Architecture

is a Competition
 Editorial

I
t is with great satisfaction that I present to you this year’s issue of the Archi-
tecture Competitions Yearbook. As promised last year, we are continuing our
section ‘How we won that competition?’, which gives great insights into the
work of established designers. What makes this issue special is the fact that we
managed to invite three very talented, yet young, architects working in the most
recognizable architectural offices in the world, to share with us stories of notewor-
thy competitions that they took part in.

We begin our segment with a detailed view of the challenge posed to Bjarke Ingels
Group (BIG) upon designing the LEGO House. The objective of the competition was
not only to maximize the potential of the site, but also to represent the creativity of
the most famous blocks. Ryohei Koike tells us how the company managed to win
the heart of the owner of LEGO by implementing their Information Driven Design
method, relying on an African proverb and understanding that the proportions of
LEGO bricks already surround us.

Cosimo Scotucci then takes us through one of the most prestigious con-
tests in Asia: The Hainan Art Center where MVRDV managed to deliver
a breathtaking project that connects two parts of the city and combines various
cultural functions. The most problematic part? Merging delicate and airy concepts
without compromising their solidity.

And finally, Filip Piwowarczyk shares a story of a competition for the headquar-
ters of one of the tech companies in Hanoi, Vietnam that presents the process of
concept design creation used at B+H Architects. He reveals how the studio came
up with the idea of a V-shaped building through research on the urban context, cli-
mate conditions and social impact drawing inspirations from houses on stilts and
rice field terraces.

On top of the process insights, all of the authors also give us their “golden means”
to survive the hectic reality of competitions: trusting people, adopting Bruce Lee’s
philosophy and not getting out of your comfort zone (at least not rapidly) may just
be your recipe for success.

In addition, we would like to present to you 10 of the most interesting architecture

competitions, according to Competitions.archi, that took place over the last 12
months. As this year was particularly rich in compelling contests for young design-
ers, I am certain that the following pages full of inspiration will contribute towards
improving your skills and mastering the design process.

Marcin Husarz
Architect & Founder of Competitions.archi
 Contents

08 — 17 Only the best is good enough 140 — 157 ArchStorming Enko – African Urban School Competition
1st prize – The Building Block | 141
18 — 23 Bending the void
2nd prize – Parallel | 144
3rd prize – Urban Terrace School | 148
24 — 35 Energy, enthusiasm, passion
Special Mentions, Honorable Mentions | 152
36 — 55 The Kaira Looro Competition How we won that competition? | 154

1st prize – Children’s House | 37

2nd prize – Children’s House | 40 158 — 179 eVolo: Skyscraper Competition 2022

3rd prize – Children’s House | 44 1st prize – Climate: Control Tower | 159

Special Mentions, Honorable Mentions | 48 2nd prize – Tsunami Park | 162

How we won that competition? | 50 3rd prize – New Spring | 164

Honorable Mentions | 168

56 — 75 Hangar Ticinum How we won that competition? | 172

1st prize – The House of Light | 57

2nd prize – Fata Morgana | 60 180 — 205 Inspireli Awards – Beirut Port: An Urban Life Generator
3rd prize – TWOFOLD: A water infrastructure that heals | 64 1st prize International – The Beirut Lines | 181
Golden Mentions, Honorable Mentions | 68 1st prize Leabanon – Beirut Port: An Urban Life Generator | 184
How we won that competition? | 70 2nd prize – Beirut Port | 188
3rd prize – Port of Beirut | 192
76 — 93 OpenGap.net – Inspiration Hostel Competition 2022 Honorable Mentions | 196

1st prize – Urban Elevation, Azure Fascination | 77 How we won that competition? | 198

2nd prize – Let inspiration bloom along the tracks! | 80

3rd prize – Sensory Maze | 82 206 — 215 ArkxSite: Site Bathhouse
— Honorable Mentions | 86 1st prize – Site Bathouse | 207
FOUNDER & PUBLISHER
& EDITOR-IN-CHIEF How we won that competition? | 88 2nd prize – Site Bathouse | 208
Marcin Husarz
marcin@competitions.archi 3rd prize – Site Bathouse | 210
—
94 — 115 ArchStorming – Rebuilding Siargao Competition Honorable Mentions | 211
CONTRIBUTORS
Justyna Gworek
1st prize – Our Tabo | 95 How we won that competition? | 212
Ania Rola
Kamil Grajda
Marta Szmidt 2nd prize – KUBOnihan | 100
— 3rd prize – Rebuilding the Tabo, Siargao Coco Lab | 104 216 — 231 OpenGap.net – Innatur 10 Competition
FOR ADVERTISING ON ACY
hello@yearbook.archi Special Mentions, Urban Interventions, Honorable Mentions | 108 1st prize – Harvesting in the fog | 217
— How we won that competition? | 110 2nd prize – The Smokes, That Thunder(ed) | 220
GRAPHIC DESIGN & DTP
Wojtek Świerdzewski 3rd prize – Pampa | 222
— 116 — 139 Young Architects Competitions – Ghana Innovation Farm Honorable Mentions | 224
PRINT
Printing House KiD s.c. 1st prize – The Innovation Farm | 117 How we won that competition? | 226
— 2nd prize – One Roof | 122
COVER
Bahaa Alawieh 3rd prize – Along the Street | 128
— Golden Mentions, Honorable Mentions | 132
www.yearbook.archi
How we won that competition? | 134
We do NOT own any rights to
the projects shown in the book.
All projects were sent to us by
the competition organizers giving
“Competitions.archi” permission
to distribute the content online
or on print.
Competitions Competitions

African Urban
School
The Kaira Looro Competition Skyscraper
Competition Hangar Ticinum Competition

140 106

Beirut Port:
An Urban Life Innatur 10
Generator Competition
36 56 158

Rebuilding
Siargao
Inspiration Hostel Competition
Competition
Site Bathhouse

94

Ghana
Innovation
Farm

76 116 180 216 206

Article
Only the best
is good enough
Ryhohei Koike, an associate in Bjarke Ingels
Group (BIG) walks us through the studio’s
most important competition project, the
LEGO house, reflecting on the similarities
between architecture and playing with LEGO.
Throughout his story we learn that the world
is saturated with proportions of a LEGO brick,
how the project relates to Mona Lisa, Bruce
Lee’s philosophy and martial arts, and just how
big was the LEGO house project for BIG.
Big & LEGO
“If BIG had been founded with the purpose of building one single building, it would
be the LEGO house.” said Bjarke, the founding partner of Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG),
during the 1st design meeting with the competition team. I’ve worked with Bjarke
for 12 years, but this statement is the one that I will never forget. It was rare for
Bjarke to call on a team to address the significance of a competition, let alone de-
liver an inspirational speech. The philosophy of LEGO has influenced BIG immeas-
urably. It is not just a toy for the BIG architects, the idea of LEGO’s systematic crea-
tivity is at the heart of how BIG approaches architecture. We use logic and reason,
along with our imagination, to create surprising, yet pragmatic architecture.
A LEGO model of BIG’s first built project, Harbor Bath in Copenhagen, is displayed
along with dinosaurs and R2-D2 at the LEGO store Copenhagen. Bjarke has re-
ceived numerous awards and trophies in his career, but he says that the LEGO dis-
play of his project touched him the most. Our office is home to an army of LEGOs.
Our signage, logo, and stationery are made of LEGOs. Some even tease Bjarke how
he is proportionally similar to LEGO mini figures. So it is relatively easy to imagine
how thrilled Bjarke must have been when BIG received an invitation to participate
in the LEGO House Competition in 2012.
Before the LEGO House Competition, BIG had done a project called “LEGO tower”
in 2009. It was a residential complex competition in Denmark. During the Marshall
years, when post-war Denmark was being rebuilt, the state chose to favor prefabri-
cated construction over all other forms of construction. As a result, the in-situ cast
concrete industry has almost vanished, leaving the entire building industry based
on prefabricated modules. The system was used by Jorn Utzon, a legend of Dan-
ish architecture, who sublimated it as “Additive Architecture.” Utzon’s philosophy
8 ACY ∙ 2022
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was reflected on the LEGO TOWER project. BIG presented an unprecedented sculp-
tural project using a single module system. The model was built with LEGO bricks
If a project can be built
as the ultimate proof for any developer that, if a project can be built out of LEGO
bricks, it can’t be that difficult to build in real life. We won the competition, but it out of LEGO bricks, it
got canceled due to the financial crisis. Still, the model of the LEGO tower has been can’t be that difficult to
placed in the middle of the Copenhagen office since the competition to show how build in real life.
BIG had been obsessed with LEGO.
LEGO Brand House Competition
The objective of the LEGO House competition was to maximize the potential of
the site, which was the former City Hall location, a square surrounded by various
shops and a community center. The LEGO House aimed to be as unique and inspir-
ing as their products and to become the LEGO epicenter on earth, where families,
fans and followers would meet through fun, play and learning. BIG was given five
weeks to submit the proposal as part of an invited competition. The participants
were free to challenge size, zoning and functionality. Even though the allotted time
frame was unusually short, the BIG team was confident they’d meet the deadline.
The first week was dedicated to researching the LEGO brand, history, and the con-
text. Usually, the second week is the sketching phase. However, BIG’s triannual
study trip was scheduled during week two and three. It is BIG’s tradition to gather
all its members from the globe to a designated location for an architectural tour.
This particular year, the chosen location was Japan. The event had been organ-
ized more than a year in advance and the total number of participants was over
100 people. It was impossible to change the plan for a competition. Therefore, the
six competition team members and Bjarke had no choice but to attend. The com-
petition was on every team member’s mind, especially Bjarke’s, throughout the
event. On the morning of the trip’s fourth day, the team received six sketches from
Bjarke. At BIG, the team takes the initiative from research, initial brainstorming
and design sketches. Only after some directions have been determined, the team
ACY ∙ 2022 9
Article
presents them to Bjarke, who then provides feedback. It was the first time Bjarke
sent sketches before the team actually reached the sketching phase. His sketches
in a Moleskine notebook were all different yet all presented strong candidacy for
a possible final design. While we were enjoying the event in Japan, the team was
anxious to get back to Copenhagen to develop Bjarke’s sketches into actual design
schemes.
The team returned to the office from the Japan trip, and immediately held a meet-
ing with Bjarke to discuss how to proceed with the project. He had moved to New
York in the previous year and was busy laying the groundwork in the United States,
so his time in the Copenhagen office was limited. He suggested having at least one
video conference every day. VC has become commonplace since the Covid-19 pan-
demic, but in 2012 the platform we used was not equipped to handle live sharing
of screens and materials. Even with the technical difficulties, we held a meeting
every day, sometimes multiple times a day, to provide feedback to one another as
quickly as possible.
Whenever we start a new project, we always begin with identifying the key criteria
of the project: what is the biggest problem, what is the greatest potential? Rather
than creating arbitrary aesthetic or stylistic designs, all designs are based on the
project’s specific requirements. We call this design method “Information Driven
Design.” Gathering specific information is necessary to form the design decisions.
But just because the issue & potential have been identified, it does not mean that
the goal is found. First, you formulate the right questions, then you have to search
LEGO tower project for a residential competition in 2009
10 ACY ∙ 2022
Article
for the right answers. To find the right answer, we must test a lot of options. To test
a lot of options, we usually make tons of models. The LEGO HOUSE project was no
Whenever we start exception to this norm. The team was divided into two groups, one studied the
a new project, we sketches from Bjarke in depth (I was on this team), and the other group worked on
always begin with the basic volume and layout. From each design direction new ideas were formed,
identifying the key and in the end, more than 100 physical models were generated. One of the largest
criteria of the project: meeting rooms in the Copenhagen office was converted into the project room, but
what is the biggest even the largest room became too crowded with numerous models being created
day and night. The team’s high motivation and the abstract competition brief made
problem, what is the
the number of sketches so large that it was challenging to narrow it down to just
greatest potential? one.
It takes a village to raise a child
With less than two weeks to go, the team went back to the basics to identify the
main concept of the project. LEGO’s idea was to build an entertaining home for the
LEGO bricks at the heart of the town of Billund for its citizens and make Billund the Mont Saint Michel – a hybrid
world capital for children. LEGO wanted to create an educational and inspirational of landscape and architecture.
facility where people can have fun. We were searching for a keyword to formulate A village square surrounded by
the right question. When the team and Bjarke were discussing design options, one public buildings
of our colleagues introduced us to an old African proverb, “It takes a village to raise
a child”, which means that to become a citizen of the world, you need more than the
love and care of your parents - you need a society around you. We all stood up and
said, “that’s it!”. We thought, why don’t we take all the elements of the LEGO house
programs that could always be open - the restaurant, the shop, the auditorium,
The project room for the LEGO House competition
ACY ∙ 2022 11
Article
and frame a big public square at the center. Above the square, all the galleries
would form a journey route through the world of LEGO. Like a Mont Saint Michel
- half building, half landscape. People of Billund could walk across the square or
climb the roofs. Enjoy the views across the town or peek into the galleries. The
LEGO House could be viewed as a village for playing and learning - an urban space
as much as an architecture. And that became the design direction. The project sud-
denly began to accelerate. The team knew exactly what to do, the outputs became
more fruitful, and Bjarke’s feedback became more specific and detailed. Hundreds
of designs and ideas started to evolve through mutation and crossbreeding and
naturally one design scheme survived at the end of the process.
One week before the deadline the project concept and geometry was finalized, and
we kicked off the production for the presentation. There were only three delivera-
bles in the competition guidelines: a Powerpoint presentation, three A0 Boards,
and a physical model, which was not mandatory. To show our love for the project,
we ignored the minimal deliverables guideline and produced not only a Power-
Point presentation & A0 boards but also a 100 pages booklet, physical models in
1:500, 1:200, 1:100 and a special model built with LEGO bricks with a box inspired
by the LEGO architecture series.
At around 6:00 a.m. the day before the deadline, Bjarke came to the office with an
armful of freshly baked croissants and coffee as he knew that we had pulled an
all-nighter. While we were having the croissants, he said to the team, “this project
will be a milestone for BIG in the future, so let’s definitely win it.” Then he sat down
in front of a desktop and joined the production, just like everyone else. He started
using Illustrator to create beautiful diagrams and wrote almost all the texts for the
booklet while providing feedback on drawings, renderings, and models to all of us.
I’ve never had the opportunity to work this closely with Bjarke prior to this project.
One of the presentation models of the LEGO House proposal
12 ACY ∙ 2022
Article
The energy level was at an all-time high, and we worked nonstop until the follow-
ing morning, wrapping up the presentation just in the nick of time for the deadline.
To show our love After a night of rest, we went back to the office to hear from Brian how the presenta- The synergy between
for the project, tion went. He told us that each architecture office was assigned a room and told to BIG and LEGO’s
we ignored the set up its presentation. Bjarke presented our project to Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, the philosophies, and the
minimal deliverables owner and grandson of the founder of LEGO. During the presentation, the various team’s unity combined
guideline and scaled models were used but one in particular stood out from the others; the larg- with Bjarke’s passion
produced a special est, 1:100. This model was made large enough for people’s heads to go through so
that led to the big win.
that they can view the interior space from multiple perspectives. At the end of the
model built with
presentation, when Bjarke handed over the box of our version of LEGO Architecture
LEGO bricks with models to Kjeld, he hugged Bjarke, with tears in his eyes, and thanked him for the
a box inspired by the great proposal. Everyone was convinced that we won the competition.
LEGO architecture
series. After the presentation, we submitted a short animation and waited for the results.
We had confidence in our project and the presentation, but as time passed, that
confidence began to waver a little. Then on December 5th, 2012, Bjarke sent an
email to everyone on the team. The title of the email read “Confidential,” and its
body simply said, “We won LEGO! Great Job!”. After the announcement, the office
was in a festive mood, champagne bottles were opened, and the word WIN was
written on a panel attached to a life-size model of a LEGO Bjarke figure, who was
watching over the project like a guardian angel. We believe that it was the syn-
ergy between BIG and LEGO’s philosophies, and the team’s unity combined with
Bjarke’s passion that led to the big win.
To this day, no other project has topped the level of enthusiasm I felt during this
competition. It was such a special competition from the beginning to the end.
Shortly after the announcement, the team was informed to move on to the concept
phase from the beginning of the next year, starting from an official kick-off meeting
and workshops.
LEGO competition team photo and mini figures
ACY ∙ 2022 13
Article Article

