction techniques.

4. There is no specific site or context stipulated for this competition. However, if should participants choose to select a site, appropriate information such as site plan and relation to specific physical and climatic conditions of the context should be highlighted.

5. A CD containing
   1. Soft copies of drawings and images and photos contained in the panels and design report in high resolution jpeg/tiff format (each at least 300 dpi, A3 size).
   2. Photographs of the team members are required too (each at least 200 dpi, A5 size).
   3. All text in the A1 and A3 sheets should be attached as text files.
   4. Images of A1 Boards submitted (each at least 300 dpi, A3 size).
6. All panel and report submitted must be anonymous. Submission is to be accompanied by a copy of the Concealed Identification Form that will be forwarded by the return email from the competition secretariat after registration (please email design_competition@sia.org.sg to register). The form is to be duly completed and sealed in a separate unmarked envelope taped to the back of the first A1 board.

5.

JUDGING CRITIERIA

1. Creativity and originality in the design how the building structures/material or/and components from the temporary shelter can be “recycled” and re-adapted into permanent housing design
2. Deploy-ability, buildability, mobility and durability of the proposed design or system
3. If a specific site is selected, the contextual response of the design; its appropriateness and relevance to the physical, climatic and contextual conditions
4. Appropriate choice of building materials
5. Sustainability and environmental concerns
6. Maintenance issues

6.

THE JURY

SIA President (or Representative nominated by President)
1 Representative from Habitat for Humanity
1 Representative from Department of Architecture (NUS)
2 other Architects

7.

PRIZES, AWARDS AND EXHIBITION OF ENTRIES

8.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES

9.

PROGRAMME

10.

REGISTRATION PROCEDURE AND SUBMISSION DETAILS

Submission of all entries must be made by 1 October 2009 by 12 noon to:

SIA Secretariat
Singapore Institute of Architects
79B Neil Road
Singapore 088904

At the time of submission, the competitor shall submit a sealed envelope containing the Entrant’s Release Form and the Concealed Identification Form, the 2 A1 boards (in Landscape layout) and the report mentioned in Item 4. The envelope shall be opened after the jury has made its decision.

11.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Any competitor wishing to obtain further information on the brief or terms and conditions may send queries in English and in writing by email to the Secretariat at design_competition@sia.org.sg.

Such email shall clearly state “New Ideas for Recyclable Housing” as the subject heading. Only upon receipt of an acknowledgement email sent by the competition secretariat shall the query be officially registered for a response at the Competition Question-and-Answer webpage.

You can also fill in this online enquiry form.

Q1) Location of Site - Empty or Occupied Site?
A: There is no restriction if it is an empty site or one filled with buildings.

Q2) Limitation on Design Size - 45 sqm or flexible for participant to decide?
A: The gross area of 45 sqm is derived from analyzing average sizes of permanent shelters. It serves as a guide, to work like a basic module, that can be expanded to 90 and even 135sqm. Variation from this foot print is permissible as long as the proposal fulfills its function as permanent housing solutions.

Q3. Cost for temporary or semi-permanent housing - materials, labor and machinery cost
This ranges from about a hundred dollars for a bamboo-based transitional housing in Nepal, to the cost of a disaster relief tent, or styro-foam houses we see in construction sites in Singapore.

Q4. Duration take to build
A: This varies with the adopted shelters. Tentages are easily put up in a very short time. Styrofoam-sandwitched transitional houses take a while longer, but could be constructed within a day.

Q5 Person per square meter Ratio
For the Chengdu earthquake, a typical family is assigned to a place no larger than 25 sq meter.

Q6. Maintainence of Completed Housing
A: Maintenance is often done by respective government.

Q7. Does geographical context makes a difference
A: Absolutely. The other aspect is cultural, as victims may pick and choose the type of shelters they want (e.g. they may not like steel frame houses). In places like Myanmar and Nepal, bamboo structures are preferred since they can be collected locally.

Q8. Typical basic necessity to be provided by the housing charity
A: Habitat aims to provide a decent place for everyone to call home and is typically involved in permanent housing solutions, many months after the initial disaster. They are involved in fund raising to finance the construction of the housing.

Q9: Publicity by Charity to disseminate news or request for aids from the world.
A: The publicity channels include public events, the media, internet, direct-mail appeals, etc.

Q10. Types of material aids typically required
A: It start from a shelter to shield one from the elements, and sanitation and water provision. Habitat often deal with the housing, while other NGOs deal with sanitation and water. Every case and disaster is different, as the geographical locations and cultural expectations are different, but the idea is always to settle the people down permanently as the ultimate goal.

Q11. Furniture (e.g. bed) and dimensions
A: There is no restriction to the provision of furniture such as beds in the design of shelters. It is up to the creativity and innovation of the designers to propose integrated furniture or simply spaces to accomodate different furniture. A generic size of a single bed is about 2000mm in length and 1000mm in width.

Q12) Wet sanitary spaces - integrated or separate facilities
A: There is no restriction of whether the wet areas should be provided within or outside of the shelters. Designers are free to propose how these spaces are designed as integrated or separate facilities from the shelters.

Q13) Dimension Base Units
A: Dimension base units must be in metric system (metres and millimetres) instead of imperial system (yards and inches).

12.

DUTIES AND OBLIGATIONS OF PARTICPANTS AND AWARD WINNERS

All Entrants are not permitted to publish or have their submission (or any part thereof) published prior to the notification of the Jury’s final decision.