Systematic Creativity +
The following year, a three-day workshop/kick-off meeting was held at LEGO’s
headquarters in Billund. There, we broadened our knowledge of LEGO and the
project’s vision. A meeting with AFOL (ADULT FAN OF LEGO), a group of officially
certified LEGO builders was also held. They proposed a keystone gallery on top of
the other exhibition boxes for displaying three-dimensional large LEGO model arts.
The group also suggested that this gallery should have the proportions of a classic
two-by-four Lego brick and circular skylights. It could make the whole building rec-
ognizable as a LEGO brick from Google Earth. The other idea they presented was a
vault, aka a treasure chamber, where LEGO can preserve unopened boxes of every
Lego set that has ever been made, in a completely protected space underneath the
building, designed to withstand even a nuclear war.
When we kicked off the concept phase, we realized that this project’s design pro-
cess was quite different from that of a normal project. Every design was reviewed
to ensure that it did not deviate from the philosophy and logic of LEGO, and that
it is developed in the manner of Systematic Creativity rather than an artistic ap-
proach. Since it is a building designed as the home of LEGO, we made one dogma
– whatever we did would have to be buildable with LEGO bricks. As we started div-
ing into the proportions of LEGO bricks, there was a lightbulb moment. When you
scale an iconic 2x4 stud LEGO brick up to 30 x 60cm, its height becomes exactly that
of the riser of standard stair step (18cm.) So almost without translation, the propor-
tions of LEGO bricks already saturate the world around us. LEGO proportions are
already nested in the geometries of everything manmade.
The proportions of
LEGO bricks already
saturate the world
around us.
vealed to us. He visited Jamaica on that holiday and was fascinated by the flood of
colors in the country. So, the obsession with delicate, Japanese minimalist spaces
that he had gained on the Japan trip was suddenly lost. The team laughed, agreed The art of designing
that such a thing could have happened, and became convinced that an architect a house is like the
should always travel. art of painting a
portrait. The beauty
Our Mona Lisa of a portrait lies in
On September 28, 2017, the Lego house opened its door five years after the com-
the artist’s ability to
petition had begun. At the ceremony, Bjarke said, “Lego House is a literal manifes-
tation of the infinite possibilities of the Lego brick - one that embodies the notion
capture the subject’s
of systematic creativity and allows children of all ages countless opportunities to essence, [especially]
create their worlds and to inhabit them through play. At its finest, that is what ar- the qualities that
chitecture and Lego play is all about: empowering people to imagine new worlds might normally escape
that are more exciting and expressive than the status quo - and providing them the eye.
with the tools and skills to make them a reality.” With this project, BIG made a long-
held dream come true. The team dedicated everything to reach the LEGO company
motto “Only the best is good enough.”
The art of designing a house is like the art of painting a portrait. The beauty of a
portrait lies in the artist’s ability to capture the subject’s essence; the appearance
and physical attributes of the subject, but more importantly, the qualities that
might normally escape the eye. In other words, the portrait resembles the subject
more than a photograph - it goes deeper and reflects and reveals the core. A beauti-

However, one notable design change came rather intuitively and coincidentally.
Since the competition phase, we have always used a neutral white for the exterior
walls, floors, and interiors. It was inspired by the idea that the exhibitions should
take central focus, not the building. But Bjarke’s fascination with minimalism and
the beautiful architecture he saw during the trip to Japan, in particular: the Tadao
Ando, Sou Fujimoto, and SANAi, was, in fact, the deciding factor. During the com-
petition, Bjarke was constantly striving to create minimalistic exteriors and interi-
ors and eliminated all colors from the architecture. But a few days before the final
presentation of the “revised concept phase,” Bjarke returned to the office from
his vacation and opened his remarks to the team with the following words: “Let’s
make all floors very colorful!!”. At first, we had no idea what he was talking about. Build-up diagrams
He explained that in an RGB color model, the three primary colors - Red, Green,
and Blue - are added together to create various other colors. This natural logic is
extended to the LEGO house color scheme - using the official LEGO brick molding
colors as a basis - for an analogous expression of the individual experiences in each
box that altogether add up to a communal whole, with the affirmation of maximum
transformation in the white Keystone Gallery. When we tried out this proposal, the
project changed drastically and came to life. It became a simple and elegant Medi-
terranean mountain village with a beautiful white ceramic tile facade. On closer in-
spection, while a colorful playground invites you to climb, explore and engage with
the House, the surrounding space becomes more identifiable and zoned, resulting
in a more playful architecture. Bjarke effortlessly broke our preconceived notions
of using only white out of nowhere. However, the source of this idea was later re-

Ideas sketches from the 1st workshop Contemporary modern exterior vs colorful active interior spaces

14 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 15

Article Article

ful portrait is 100% the expression of the portrayed - and at the same time, 100% It works sometimes but sooner or later, you will encounter some obstacles if you
the expression of the artist. The LEGO House has become a proud masterpiece for ignore context and only pursue your own style. Perhaps BIG’s approach is more
BIG, like Mona Lisa for Leonardo da Vinci. One difference is that instead of being like Aikido than Karate. Aikido uses the opponent’s’ force and converts it into a
displayed in a museum and remaining forever unchanged, the LEGO House will counterforce against them. The same concept could be applied for architectural
never be complete. It will go through constant transformation by systematic crea- design. Design decisions should not be based on stylistic obsessions but knowl-
tivity, the excitement of its visitors, children and the people of Billund. edge and observation of each context and site. In that way, obstacles become part
of your design concept and you don’t need to worry about running out of ideas or
Advice for future architects approaches because the different contexts would always inform you how to react
My advice for young architects is to follow Bruce Lee’s philosophy. “Be formless, differently. “Be water my friend”.
shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water
into a bottle and it becomes the bottle.” If you develop a stylistic obsession early
and are inflexible as an architect, I believe you limit possible outputs. BIG’s pro-
jects are always born out of their context. We spend time analyzing the project’s
conditions and parameters to establish the greatest potentials and limitations.
Once we figure out the criteria, we transform the negative ones into the driving
force for the design process rather than treating them limitations. This approach
helps to develop unique and strong narratives for each project.

Developing a specific architectural style is similar to mastering Karate. You train

and search for your ultimate fighting style through millions of repetitions, and then
you attempt to dominate an opponent with your style. Some famous architects’
buildings that carry their ultimate design styles often seem the same everywhere,
Team photo during the
whether that building is a museum in Spain or an office building in New York.
opening day

RYOHEI KOIKE
Ryohei Koike is an associate in Bjarke Ingels Group in London. He joined the
practice in 2010 as a Design Assistant in Copenhagen.

He leads numerous projects in both BIG Copenhagen & London, specializing

in the conceptual design of commissions, and competition design entries.
He has a keen eye for design, working sensitively in any given context, and
turning the biggest challenge & potential into architecture design. These
skills led him to work in different countries, developing various range of
scale projects from concept to delivery, across residential, commercial,
and cultural projects.

Prior to joining BIG, Ryohei worked at several acclaimed international prac-

tices in both Japan and USA while studying at Southern California Institute
of Architecture, where he received his Bachelor of Architecture degree.

LEGO House Aerial picture, the pixel melt stair seating

16 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 17

Article
Bending the void
Cosimo Scotucci on being a competition tank,
trusting people and the project that brought
the whole company together.
I still remember my first day at MVRDV, 6 years ago. I walked through the door, rig-
orously dressed in black. I was welcomed and shown around by Lies and Hedy, our
fantastic support staff. I walked to my new spot and without even realizing it, my
Head of Department approached me and said “hi, I’m Wenchian, you must be the
competition tank I’ve heard about”… I smiled, obviously confused, with nothing on
my head but 3 simple words “What the F**k?!”. I dropped the coffee cup and I held
onto the mouse. That is how the journey began. That’s how I crossed paths with
the most inspiring, creative and talented people in the field, that’s how I ended up
working on more than 50 competitions, that’s how I learned how architecture is
much more than buildings.
But wait… How did I become “the competition tank” in the first place?
Right before finishing my studies, I joined Paolo Venturella Architecture, a young,
visionary and restless firm. Paolo and I became great friends over the 5 years we
have spent together, side by side, doing more than 40 projects. When I applied,
Paolo had just come back from BIG in Copenhagen, and had a genuine vision on
how to bring what he had learned to his home country. Soon enough I realized that
“the guy” wasn’t a tank… he was the full army. He knew every project on the web
by name, every Rhino command, every trick and shortcut. I owe him a lot.
Hainan Art Center
MVRDV was invited with four other international companies to take part in one
of the most prestigious competitions in Asia: The Hainan Art Center. Hainan, for
the ones who don’t know, is a wonderful island in the south of China with pristine
beaches, wonderful mountains, an alien-looking salt field (the Yangpu Ancient Salt
Field) and all the essential qualities to become an international cultural beacon.
The island has a very long tradition of opera and the new competition was meant
to provide a new home for performances and to create a cultural attractor for the
people of Haikou (the capital), of the island and broadly from all of China.
The location is breathtaking. The designated spot is adjacent to the river that cross-
es Hikou from north to south, while on the other side of the road there is a new
museum, for which another competition is also running. On one of the long sides
of the spot is a highway that connects the two parts of the city, and on the other,
a brand new, shiny development made of condos and skyscrapers is about to be
built. The brief contained a fantastic mix of cultural functions: an Opera Hall for
1500 people, a Performance Hall for 1200, a Multifunctional Hall for radical new
types of performances, an educational institution to promote the culture of music
18 ACY ∙ 2022
Article
Hainan Midterm
and opera in Hainan, a rehearsal space, bar and restaurants. Pretty much the per-
fect recipe for a fun competition.
The clarity of the
Winy Maas was the founding partner working on the competition. When I arrived message and design
at the office early in the morning, out of breath, he was already there, discussing a simplicity is the most
different project with another team. Elisa, the new intern, was behind the glass of powerful weapon in
the chamber, observing the scene with ecstatic eyes on her first day of work. The
the arsenal of a good
rest of the team, Xiaodong, Bertrand and Federica, were still enjoying the remains
of their holidays or compensation hours, (almost) unaware of the journey that has
designer
yet to begin.
There was not much time before the mid-term presentation, so we all dove into the
brief, detecting what was more important for the client and, in parallel, we started,
as usual, an endless series of program studies.
We always start with the functions – that way we can aggregate them, separate
them, combine them, stack them, divide them, juxtapose them and mix them.
From the more orthodox to the ones that are conceptually more radical. What usu-
ally follows are some weeks of back and forth, of trials, evaluation, successes and
failures that are all necessary to achieve the final result.
Once we narrow down the choices, the most magical, fun, challenging, sometimes
bizarre part of the process starts, the one that I love the most: massing studies.
They are volumetric tests of all the possible design iterations that we can possibly
think of. The aim is to look for something that is simultaneously form and function,
with no distinction, that is bold and radical but yet feasible and pragmatic. It is the
Architecture is much search for Eldorado.
more than buildings
Following the programmatic aggregation studies, all types of typologies are tested,
from large-spanning roofs holding together the entire program to self-sufficient
ACY ∙ 2022 19
 Article
monads. This part of the process is held together by an intricate network of meet-
ings and e-mails between the team and Winy, between us and the external consult-
ants, the engineers, the local architects that support us complying with the regula- How do you combine
tion, the graphic designers etc. It is a hectic, sometimes chaotic, but yet perfectly a massing that is light
functional process: a ping pong match on a strange table with 6 or 7 players. and ethereal with
something that is more
The clock was ticking. We narrowed the project down to 2 main options: a group of solid and enclosed?
interconnected large roofs that form a much larger hovering structure and a series
How do you create a
of sculpted entities with an internal three dimensional void that connects the func-
tions.In the little time we had left, we put together an extraordinary presentation
void where there is no
file with solid storytelling, the floorplans (still very sketchy but yet interesting), ef- mass to carve?
ficient and sexy renders.
On an extremely early morning of a midsummer day, we all sat together around the
table, digitally connected to the other side of the world for the first meeting with
the client... the camera turned on and Winy began to speak. We all attended the
meeting with observant eyes.
The team endeavor has been appreciated. The client liked both options. We were
free to move in the direction we liked the most. We were all tired, happy and very
excited and we knew that the best was yet to come. Still at the table, we tried to
understand what was the best option to go for, which one had more potential, and
talking the 2 options through, clearly, everyone at the table had the same impres-
sion: we had to combine the best of both. But how do you combine a massing that
is light and ethereal with something that is more solid and enclosed? How do you
create a void where there is no mass to carve?
The days that followed the meeting were a strange melting pot of excitement and
disillusion. We have tried hard, in many ways, to square the circle but we couldn’t
solve the case. We thought that Eldorado was not yet to be found. Maybe it is a
MVRDV Hainan
20 ACY ∙ 2022
Article
myth or maybe the goal we set for ourselves was impossible. At the end of another
anonymous meeting someone said: “what if we consider the void as a mass? What
if we can bend it or squeeze it?”
EUREKA! We all understood the magnitude of the idea, everybody jetted out of the
room and one minute later, on a dark gray background of a Shaded Rhino view-port
the destiny of the project was taking shape. Some hours later a bunch of smooth
shapes clustered together materializing what little ago was just an idea. A bottom
and upper cupola formed the structure and the circulation, defining the lobbies
and openings towards the outside creating entrances, leaving enough space for the
theaters to sit in the middle. We couldn’t wait to send the update to Winy.
“Dear All,
Thank you.
This is quite exciting!
Gr
W”
This is what we read the morning after we have sent the PDF out. We hit the bull’s
eye.
While the team was busy modeling, drawing and modifying the last few things Winy
asked us to do, we needed to put together a team to visualize the project. We had
our incredible Viz team on board, Antonio and the guys were as excited as we are
to start. We had some extra budget and we could ask someone else to help us out
with the images. We wanted the best people: who else if not MIR. During the first
meeting it was clear that they have absolute freedom.
ACY ∙ 2022 21
 Article
We also needed to produce an animation, one minute fly-through, that also had to
be memorable. I had exactly in mind who could do it for us. Massimiliano from Im-
perfct* picked up the phone and in less than 2 minutes after he received the model
and the latest version of the booklet he was fully on board. When we heard that he
hired an Italian composer to create a track we all knew it was going to be fantastic.
At that point, there were only 3 weeks to go. A great vibe of excitement connected
Rotterdam with Shanghai, Bergen, Rome and Haikou. Pretty much every single
person in the office knew what we were doing and couldn’t wait to see the final
result. Everybody in the team was working on their PCs, we all wanted to make a
memorable presentation. There were meetings scheduled everyday to talk about
structure, sustainability, landscape and storytelling. From time to time someone in
the team tried to cool down and release the stress by playing ping pong between
one task and another.
When, ten days before the submission, we received the first batch of renders, there
was a religious silence across the room. Everybody, even people working on other
projects, gathered together behind one screen observing the zip folder download-
ing. We finally put it on the server and opened it. None knew what to expect.
The images were breathtaking, every time we switched to the next one a
“Wooooooooooo...” pervaded the room. Everybody was smiling, motivation and
productivity from that moment skyrocketed. The rest of the week flew by while the
booklet took shapes and the panels were layouted. We couldn’t be more focused.
Something special happens when a team is in “production mode”, somehow things
are more clear, somehow people feel more bonded to each other, somehow every-
thing feels better.
The day before the submission the whole team sat together to see the final ani-
mation. What we saw was beyond imagination, the guys did a terrific job. It was
powerful and yet romantic, solid but delicate. The images moved on the screen
Process diagram, Shenzen Waste Energy Plant
22 ACY ∙ 2022
Article
supported by delightful music. For all of us, it felt like being at the movie theater
watching a show specially designed for us.
Something special Competitions are tough.
happens when a team 24 hours were left to go Jurors are tough. Time
is in “production Everything was almost ready, our Viz team was about to surprise us. They felt so is limited and resources
mode”, somehow inspired that instead of the 8 images we had agreed upon they managed to make are usually scarce. How
things are more clear, 14. Antonio, Luca, Magda, Francesco, Angelo and Luana worked restlessly to create do you survive all of
something extraordinary.
somehow people this? You must trust the
feel more bonded to Time was up. The email with all the files was sent. We got notified by the client that
people!
each other, somehow everything was successfully delivered. We were all exhausted - it was a hell of a
everything feels better. journey, it has been a crazy race against time but we managed. We leave the office
heading to the bar. We worked hard for a couple of months and then, finally, it was
time to play.
Conclusions
Competitions are tough. Jurors are tough. Time is limited and resources are usually
scarce. How do you survive all of this? The conclusion I have gotten to, after 100
competitions, is…. people! You must trust the people! All the people around you.
As a Project Leader you trust your team, as a team member you trust your leader.
Everybody’s opinion and expertise is essential. You trust all your consultants from
the engineers to the render folks, as they know things you don’t. Someone says,
trust the process, or the method, for me both are fallacious, people are always true.
People are the only thing that can help you navigate through the most turbulent
seas, a reference in the darkest nights. People make architecture.
COSIMO SCOTUCCI
Cosimo was born in 1988, he is an architect and innovator. Scotucci stud-
ied in Rome, where he graduated with a Master’s degree in Architecture.
After his studies he has worked at Paolo Venturella Architecture, Clement
Blanchet and MVRDV where he is currently a Project Leader in the Studio
Asia. He took part in over 100 competitions.In 2019 he founded his own of-
fice, cosimoscotucci.com where he works together with a multidisciplinary
team on speculative design tackling the biggest issues in society. Through
his works he reflects an ideology that focuses on people, envisioning the
world of tomorrow.
The office is intended as a design laboratory where you can experiment
with pioneering ideas to create a more democratic and resilient future.
Through functional scientific fictional stories the office aims to create a
better future, triggering the imagination of a new World. At the lab, Scotuc-
ci and his team collaborate with scientists, engineers and specialists from
every field to outsmart the threats for humankind.
MVRDV Hainan, interior
ACY ∙ 2022 23
 Article Article

Energy, enthusiasm,
passion
Filip Piwowarczyk, an associate at B+H
Architects, shares his experience in conceptual
design and explains the importance of taking
unexpected paths, using local inspirations and
understanding the rationale behind the project.

Introduction
My adventure with architecture started in Poland and over the last 13 years took
me to Denmark, Netherlands, China, Canada and back to Poland. In each of those
places I could observe and learn something new. I have a few takeaways from those
travels that I feel are worth sharing.

First of all, don’t be afraid to move forward, don’t get discouraged if something is
not going according to your plan. Unexpected path you were placed on might be
even better - just keep your eyes open for opportunities and appreciate what you
experience on the way. Get yourself out there and learn design not only by spend-
ing more time in the studio but by going around the city on a bicycle, spending
time in parks, on city plazas, in museums, culture houses, party districts – live and
breathe the place you live in. While our profession is to design the build environ-
ment, we are also the end user.
At work stick to people you can learn from, who are willing to share their experi-
ence and appreciate your efforts. Try your best and don’t be afraid to speak your
mind. Be open to exchange knowledge and skills with your team members; you will
all benefit from that.
As a last piece of advice, I will say something that might not be popular, but I find
it to be true. Don’t get out of your comfort zone, stay right on the edge of it and let
it expand over time. This will allow you to grow your confidence, relieve you from
unnecessary stress and allow you to omit failures due to lack of experience and
confidence.
Concept design approach at B+H
In this text I will try to tell you a story that will describe the process of concept
design creation we usually go through at B+H Architects. I will aim to provide a
general description but to make it more interesting and tangible I’ll add some real-
life examples.
Arrival
As it is the case with all creative work, the process will differ between companies or
even groups within one. B+H is one of the top 100 biggest architectural firms with
9 studios across the globe, so we don’t have one “recipe” for a successful design Don’t get out of your
process that is applied in all of them. We share best practices and success stories comfort zone, let it
during creative gatherings in the studio and online, and we try to learn from them expand over time.
and improve our workflow. But there are no universal solutions. What works with
clients in North America does not always resonate well with clients in Asia and vice
versa.
Competitions
There are usually 2 slightly different scenarios for a competition:
Typical one phase competition where you get the brief and work internally with
the team without any input from the client and at the end you submit a completed
While our profession
project and vision which is then assessed by the jury.
is to design the build Competition with few phases and client’s feedback (frequent in Asia) when you
environment, we are work with client and get his feedback in a competition mode where few chosen
also the end user. companies are invited and client wants to steer Competitors in a direction to be
sure he is getting the result that will suit their needs.

24 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 25

 Article
The process
Those two scenarios differ slightly from each other and I will focus on the first one
which is most common. I will present the process and illustrate it with examples
from a competition for headquarters of one of the tech companies in Hanoi, Viet-
nam that we submitted earlier this year and at the time of writing this article we are
still waiting for the verdict.
The process outlined below is shown as a series of steps but it’s never so linear. In
reality there are a lot of side tasks and tests that we do as we progress but from my
experience it’s generally good to hit those marks outlined below as you go forward.
Assembling the right team and planning for its growth over time
It’s very important to have the right team assembled for a competition. The typical
core team usually consists of a project director, design director, senior staff from
various fields architecture, urban planning, landscape and interior and junior team
members.
Project director creates business opportunities, deals with the clients, assembles
the teams and assigns projects to them.
Design director is a design lead – has the most experience, oversees the whole pro-
cess, guides it and takes the major decisions at the “crossroads” when a decision is
needed to move forward with. He/She is involved in the creative conversations and
guides the process having the helicopter view but sometimes zooms in on certain
details sharing his/her knowledge.
Senior architect supported by a junior architect is responsible for pushing the de-
sign forward based on collaborative discussions. They would do all the tests of
promising solutions whether it’s massing, façade design or proposed views. They
would also do most of the background work like research and analysis. They sum-
marise findings and present it to the rest of the team for creative discussion.
Senior landscape and interior architects usually are in the core team from the
beginning and participate in periodic meetings when the strategic decisions are
made. They keep an eye on the design narrative and direction the project is mov-
ing towards making sure their input complements the overall design vision. Junior
staff members from both disciplines are included as well so they can share their
thoughts stimulating the creative exchange and learn from the process. They also
play a key role in assembling the submission and production of graphics explaining
the project.
Understanding the requirements and client
It is important to carefully read the brief and note important points out of it. Espe-
cially requests that are out of ordinary and are unique to the project. We look for
characteristics that make this project different from others of its kind. We have to
understand the client’s needs and respond to them. As architects we see ourselves
as experts, but we should not try to force your vision but rather apply our expertise
to fulfill the desired vision in creative and innovative ways. In a competition we of-
ten take some risks and slightly bend the rules, proposing solutions that go beyond
26 ACY ∙ 2022
Article
It’s very important to
have the right team
assembled for
a competition.
River view
the rules and requirements when we feel it is warranted and can differentiate us
from the competition.
Headquarters case study
We were limited to 8 levels by zoning but there was no height limit. We separated
the 6 level office block from the 2 level podium to achieve the floating effect and
create a unique, green, naturally ventilated and sheltered meeting space in be-
tween at the same time raising the main volume higher to give it a stronger urban
presence. The interpretation of the gap is a gray area, we decided to consider it part
of a landscaped roof rather than a building level. This move was bending the rules
but the pros of it outweigh the cons and we felt it’s worth the risk. Another aspect
of understanding the client is doing research on the entity we are designing for. We
should understand what their history is, what their core values are, how they see
their working environment, how they want to be perceived by the public, what are
the other buildings they made. Answering those questions will help us make edu-
cated decisions down the road.
Headquarters case study
The company that we designed for has a long history during which it has under-
gone some rapid changes. They want to be seen as an advanced tech company
pushing the boundaries and leading the technological development. We felt the
building should reflect that vision and we proposed some daring and bold solu-
tions that would stand out and visualise those aspirations.
Inspiration
ACY ∙ 2022 27
 Article Article

In contrast to this project we were once asked by a government official to simplify

the hospital building look even though it brough no cost reduction because he felt
it “looked too expensive” and was afraid how it will be perceived by the public. We do a thorough
Another take-away from our research was that all of the office buildings done by research on the
the company had their logo embedded in the design in some visible way. We have urban context
tested that in our approach and found that the “V” shaped building can respond including valuabl
quite well to our site conditions. It provided two qualities we were after – strong green areas, water
urban façade from the side of highway and a courtyard opening towards the river
bodies, major
and city views. “V” motif can be also found in some other moments like the first
and last row of columns that support the office block.
roads, access to
site, neighboring
Understanding the context functions, location vs
At B+H we always try to create architecture that is contextual. We want our build- city centre, airport
ings to work well with the surroundings providing a response to urban, natural, to other important
social and political conditions. To do that we have to gather as much information destinations within
about the site as possible.
a certain radius.
We do a thorough research on the urban context including valuable green areas,
water bodies, major roads, access to site, neighboring functions, location vs city
centre, airport to other important destinations within a certain radius. When we do
this research, we try to find out not only what is there now but also understand the
history of the place and its development as well as the future plans for this region.
History of the place can be a great source of inspiration and knowledge of develop-
ment plans can guide us to future proof solutions. Another part of urban research is
studying the neighbouring architecture and significance of those buildings. New icon in the city

We always study the climate conditions of the site. It’s orientation towards the sun,
direction of prevailing winds and amount of rainfall.
It’s also important to imagine what will be the social impact of the new develop-
ment to the neighbours. Can we engage them is some positive way to strengthen
the integration with surroundings and enhance the continuous urban fabric.
Headquarters case study
In our research we learned that our plot lies along the planned “Hanoi green belt”
which is a major city wide plan for a series of linear parks located along the rivers
that run through the city. We decided that opening up to and engaging that green
belt should be one of the main characteristics of the project and our design drivers.
Another important driver was the location that is facing one of the most important
highways leading in and out of the city. We knew that this side should have the
iconic façade that would be visible and perceived from a fast-moving vehicle.
Finding inspiration
Aside from finding the right answers to design requirements and local context it’s
always good to add a layer of softer, more creative design solutions that are rooted
in the local nature, culture and history. This is often the layer of design that makes
it unique to the place. That is why we always do research in those fields using them
as precedents that inspire and guide the design process
Headquarters case study
Some of the local inspirations can be found in our design. For example:
Elevated volume of the office creates a sheltered well ventilated space to rest - just
like in the traditional houses on stilts found across Vietnam. Open staircases con- If you isolate yourself
necting office floors were inspired by vertical connectivity in narrow and tall tube from the global
houses which are a unique typology that evolved over a long period of time in Vi- trends there is also
etnam and are characteristic to Hanoi city center. Free layout of public functions a chance you will find
located in the podium was inspired by dense urban villages neighbouring our site. yourself “reinventing
the wheel” rather
In the green podium and landscape design of the courtyard you can see the remi-
niscence of green rice field terraces which are a very picturesque sight in Vietnam.
than come up with
completely new and
Current trends research ground-breaking
Once you already have some thoughts on your design It’s good to do research on ideas.
what are the trends now in design of similar spaces. If you isolate yourself from the
global trends there is also a chance you will find yourself “reinventing the wheel”
rather than come up with completely new and ground-breaking ideas. Progress in
architecture is done more by evolution rather than revolution. It’s good to do some
case studies that go deeper than promotional photos and let you understand the
rationale behind the project. Those studies also help you get into the mood of a
certain function, be it hospital, office building, senior housing or mixed use devel-
opment.

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Setting up the basic design principles

After we gather all this information, we have a discussion within a bigger group to
decide what are the key objectives of the project that we think answer the clients
needs best, that will drive the design and become its main characteristics. It’s good
to have some experienced members that have the confidence and respect and will
help to set the course. At the end those simple bullet points should be rephrased
and formulated in an open manner that can be applied to different aspects of de-
sign. They should also tap into the client’s brief and provide solutions creating a
bridge between requirements and the presented project.

Headquarters case study

Design principles (Initial) :
• Iconic Presence/Landmark building
• Connection to Green Belt of Hanoi
• Activated ground floor
• Good connection between departments
• Flexibility/scalability
• Taking advantage of the favourable natural conditions in the area
• “Whole life design” approach

Central atrium with a view

Infill Structure

Floor slabs can be built
using concrete or sustainble
wooden clt structure making
this building first one in Vietnam
to use this innovative material
Base Structure
Load bearing structure inspired by
traditional Vietnamese arta nad
crafts allows to maximize flexibility
in floor plate planning
Structure
Design principles (Rephrased, Final)| the elements that unify and inspire our col-
lective approach
1. Harmony with place - getting inspired by local nature and culture to create an
iconic building for the future rooted in tradition
2. Energy, enthusiasm, passion - environment designed to bring pride, confi-
dence, optimism, enthusiasm and creativity to the company’s employees
3. Mission to lead - The architecture is unique - a landmark building in the area,
helping to strengthen the brand’s name and image and attract the attention
from clients and partners.
4. Create connections - establishing deep linkages between the realms of archi-
tecture, interior and landscape, blurring indoor and outdoor, melding above
grade and below grade, self and community, natural and urban, interconnect-
ing existing and new into a cohesive campus for all. Design ensures the work-
flow and good connection of different departments
Relax and let your imagination do the work
At this point our heads should be packed and buzzing with ideas circling the de-
sign principles bouncing around, clashing with each other and forming different
configurations. It’s this time when your brain does multiple quick operations that
you don’t even follow consciously. It’s when you try to connect the inspirations
with requirements at the same time responding to local climate and urban context.
Some of those elements form pairs, some create more objectives. It’s good to note

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 Article Article

them down or sketch them out. Once you have a bunch of those interesting leads
you can start connecting them. Finding some that will talk to each other and form
a cohesive story. You should also be careful not to force some ideas if they do not
fit to the mix even though they seem appealing. Park them and maybe you will
be able o re- use them somewhere else in the project for example in interior or
landscape design. Some others have to be cut if they take away from the clarity of
concept and overall vision.
Sketching and massing
Once we start imagining different ideas we test them out in a quick sketch. When
you are drawing them you know if it feels right or not and will be able to focus your
effort on the ones with more promise. After forming those thoughts it’s good to do
some massing exercises whether in a styrofoam model or a 3D model. It should
be built to a proper scale to see if the proposed building will actually fit all the
required programs. That will allow you to test how the massing “sits” on the plot
and within context.
This usually reveals some pros and cons of studied directions and will lead to mul-
tiple massing iterations that try to combine strong features of each option. More
sketches on top of the images of a 3D model are produced to quickly test ideas. It’s
also helpful to back up your sketches with references during an internal discussion
of a presentation to a client - that will help to fill in the blanks and imagine the final
effect you are after. References let you save time and paint a more complete pic-
ture and stimulate imagination. It is quite useful for testing the waters in a meeting
with a client who is not always fit to understand the vision of the building based on
sketches and description.
Headquarters case study
For us the final version once again became a hybrid between the two out of three
It’s important to keep developed options combining the best qualities of both.
it consistent and
resolve the “node” Façade studies, landscape design and interior design
elements where Once the massing is fixed, the process becomes more complex with more people
those realms meet. working in parallel. General ideas are already formed at this point so we know they
will eventually fit but every aspect needs fine tuning. Architects usually focus on fa-
çade design, landscape and interior designers form their own side story that works
with the overall idea. It’s important to keep it consistent and resolve the “node”
elements where those realms meet. For example, the main drop off where land-
scaped areas lead you to the entrance lobby that is expressed on the façade and
welcomes you after you enter. This should be a special moment where all domains
work together to provide the arrival experience. This is also the moment where we
ask ourselves what are the qualities that we should focus on to enrich the design.
Headquarters case study
In the façade design we wanted to achieve few key things – consistent look that
would unify the suspended office block and make it read as one big object, strong
iconic look from the highway side, dynamic effect changing as you pass by the
building in the car, open character revealing the inner workings of the company
and opening the views to the city from the river side. We have tested many op-
tions and discussed pros and cons to finally choose a “V” shaped panel system
that would wrap the whole office block and adapt the louver depth and opacity to
respond to sun orientation to provide optimal self shading and views.

It’s good to disband for some time and work separately during that phase. Let your
imagination go free. Form some ideas in your head separately and bring them back
to the table. See who came up with what and if there are some thoughts from
different team members that went in a similar direction. It might mean these are
worth exploring further. “Mix and match” ideas, inspire each other, don’t feel bad
about your ideas getting discarded and don’t feel shy to comment and improve
someone else’s solutions. Listen to everyone from most experienced team mem-
bers to fresh minds unencumbered with previously done projects.

Headquarters case study

We tested many paths and approaches for the project. Out of that effort three op-
tions emerged and were taken to the next stage.

Taking the most promising options to the next level

After all the sketching and massing tests it’s good to choose a few most promising
options to see how the functional program can be resolved inside, try to imagine
the circulation and how they generally work. That allows us to see which one is
more convincing in terms of program layout connectivity, ease of construction, ori-
entation towards sun and views etc. Once a preferred direction is chosen, massing
is fixed, and the main characteristics of the building are decided, we shift gears
and intensify the work. This is the point where the team grows and new members
are added from the landscape and interior teams helping the senior members to
develop ideas.
Gathering space at the podium

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Delivering the project – Presentation, visualisation, diagrams
Type of deliverables differs from project to project. Most commonly there are three.
Extensive booklet explaining the project in detail, large format boards highlighting
the most important qualities of the design and the multimedia animation which
is a combination of 2D graphics and 3D flythrough that should “sell” the project
within 2- 4 minutes.
This is a moment where the team grows once again. For animated flythrough and
a limited number of renderings we usually employ an external rendering company.
That allows the internal team to focus on producing content that explains the pro-
ject- 2D and 3D plans and sections, diagrams, tables etc.
video with diagrams and exploded axonometric explaining the design to a narrated
story showing the way building will be experienced by the users.
Headquarters case study
Our animation focused on the dual aspect of the building. We decided to highlight
the iconic look of the building from the “urban side” and the shimmering effect of
the vertical V panels on the façade that seem to open up as you pass by it on the
highway. As the camera goes to the other side, the viewer can appreciate the “soft
side” of the building where the courtyard and atrium with glazed walls open up to
engage the river park and establish visual connection between the workspace and
city of Hanoi.

From my experience it’s good to start with the booklet as soon as possible. Keep a
live file that will be constantly updated as the project progresses. Set up one tem-
plate and chapters and share with other team members so they can take charge of
their own pieces and develop them simultaneously. This will pay off once the final
presentation is assembled and every minute counts. This “master presentation”
also helps to export the latest progress sets for team discussions and keep track of
the amount of work done and still outstanding. It’s important to keep the overview
and make sure things are progressing in parallel. We are talking about a concept
design so there is no need to resolve everything so you should plan your effort
strategically and focus on highlighting the most important features of the building.
Well composed presentation should have a good rhythm of an interesting story
with a strong beginning and finish and some evenly distributed highlights on the
way. It also gives an opportunity to zoom in on some detailed solutions we are
proud of and want to highlight.

Headquarters case study Facade studies

We employed a few strategies that were taken to the next level. First one was a
unique structural system that was a mix of concrete and steel superstructure
around the office volume with interstitial floors built using Cross laminated timber.
Another concept was driving the interior design. It was about interconnectivity and
flexibility in department planning and growth not only horizontally but also verti-
cally. We achieved that by introducing a series of double height open staircases FILIP PIWOWARCZYK
and grand atrium at the centre of the “V” that led down to shared spaces in the
podium and landscaped roof over it. They were placed on the inner faces of the Architect and urban Designer from Krakow, Poland. Gained his experience
block where the façade was more glazed to show the openness of the company to through travelling and working in different places - Denmark, Netherlands,
the public and their customers. China, Canada and Poland. He uses his knowledge and understanding of
the context to work on conceptual phases of design with various teams
Boards are usually “the best of” from the booklet. Don’t try to explain too much from different regions of the world. He believes in contextual design an-
with them – just the main message that needs to catch an eye and stand out. Un- chored in local context and crafted with people in mind. Actively follows
less there is no booklet and boards are the only submission material. Then you and takes part in local community initiatives regarding urban development
have to find a balance between being informative and overcrowding the panels. of his city.
Either way it’s important to plan them in a way that each of them works separately
bringing focus to certain aspects of the project but they also should fit together A fan of city cycling throughout the whole year regardless of the temper-
when displayed side by side. ature and weather. Traditional martial arts adept for over 20 years and
counting. During vacations - diver and snowboarder.
Animation or multimedia is something that is increasingly more popular in re-
quired deliverables. It’s a short video that should help to explain and “sell” the pro-
ject to clients. It can be approached in many different ways from an informative Comparsion

34 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 35

 1st prize

The Kaira Looro

The Kaira Looro Competition’s winning projects for an EOC in Sub-
Saharan Africa

Emergencies strike suddenly and without warning. They level cities to the ground and tear down
buildings as though they were made of sand. In almost no time at all everything is destroyed and all
that remains is the realisation that you have to get up and start all over again from scratch. In recent

Competition
years the occurrence of deluges and flooding have increased dramatically. Analogously, conflicts
and financial crises persist and lead to serious humanitarian emergencies which put the lives of
millions of people at risk. Resolving an emergency of any kind means re-establishing peace and
security.

The ”Emergency Operations Centre” is the 4th of the Kaira Looro international architecture
competition. This is a Non Profit competition with the aim of raising awareness among the
international community about emergencies in developing countries, and support humanitarian
projects in Africa.
The ‘Kaira Looro’ international architecture competition, held by humanitarian organisa-
The past editions were dedicated to the design of a Sacred Architecture (2017), a Cultural Centre
(2018) and a Peace Pavilion (2019). This year the competition aims to develop a theme of global
interest: emergency, such as Tsunami, Wars, Flooding etcetera.tion Balouo Salo, has this year also, established itself as one of the most important in the
The theme of the 2020’s competition was to design an Operational Centre for the management of
field of humanitarian and development design, attracting students and young architects
humanitarian emergencies in Sub-Saharan Africa, an EOC. The architecture is intended to house and
facilitate the mainly activities which international organisations and local authorities must implement
from all over the world. The objective of this edition was to select a humanitarian archi-
in order to solve emergencies and provide aid to affected communities. The spaces should be versatile
and multifunctional, capable of adapting to specific needs and to the type and context of the
emergency.
tecture aimed at hosting activities to combat child malnutrition in an area of Sub-Saha-
The competition has been organized by the Balouo Salo No Profit Organization, engaged in Africa
to develops humanitarian projects, with the collaboration of ran Africa
structures andimportance
of international donate the entire proceeds to charity. The project proposals were selected
and relevant collaborations such us Kengo Kuma & Associates, SBGA | Blengini Ghirardelli, MMA
by a panel
Design Studio, international NGOs, medias and institutions. . Archilovers of were
e Archiportale internationally
official renowned architects and firms.
media partners.
The winners were chosen by an international jury made up of: Kengo Kuma (Kengo Kuma &
Associates, Japan), Agostino Ghirardelli (SBGA | Blengini Ghirardelli, Italy), Lígia Nunes
Adequate child nutrition is the basis for survival and psycho-physical development. Well-
(Architecture Sans Frontières International, Spain), Mphethi Morojele (MMA Design Studio, South
Africa), Walter Baricchi (CNAPPC), Philippa Nyakato Tumubweinee (University of Cape Town,
South Africa), Mantey Jectey-Nyarko (Kwame Nkrumah University, Ghana), and a scientific
nourished individuals can grow properly, learn and participate in social life. However, today,
committee made up of Raoul Vecchio (Balouo Salo), Sebastiano D’Urso (University of Catania) and
Moussa Soaune (Senegalese institution).
at least one in three children under the age of five suffers from malnutrition in one of its most
KAIRA LOORO ARCHITECTURE COMPETITION
visible forms. Globally, about 149 million children under the age of five suffer from stunting,
the first visible form of malnutrition. They are too short for their age and their brains are at
Architecture Competition to support humanitarian projects
www.kairalooro.com – info@kairalooro.com

risk of not developing to their full cognitive potential, thus hindering their ability to learn as
children, earn as adults and contribute to community development. Wasting affects 45 million
children, who have weakened immune systems and are at risk of death. Finally, almost 39 mil- project name
lion children are overweight as a result of changing global food systems.
Children’s House
In light of these considerations, the 2022 edition of the Kaira Looro international architecture
author
competition was held, with the aim of selecting an architectural model of a ‘Children’s House’
Ziyu Guo
to be built in Africa with the proceeds of the competition (entirely donated) to tackle the phe-
China
nomenon of child malnutrition, as well as to raise the international community’s awareness of
humanitarian issues in developing countries and to support the charity projects promoted by

humanitarian organization Balouo Salo.
The architecture requested in the call for entries, was a 250 square metre space intended to
combat child malnutrition through the provision of nutritional material, the development of
health and hygiene awareness programmes, the provision of paediatric and social care visits,
accommodation for those at risk and the training of community nurses, who will be able to
advise families on good prevention and nutrition practices.
The project area is in southern Senegal where Balouo Salo has been working since 2014 with
the implementation of a number of infrastructure projects to facilitate accessibility to drink-
ing water, schooling and to promote sustainability and human rights. This is one of the least
developed areas of the country: poverty affects around 90% of the population; sanitary condi-
tions are among the worst nationwide and only 8% of the population has access to purified
water; 70% of the population lives in dwellings with no access to electricity. These conditions
directly affect children. It is estimated that 1 in 3 children is at risk of malnutrition, and the
region’s child malnutrition and mortality rates are the highest in the country.
L
ocated in Baghere village, south Senegal, the children’s house with its mod-
est stance demonstrates itself as a succinct design, which derives from the
idea of forming a balance between openness and enclosure. Facing towards
the village in an inviting stance, the design also seeks to establish multiple spatial
dialogues of publicity and privacy with defined elements. Three main volumes are
extracted from major programs required for the healthcare house, and sheltered
by light-weight roof canopy. Base volumes are subsequently divided, stretched,
compressed, and morphed. Curved walls speak as a language of duality, reinter-
preted from vernacular Senegal traditional architecture languages, they are in-
troduced both to create a dynamic strong gesture of orientation, and to enclose
tranquil spaces with intimacy for cared children. The diagonally cut roof on the
corner close to the road creates an welcoming entrance and waiting space to the
village side. The diagonal momentum of the roof continues down until reaching
the ground, the meanwhile phase transforms into a public terrace.

36 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 37

 1st prize
A public open space is hugged by the terrace steps, which is shared by the children’s house
and the village community together for events, gatherings and sports. Lands for agricultural
use are reserved on the back side of the house and in gardens for potential self-supporting
needs and honing the living skills for cared children. Also based on the same principle, heavy
rainfalls during wet-season in Senegal are able to be stored in small reservoirs in the gardens
for the use.
Materials
Vernacular and simplicity in assemble are principles for building materials of the children’s
house. Laterite rammed earth walls are erected first as weight-bearing elements and enclo-
sure. Their curved shapes are adorned with adobe bricks, offering dynamic routes and let-
ting in more sunlight. Bamboo beams are rested on top of rammed earth walls. The strong
sunshine in West Africa is filtered by lattice of bamboo veins, gently flows through and sheds
on the earthy walls. The roof is made of corrugated metal sheets. Features such as modularity,
durability to harsh rainfall and sunlight, easiness to fix and change, make it a perfectly adapt-
able choice for the use in Baghere village.
38 ACY ∙ 2022
1st prize
Construction
The design uses a modular structural grid in order to make the construction of children’s house
efficient and organized. The process starts with flatten the site and build up the base with
tamped earth and compacted gravel, then the concrete foundation beam embedded within.
Rammed earth walls will be next build upon the top of concrete foundation beams with wood
plank forms. Bamboo columns and beams fitted to the structural grid are modular and re-
peatable, they can be assembled either upon rammed earth walls on site, or pre-assembled
then lifted to their place. There will be concrete tie beams on top of rammed earth walls at
some points to support ungrounded columns. Bamboo vein lattice and doors will be manu-
factured and mounted at this phase. After rafters and battens being assembled and fastened,
corrugated metal sheet units will be assembled for the roof. Roof metal panels are all modular
units, some irregular triangle shapes are of the same size and can repeatedly cut from the same
mould. In the above process there is no heavy machine work involved, thus the building will be
constructed by local community members who collaborate with the local construction consult-
ants, builders and international volunteers.
ACY ∙ 2022 39
 2nd prize
C
hild malnutrition is a worldwide problem impacting the livelihood of fami-
lies and whole communities. This problem is not limited to acute cases
of severe hunger and nutrient deficiency in children; it also manifests in
less visual ways, such as improper diet for pregnant mothers, the lack of access
to healthy food sources, and more. For the village of Baghere in Senegal, a “chil-
dren’s house” dedicated to medical treatment for malnutrition can be an effective
response. There is no doubt that a space dedicated to hosting resources and ac-
tivities that address child malnutrition can contribute to the betterment of local
project name communities, but it is another responsibility to properly deliver the knowledge of
these resources and preventative practices to the larger community. The design
Children’s problem for a “children’s house” like this lies in the balance of functional and sym-
House bolic space - how can we design a space so that treatment can be performed in a
reasonably private and thermally comfortable place, while also serving to educate
the larger community of what malnutrition treatment and healthy living looks like?
authors How can architecture communicate towards the community the kind of environ-
Shimin Zhou ment in which hunger can be effectively treated and prevented? Our team believes
that malnutrition can be addressed through an architecture of care, not only as a
Wanning Liao pragmatic and comfortable home for those needing treatment and medical atten-
Tianchen Xu tion, but as a center for community members to see firsthand the methods of living
Hanyang Liu that prevent malnutrition and daily diet practices that are conducive to healthy
Joseph Ongaco futures for children. Our proposal for a Children’s House, called Nest, first and fore-
most addresses the need for a functional center for medical treatment by creating
China
40 ACY ∙ 2022
2nd prize
a simple-to-build, thermally comfortable, and spatially generous place for mothers
and children to receive care and grow in health and strength. An inner courtyard
is space for recreation, where healing children and their families have easy access
to a place of leisure and relaxation. A strawbale roof & façade envelopes the en-
tire structure, protecting little ones from extreme weather conditions year-round.
Nest’s second responsibility is to show the community the impact of these services
and what healing from malnutrition really looks like, as a means of communicating
the importance of proper diet and nutrition and the good it can do to children and
their families. The administration / educational classroom component sits across
from the hospitality area, connected by the inner courtyard. Simple pivoting parti-
tions provide a soft division between these spaces – allowing for some flexibility
in privacy as needed from both areas. It is in the architecture of such a space that
has the capacity to serve as both a practical and educational means of care for the
larger community, in service of both treating those in need of care, and educating
others about the ways malnutrition can be prevented and what the image of care
can be.
Materials
The structure consists of locally sourced and recycled materials, with the intention
of creating climatically stable conditions for the children, mothers, and healthcare
workers who inhabit and use the space. Gravel (or laterite stone) is used at the
foundation to mitigate the onset of water during monsoons and facilitate drainage.
ACY ∙ 2022 41
 2nd prize 2nd prize

When placed into polypropylene bags (like sandbags), they can provide a stable these bamboo frames. The re-
basis for the foundation in lieu of expensive concrete. Rosewood plank is the main maining wood and bamboo ma-
structural element for both the walls and the roof and is used in a post-and-beam terial is used to create partitions
structure. Straw is the primary cladding material used on both the walls as a facade and simple pivot doors, using
and the roof. It requires wild bamboo frames, which can hold hanging panels of wood as the primary frame with
straw. Bamboo fencing is the primary interior finish at the ceiling, and hosts the bamboo shades. Bamboo fenc-
truck tarpaulin which is the waterproofing membrane. ing is woven onto the roof struc-
ture, which serves as a host for
Construction the truck tarpaulin which acts
First, a half-meter trench for the foundation is dug out to establish the building as a waterproofing membrane
footprint, and angled downwards with outlets to direct water away / avoid pond- for the roof. Bamboo frames are
ing or pooling. The trench is filled with rocks as a means of draining water. Bags brought up to the roof structure,
of stone are evenly stacked onto the rocks and are used to establish a stem wall. secured, and then fitted with
Further bags of stone are used to create a stable surface where wood framing can straw panels.
begin. For wood framing, the wood floor frame is built first on top of the even sur-
face of bagged stone. Wood planks are attached to create the flooring. Next, further
planks are stood up as posts with beams and attached to the floor framing. More
wood planks are attached to these post-and-beam elements to complete the main
structure. Finally, the façade and roof cladding can be assembled and then mount-
ed onto the main structure. It begins with a frame made with notched and secured
wild bamboo. Bundles of straw are arranged into panels that can be mounted onto

42 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 43

 3rd prize 3rd prize

project name

Children’s House
author
Nattaphon Worawanitchaphong
Thailand

I
n the south of Senegal, Sedhiou region, there is a small village called Baghere,
which is the location of the Children’s House project. In such villages, the qual-
ity of life is the least developed in the country, contributing to malnutrition
among children. When children have no food, they get sick. Their development
of physical and mental potential decreases or the heaviest is their death. The is-
sue raised awareness of food security, leading to the objective of growing a Food
Environment integrated with architecture, to keep-alive. When children are alive,
they will be able to play, run or learn everything in their life. “When there are no
foods, there are no humans.” Ancient humans were able to survive hunger, as they
initiated to find food sources by the solution of gathering edible wild plants, hunt-
ing and developed into agricultural enlightenment, they learned to cultivate crops
and raise animals for food production. Born as an Agrarian society, leading to a
major change in humanity in many aspects. “When humans have food.” Another
body of knowledge that humans continually develop is methods for storing and
preserving food. Food from plants and animals has a non-permanent period of ex-
istence. Therefore, the role of food preservation is to prolong the storage period for
consumption during food shortages. Methods for growing food sources and pre-
serving food is the knowledge that leads to the idea in the process of creating a
food environment. It started with cultivating crops. Then food products are stored
through the preservation process while food residues are buried in the soil around
the building to become compost. The result of a cyclical diet. Soil conditions get
better, the building is like an oasis in the middle of the desert that slowly adjusts its
context little by little. The interior space is surrounded by food environment walls,
with wooden structures. The entire building will be partially surrounded by trees
in the context to prevent from severe weather condition. The weather will be the
main variable in growing a food environment. Sunlight, humidity, and temperature
play an important role in the growth of plant crops and food preservation. During
the cultivation season the building walls are filled with plants and crops. All plants
contribute to oxygen creation and temperaure regulation. When the harvest season
arrives the building walls are filled with food products ready for preservation pro-
cess by drying methods. Chopped tomatoes and vegetables are placed on the tray,
carrots and corn are hung on the wall. Some of the walls are layered with stones,

44 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 45

 3rd prize
logs, and pottery, these materials are obtained from the context. The function in-
side the building is split in half. First, the floor is covered with concrete to support
the treatment for children and pregnant women. Second, the gravel ground gives
the feeling of a landscape inside the building, and a table that stretches along the
length of the building. The area plays a role as a public area of the community, it
is for organizing activities, meetings, trainings, as well as a recreation area for chil-
dren. Imagine, an old man playing chess with his friends at the head of the table
while in the middle a woman is planting seeds in a pot, and children are running
around the table.
Materials
The relationship between natural materials and their return to nature is the focus
of the design. Wood is the main material for building construction. When time pass-
es, the building plays a role in the formation of seedlings, that will grow into trees
to bring back into the wild nature. Every part of the wood is used in a cost-effective
way. The scraps of wood from the cutting are used to make wedges and dowels,
some parts are made into furniture depending on the size and proportion of the
wood scraps. Wood sawdust from cutting or shaving is used to make compost for
cultivation, mulching the soil to reduce the moisture of the soil surface and sup-
press weeds. With the advent of saplings, plants and food. the materials that com-
plement architectural integrity. When the season changes, the behavior of plants
and food on the wooden wall also change.
46 ACY ∙ 2022
3rd prize
Construction
The stones are gathered from the surrounding context. A traditional stone plinth
foundation for a wooden structure. This traditional construction method requires
delicacy and craftsmanship. This method will become wisdom for people in the
community. It is also the selection of natural materials for maximum benefit. The
wooden structures are joined together by the method of wedges and dowels. The
wooden wall shelf can be disassembled according to its functional in the appropri-
ate season. Sheet metal corrugated roof slopes to a 3 degrees angle. Rainwater that
falls on the roof plane will flow together at the steel gutter attached to the wooden
rafters, then, the water from the steel gutter will falling into the well behind the
building for consumption. Architectural integrity occurs after construction is com-
plete. When people in the community participate in bringing seedlings, plants, and
food to fill the architectural walls. The result of a self-generating a Food Environ-
ment integrated with architectural space.
ACY ∙ 2022 47
 Special Mentions Honorable Mentions

authors author authors authors

Marco Falcone Ida Hardt Zhiqiang Ma Xizhou Chen, Chunlei Zhu
Pietro Passera Poland Linghao Wang China
Italy Lijun Zou
China

authors author author

Mário Rubem Costa Santana Lorenzo Scansani Michał Pietrusiewicz
Rafael Lamary Silva Santos Italy Poland
Brazil

48 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 49

 How we won that competition
How we won that competition
author
Ziyu Guo
China
Before participation
The competition objective of Kaira Looro 2022 is to design a children’s house that
aims to prevent children malnutrition, as well as to provide a warm and welcoming
place for the village. Children malnutrition is a serious issue that troubles human
society. We need to realize that it is more than an instant problem for children to-
day—it will consequentially cause much greater damage to a society, undermine
the determination of developing countries, because children are the potential
owners, leaders, builders and defenders of the future. Therefore, the theme carries
more importance than architecture itself to me.
Also i’ve been interested in the possibilities of low-cost and vernacular buildings in
contemporary context. For architecture working as social infrastructure, functions
and indexes are considered in first priority. Is there still any chance for some explo-
ration of better space, material, and publicity in these buildings that allow most
basic needs? The competition is a good opportunity for me to think about a new
prototype of social infrastructures that could be achieved and generalized.
On context and site
I start the project with researching the context. The project area is located in a vil-
lage called Baghere in South Senegal. It has a very typical tropical monsoon cli-
mate, with extremely high temperature and humidity during the wet season, warm
and arid during the dry season. Such climate will greatly influence the architectural
intervention I’m going to take, and also the appropriate materials to use. The best
way to understand a place is definitely paying a visit, so you can feel the unique-
ness of place with all your senses. Unfortunately I didn’t have a chance to visit Sen-
egal, or other sub-saharan countries so far, so I have to imagine, to study the place
using all resources I have. It is also useful for me to relate to similar experiences,
like my visit in South India, which has a similar climate.
The Tanaff Valley of Sedhiou region where Baghere village lies is one of the least
developed areas in the country, due to lack of resources and infrastructure, and
heavy effect of agriculture from climate changes. The 97% poverty rate here sug-
gests the reason why children malnutrition becomes an important problem here. It
is hard for local people to organize and build new infrastructures on their own cost,
they really need support from external resources. Poor economic condition also
constrains available technologies and materials for the project.
The site sits on the east side of a road leading towards north of the village. It is basi-
cally a flat plot surrounded by local mango and acacia trees. The soil is ferruginous-
sandy, thus it brings a naturally red tone.
On the first glance, this seems to be an ordinary site without much to be character-
ized. However looking deeper I noticed a big contrast of area size between overall
50 ACY ∙ 2022
Photos of Tanaff Valley and Baghere Village, courtesy of Balouo Salo
site and required building floor area, which is 8400 m2 vs 250 m2.
A normal 250-volume of single floor put amid the site seems
lonely and reclusive, leaving the rest of the site vacant. How to
deal with the scheme so that it coherently establishes a dialogue
between the empty site and small building becomes a good point
to kick-off thinking.
Consequently, the relationship between building and the road
becomes my next point to consider. Since the children’s house
is conceived to be a warm and welcoming place for the village,
I don’t think the building should be isolated away from the road,
the form and façade should neither be reclusive.
Site condition, satellite map, courtesy of Balouo Salo
How we won that competition
Then I made my third point of thinking on the site: since there’s
already luxuriant landscape features around, both in the fore-
ground and background, it’s not necessary to create an internal
concentration of views in the scheme of the building. I would
rather try to guide people’s view outwards, looking into the
beautiful senegalese landscape. These are the points I’ve decid-
ed based on my reading of the site, before any specific study of
building schemes.
Materials and structures
The competition has a construction cost limit of €30,000 for ma-
terials and encourages use of natural or local materials which are
available nearby, or easy to transport. Selection of materials in
this design is both a limitation and a propulsion. As I have not
visited the site, the major way I use to understand local building
tectonics is through research and reference. There’s a pervasive
and traditional use of earth materials in senegal as well as oth-
er African countries. In the photos of Baghere village provided,
I also found a wide use of corrugated metal sheet in roofs for lo-
cal buildings, which I assume is because of its easiness in instal-
lation and durability compared to traditional thatched roof. After
that, I looked for references of African architect’s works, as well
as vernacular architecture from other countries. The result coin-
cides with my earlier findings, earth materials with corrugated
metal roof proved a feasible and well-practiced system, which
was applied in many recent building projects in africa of similar
scale. The brief asks for an easy self-build system with unquali-
fied staff, volunteers, and without need of heavy machinery. In
response to this point, I consider use wood or bamboo for the
structural frame. Bamboo was mentioned in the material list pro-
vided. I made it the final choice since it required less carpentry
work in building frames, and it is a fast-regrown material, which
means causing less damage to local ecology.
ACY ∙ 2022 51
 How we won that competition
Laterite earth, bamboo, and corrugated metal sheet. Photo courtesy of Balouo Salo
Laterite earth will be self-sustained from the village, it establishes a deeper conver-
sation with the ferruginous-sandy soil of the site. Its massiveness and roughness
add to a heavy and strong vernacular materiality. In contrast, the corrugated metal
roof is light and slim, it is an expression of modernity adapted to local context.
Bamboo beams, columns and lattices form an elegant transition between the solid
rammed earth wall to metal sheet roof, which is grown from the earth and light in
its presence, perfectly reconciled the heavy and light extremes of the materials.
Concept
First I start to research, study, and imagine what a house for malnutrition children
means for them. I was inspired by a line by 8th century chinese poet du fu: “if ever
I can manage to get a wide and generous roof thousands of fathoms wide, shelters
all the poor who suffered poverty and bring back their happiness.” As depicted in
the words, the building here becomes an ideal signification of shelter for all the
who suffer from disadvantages. We tend to assume that people who require caring
or nursing are dependent to those who give them help, but it is not neglectable
that they are individuals who have their own will. They are independent in char-
acters and dignified individuals, who have the undeniable right to live in a space
with dignity.
Similarly, for children who suffered from malnutrition ever since they were born,
their sensitiveness is unneglectable in nursing and caring, and spaces with a sense
of sheltering and intimacy is what must be considered in the design. However, the
goal of building the children’s house is to let them regain health, being able to re-
turn to a positive and community life. Therefore, open and sharing spaces where
they can actively communicate, recreate, and regain healthy mentalities are also
necessary. In summary, my concept for children’s house is to create multiple layers
of open/intimate spaces based on the duality of malnutrition children’s mentali-
ties, unified and sheltered by a greater realm.
Programs and initial ideas
For me personally, I start to think about program configurations at a very early
52 ACY ∙ 2022
How we won that competition
stage of the design process. It’s a habit from my own working experience, and
it also gives me a brief understanding of the scale and constraints of possi-
ble schemes. The children’s house is a relatively small building with simple
and straight-forward program requirements. Basically, its programs could be
divided into three main groups: hospitality, public, and service and manage-
ment. It suggests a simple tri-lateral relationship, and the unchangeable rule
is that public space and children’s hospitality space need to be connected.
Based on the fundamental principles, I then tested a few layouts with rough
sketches. In the earliest sketches, I arranged the three program groups in line-
ar layouts, as my initiative intuition tells me the sequence should be in a linear
order: all visitors enter from an entrance vestibule connected to the manage-
ment and support programs, which is helpful for security monitoring, then the
sequence proceeds with public/recreational space and finally hospitality. The
spatial sequence is a direct reflection of the progressive narrative of privacy.
Later my ideas started to shift in sketches. I realized the entrance is not neces-
sary to bound with the management group, so long as the entrance is within
staff’s view. A semi-outdoor space shared by management and public groups
was introduced, and it was kept in most of later options.
Subsequent sketch explorations of options based on shared semi-outdoor en-
trance.
Development of ideas
Then the exploration of possibilities went into a hard time for me. I’ve drawn
out half of a sketch book and tested in 3d modeling of various options, how-
ever they were not convincing enough for me in expression of the concept.
Design is very often a back-and-forth process, sometimes one can retreat to a
point forfeited long ago. Some should-have-abandoned directions started to
haunt back in my studies unconsciously. Ideas went too divergent at this mo-
ment, I decided to stop for a while, step back to early conclusions i made when
researching the site and concept. I noticed that I’ve gradually neglected the
proposed aspect of publicity, the dialogue between the building and context.
The study process was progressed deeper and deeper within a self-enclosed
system of building itself, regardless of the surroundings which it should have
interactions with.
Once jumped out of this trap, a naturally derived idea quickly came to my
mind. The building requires something to build connections with the vil-
lage, to create a public space shared by village residents and building users.
A curved wall will initiate the sequence with a clear orientation, at the same
time it defines a sense of public place for people to gather or stay on its front
side, covers and leading the direction to a separate service entrance. Other
walls will be set rigorously to a grid, clearly announcing a simple order and
rhythm, in contrast with the curved wall.
Open spaces like playgrounds, gardens and courtyards are beneficial for chil-
dren. In response to the other point i’ve drawn from site studies, which is lead-
ing views outwards to the surrounding landscape, i decided to put those out-
ACY ∙ 2022 53
 How we won that competition How we won that competition

door spaces side of the building volume, rather than make a concentrated realm in
the middle. There are hints of two garden spaces, defined by walls in either semi-
circle or free-curve shapes, as shown in a few sketch iterations. To emphasis on the
entrance orientation, I think a gentle cut to the roof will strengthen the welcom-
ing gesture and create a more dynamic form of the building. The momentum an-
nounced by the cutting diagonal line on the roof further inspires me, that it wants
to continue until touching the ground, result with part of the roof becoming a ter-
race for the public. I was quickly convinced by this idea since it adds another level
of openness and sharing between the building and the village.
Presentation
Choosing what to be expressed in the final board is an important process that
requires careful consideration. In addition, the submission requirement of Kaira
Looro allows for only one a1 board, which is very condensed, and means the selec-
tion of deliverables must be more precise and accurate.
hensive expression. At last, visual hierarchy of images are also important for
the reading of project. Make sure the major image that best tells the whole
story is in a dominant presence, regardless of it’s a render, drawing, model
image, or anything else.
Thoughts and acknowledgements
For me, participating in this competition is an opportunity to think something
out of job with a more personal approach towards design ideas. Clear and ef-
ficient time management is extremely important, especially when you have
other work to do in job or school. I’m glad about winning the prize, yet win-
ning itself isn’t everything. Being lucky or unlucky is a normal state of up-and-
down cycle for people working with architecture career or participating in
contests. We need to take it easy on the results and enjoy the process of every
project, so that we can keep the momentum to move on with a longer-term
passion with architecture.

Plans and sections are necessary drawings to be included. For the children’s house
project, I think the floor plan is the most important drawing to illustrate my con-
cept of openness vs. Enclosure. Therefore I allowed a major space on the board for
the plan, spent much time on this drawing, adding details and carefully adjusting
the linework for better graphic hierarchy of reading. Although a site plan of wider
area is included, I decided to zoom out a bit in the floor plan, so that the village
road, public space, and surrounding trees can be better shown. A close spatial con-
versation with village surroundings is what makes this project unique, thus they
must be included in the plan to best demonstrate the idea.
Finally, although this is a personal entry, there were so many people who of-
fered generous help with their sharp eyes examining the design or advice in
hard decisions. Much obliged to all of them, and I’m also grateful to the com-
petition committee and the whole jury for their selection. Also many thanks
to marcin husarz of competitions.archi who has giving me the opportunity to
summarize and write this article, thank you for reading!

I took two section drawings to illustrate how the views are leading outwards rather
than concentrated inwards. The sections cut through children’s garden and the
semi-circle mini garden, showing their difference in typology and outdoor-indoor
experience. Because construction together with material plays an important role
in the whole project, I think a detail section drawing in bigger scale will be cru-
cial for clearly demonstration of the system. Normally I’m a big fan of axonomet-
ric drawings. However the board canvas is extremely tight for complex drawings.
I gave a few tries on how axonometric or explosion drawings look like on the board,
the result was not ideal. The design is not complicated, but rather simple and self-
explanatory, adding axonometric drawing is not beneficial making things more
clearly, so eventually I abandoned this idea.

Renders are powerful tools in conveying the overall atmosphere perception of a

design. I strongly agree with a point I’ve heard before, that all graphics in archi-
tecture are essentially diagrams. We certainly understand renderings are artistic
expressions and simulations of a space, but the fact that they are also narrative
medias that carries information is less remembered. In order to tell a comprehen-
sive story of the project with renderings, I first made a list of what views I need to
include in the deliverables, together with what story I want to tell with each im-
age. These include the space of depiction, view angles, composition, overall at-
mosphere, lighting condition, program, activity, construction, etc. At the beginning
I listed all the ones I deemed possible, and then I made a comparison one by one,
deleting those unnecessary or less clear in the overall narrative. The elimination
went for two rounds, until I picked the essential images list needed for a compre- Sketch series that defined the final scheme

54 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 55

 1st prize

project name

The House of Light

authors
Paulina Pawlikowska
Paulina Górecka

Hangar Ticinum Poland

With the intention of collecting innovative design proposals aimed at the recovery of Pa-
via’s hydroplane base TerraViva launched the architecture competition entitled “Hangar
Ticinum”. The ambitious goal of the initiative was to challenge participants to come up
with projects capable of imagining a new life for this extraordinary 1920s building that
has been abandoned and in disuse for decades.
Designed by the famous rationalist architect Giuseppe Pagano, the Idroscalo represents a real
hidden gem within the cultural heritage of the city. The unquestionable value of the artifact,
the uniqueness of its architectural typology and the panoramic position overlooking the Tici-
no river have made the building a perfect case study for an ideas competition open to students
and professionals from all over the world.
Participants were asked to present creative proposals focused on the renovation of the struc-
ture, currently in critical decay and extreme deterioration. The competition explicitly required
full attention to the social and cultural aspects of the project, encouraging competitors to
work on a program linked to an everyday use, open particularly to the youngest generations
and generally to the entire local community. The main challenge was to imagine a full recovery
of the hydroplane base with the ambition of restoring the importance and centrality it once
had for the city of Pavia.
T
he existing Idroscalo building has always played an im-
portant role in the life of the city, being a transit point,
a shelter, a terrace and a landmark in the panorama of
Peacock City, where life has revolved around the river since its
beginnings.
By introducing light into the space we try to invite passers-by
to the city and to the interior of the building, thus restoring its
original function.
The permanent structure is filled with glass, which will bring
light outside the building. With the help of light the existing
structure will again become a luminous point on the city map,
inviting people from all directions.

The awarded proposals were able to enhance the architectural characteristics of the original
project by combining contemporary design interventions with flexible and interactive pro-
grams open all kinds of users.

Sponsored by the Municipality of Pavia, the works of the thirty finalist teams were displayed as
part of an exhibition entitled “Metafisica dello Spazio”, which took place at the Civic Museum
of the Castello di Pavia during the months of April and May 2022.

56 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 57

 1st prize 1st prize

By creating terraces in the interior, the building will connect the

city with the river, creating new perspectives for the perception of
the city.

The form of the building draws inspiration from the Shakespear-

ean theater typology, creating many different scenarios for using
the building and enjoying the performances inside and outside on
the river. Visitors to the building create a shadow play on the fa- open plan italian plan
çade, thus making their presence felt in the space.

Skids that were once used to lift hydrofoils inside are now sym-
section
bolically pulled inside the building, thus creating a new hierarchy
of space. Platforms with seats will be placed on them, which will
naturally create a stage for performance space - theater. The result
is a stage in the middle of the building surrounded by terraces. The
shakespeare plan arena plan
interior is created by moving platforms that leave the floor, offer-
ing different configurations of scenes and possible scenarios for
events in the building space. options of the interior

ground floor

firts floor

axonometric view plans and the section

58 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 59

 2nd prize 2nd prize

project name

Fata Morgana
author
Devin Dobrowolski
USA

T
he project takes its name from the Fata Morgana, an atmos-
pheric mirage making objects appear to hover just above
the horizon. As in the myth of Morgan le Fay, a sorceress
attributed with the power of transformation, the renovated Idros-
calo retains the form of Pagano’s original design, but is given new
life through a minimal but radical material intervention that trans-
forms the disused hangar from a site of ruin, to a new form of flex-
ible public space.

Taking cues from the abundant spontaneous vegetation of the site,

the building operates like a greenhouse. After removing the brick
and stucco infill, and reinforcing the existing concrete structure, the
building is reclad in a lightweight, translucent polycarbonate skin
that modulates light and temperature. In warm weather, the facade
of the building opens almost entirely to allow for cross ventilation
and expansive views along the Ticino. In cooler months, the poly-
carbonate allows for solar gain and traps heat.

Steel construction is used to shore up the existing concrete struc-

ture at maximum efficiency and minimum cost. A lightweight deck
suspended from a series of pinned arches holds a central green-
house with flexible work, meeting, and gathering space that can be
accessed by stair and ramp. On the ground level, a central enclosure
holds bathrooms and space for a small cafe and bar. The addition
of this minimal but essential services maximizes and amplifies the
greatest assets of the existing building--an expansive open space
with expressed structure that creates a new indoor and outdoor
public plaza at the gateway to the city.

60 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 61

 2nd prize 2nd prize

floor plans

section diagram

62 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 63

 3rd prize 3rd prize

project name

TWOFOLD:
A water infrastructure
that heals
authors
Valeria Paez Cala
Luisa Brando
Colombia

T
wofold is a project that emerges from understanding that the
enchantment of Hangar Ticinum’s ruin is due to its double es-
sence that encapsulates Pagano’s rationale and Ticino’s wil-
derness. The project departs from this dichotomy and proposes an in-
tervention that preserves this condition by buttressing and blending
human interactions and natural processes.

The essence of the project is double, and so is its program. To reacti-

vate the structure and the river, Twofold suggests two programs that
heal through water. The first heals the human body, mind, and spirit
with a complex of public baths, echoing the infrastructures of the Ro-
man Empire. The second regenerates the river processes, biodiversity,
and borders with a network of cleansing and seeding operations, en-
gaging with climate change.

The essence of the project is double, and so is its architecture. To ac-

commodate the activities, Twofold proposes two structures. The first
is the reconstructed Hangar, with an intervention that restores Pa-
gano’s initial logic and respects its structure, envelope, and roof. The
second is its inversion, a floating shed traveling along Ticino, that en-
ergizes the river’s borders and unveils a new perspective of the city
from inside the water.

When conceived, Hangar Ticinum was part of Pavia’s infrastructure to

support its growth and prosperity. This lifted structure, disconnected
from its landscape, embodied the principles of modernity, glorifying
and sheltering man and his technologies. Twofold honors the initial
project’s infrastructural origin. However, it redefines its scope by shel-
tering multiple forms of life and honoring water as the fundamental
foundation.

64 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 65

 3rd prize 3rd prize

66 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 67

 Golden Mentions Honorable Mentions

project name project name project name project name project name project name

Idroscalo Hub Art Center Ticinum Ticino Meet+ THREE TOOLS Continued The wide
authors authors authors authors Modernity Ticinum hall
Di Feng, Lifang Zhang Cecilia Marcheschi, Carlotta Di Sandro Chao Tang, Gianluca Basile,
author authors
China Italy Christiane M. Herr Antonino Caridi,
Ziyu Guo Léo-Paul Chorel,
China Davide Casaletto
Italy China Camille Bluin
France

project name project name project name project name

The Life Frames Pavia’s Ticinum Cultur- A Collective

authors Livingroom al Pavi(a)lium House on the
Marcelina Terelak,
authors authors River
Aleksandra Piechota,
Hoang Le Van, Nam Gianluca Ardiani, authors
Katarzyna Jasińska,
Nguyen Cao Hoai, Huy Violetta Breda, Lucia Rosa Harder,
Kamila Boroch
Ngo Nguyen Minh, Anh Martino Cucurnia, Emil Boje
Poland
Phan Hieu Trung, Ky Mattia Festa, Denmark
project name project name Do Dang Xhesika Prifti
Italy
Two Stories, One Place Box for Culture Vietnam

authors author
Shuangyun Chen, Raúl Martínez Medina Giuseppe D’Albenzio
China, Mexico Italy

project name project name

Plays of Ticino Sweet Drift

authors authors
Elene Machaidze, Giorgi Maisuradze, Mariam Annabelle Thüring
Shaishmelashvili, Salome Gugunava, Nodar France
Kvanchiani, Irina Maskhulia, Irakli Shubashikeli,
Doruntina Zendeli, Aysel Kapsız
Georgia, Macedonia, Turkey

68 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 69

 How we won that competition How we won that competition

How we won that competition

authors
Paulina Pawlikowska, Paulina Górecka
Poland

The aim of the project was to bring life back to an abandoned building, respecting
the historical values that it represents.

The existing Idroscalo building has always played an important role in the life of
the city, being a transit point, a shelter, a terrace and a landmark in the panorama
of Pavia City, where life has revolved around the river since its beginnings.

The hangar stands on a strong concrete platform by the river. The structure of the
building is good quality, but the filling of the brick walls has been damaged. The
project involves removing damaged bricks from the wall structure and replacing
them with glass blocks. This procedure allowed light to be brought inside during
the day and released outside at night. Thanks to this, Idroscalo becomes a land-
mark on the city map again, attracting visitors with an interesting form, and it in-
vites people from all sides like a lantern at night .

The towing rails for hydroplanes become a stair structure that enables people to
meet the river. The structure is symbolically put inside the building, thus creating
a new space hierarchy. The stairs enable various activities. They become the audi-
ence of the theater, allow you to enter the terrace, which is a perfect vantage point
for numerous water sports and the nature of the Ticcino River. Terraces in the inte-
rior are creating new perspectives for the perception of the city.
The form of the building is inspired by the typology of Shakespearean theater. The
stairs at the facade and terraces surround the central space, which is a platform
with mobile elements. Movable elements make it possible to obtain various stage-
auditorium configurations, as well as to create a workshop space. In Shakespeare’s
theater, the sky was an additional setting for the performance, while in our project
the background becomes the river.The original structure of the trusses and cur-
tains enables the organization of theatrical performances on the background of the
river, the installation of lights and decorations.
Visitors of the building create a game of shadows on the facade, which makes them
participants in the performance and the object of interest of people from the out-
side.
Competition selection
At the outset, we naturally proceeded to select the competition.
The theme was one of the most important factors, but not the
only one. We chose the theme of the ‘Hangar Ticinum’ in Pavia
because of the task of dealing with the subject of a difficult ar-
chitectural heritage and bringing it ‘back to life’, which is what
the organizers wanted. In addition, the subject is real and impor-
tant, having existed in the discourse of the city’s inhabitants and
experts for decades - ever since the building ceased to serve its
function and began to fall into disrepair. At the same time, it is an
icon of the rationalist modernism movement, which developed
mainly in Italy, and we considered this an important and interest-
ing topic to address.

Team We believe that an equally important factor is the way in which

We met while working as part of the same team in an architectural office and quick-
ly came to the conclusion that we had a similar perspective on architecture - its
creation and critique. It turned out that we were just as passionate about taking
part in architectural competitions outside of academia and that we worked well
together as a team, which only strengthened our conviction that it was a good time
to try our hand at a joint competition project.
the competition is organized - for you can tell by a well-written
brief the seriousness and stature of the competition. Gathering
and compiling the necessary materials for the brief, inviting ex-
perts in the field and eminent architects, as well as an attractive
prize, is a sign of respect for the effort and time devoted by the au-
thors of the submitted projects, who often need a month or more
to create their work. Student competitions are often the first con-
tact with the work of an architect, and therefore we should also

70 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 71

 How we won that competition
demand respect for our work and skills when choosing them. By participating in
such a contest, we can be sure that the competition among the participants will be
high, which will translate into a high level and rank of the contest.
We usually approach an architectural competition like a problem or task that
needs to be solved to find the right solution. The next steps of the design process
are therefore for us a sequence of analysis, research, asking questions and search-
ing for answers. The starting point, then, is always an in-depth analysis of the brief,
which already at the outset raises a lot of questions and indicates certain paths of
thought to be analyzed. It shows the context, the organizer’s assumptions and ex-
pectations, constraints and requirements for submitting a project. Reading “Hang-
ar Ticinum” we learned, among other things, about the historical context (Idrosca-
lo is monumental, iconic and an extraordinary example of synthesis between two
different styles: the first still Secessionist, the second almost fully Modern), about
its abandonment and deterioration.
One of the key tasks was to program the new building to serve the local community,
to be socially and culturally attractive, open and create the potential for long-term
transformation, while at the same time the organizers encouraged bold propos-
als and experimentation. So we started with general analyses of the site and the
context: analyzing needs, functions, potential audiences (what age groups, social
groups), communication, history, the role of the river in the city, cultural events
and much more. We collected historical photos, read articles from the times.
The brief pointed to “The unquestionable historical and artistic value of the build-
ing, the uniqueness of the architectural typology and the worrying state of decay
in which the structure has been for decades,” which inspired us from the start to
think of the building as a testimony, a monument and important image forming
the city skyline.
What’s more, we noted that the Ticinum River has always played an important
role in the city - it has been a means of transportation, a means of communica-
tion, a venue for cultural events and the organization of major sporting events on
the water, a meeting place. The Idroscalo building, on the other hand, stands on
a bend in the river and at a crossroads, making it a kind of “gateway to the city.”
This fact inspired us to decide on the expression of the building - it will become
a lighthouse that will be a navigator for people heading to the city from the river
and also an attractor for the neighborhood - a point of visibility from afar. These
two ideas - a lighthouse and leaving a permanent structure seemed to complement
each other perfectly and guided us to the ideal solution to create a translucent and
illuminated building. We started looking for solutions to realize this idea - should
we keep the original brick and only fill the cavities with a transparent material, or
maybe enclose the whole thing with a mesh and let the structure slowly decay and
dematerialize?
Sometimes we have to think through many options to arrive at the ideal solution
that fits our intentions and context. How do we recognize that “this is it”? At some
72 ACY ∙ 2022
How we won that competition
point, the individual elements begin to be complementary and form one logical
and coherent whole. Every procedure and design decision is logical and needs no
explanation. This is the moment that cements the idea. The second determinant of
this one and only idea is the emotions we get from imagining its realization - when
shivers and excitement appear it is a sign that we are on the right track. We believe
that architecture should always evoke emotions in the viewer, no matter how arbi-
trary its function.
We decided to preserve as much of the original shape and substance of the build-
ing as possible, and to emphasize its unique character and preserve the heritage
of modernist architecture. To this end, the decision was made to fill the entire
beam structure with a transparent material that would be durable and aestheti-
cally pleasing and at the same time not detached from its context. So we replaced
the traditional brick with glass block, which meets these requirements - it has the
same module as brick so it is a flexible building block, thanks to its insulating prop-
erties it does not require filling or encasing the structure with other layers to main-
tain the functionality of the building, and at the same time it lets light through,
which allows you to see at night what is happening inside the building. Thanks to
this, the walls “bring” light inside during the day, while at night they bring it out
by becoming a beacon for the neighborhood. So the original brick was replaced
entirely with glass block while the windows were left in their original form. In this
way we achieved a hierarchy and narrative in the space - from the entrance the user
sees only the fuzzy, faint shapes of the surroundings, which creates an abstract
scenery and background for the events happening inside, only at the end, after
walking through the building, do we reach the terrace on the second floor, where
we stand at the height of the windows and can admire the river as we know it. With
this change of perception, visitors gradually come to the Ticino River and can redis-
cover it - from a previously unknown perspective.
While gathering information about Pavia, our attention was caught by the fact that
the Ticino River still plays a huge role in the city. All of the city’s activity takes place
right there - it’s a point on the route of the country’s most important water sporting
events, and historically it’s also the aforementioned stop for hydrofoils. So preserv-
ing the connection to the water seemed natural to us for this location. Hence the
idea to use the full potential of such a large and high “empty” volume - filling it
with functional and adoptable platforms on different levels, which will thus cre-
ate an arrangement of space for a wide variety of activities - a terrace on the +2
level by the windows for admiring events happening on the river, and a “natural”
extension of the building over the water using the existing skids. This idea meshes
with the historical context for which the Idroscalo building was created - a marina
building, station and repair facility in one. The Idroscalo operated like a machine,
where every element was an essential component - the skids pulling the watercraft
from the water into the interior and onto land, the trains for repairs, the curtain as
a gateway. Analyzing it in detail and in old photographs and creating an accurate
model allowed us to understand how it worked. We wanted to bring this unprec-
edented process to people today - by recreating the path in a certain way, bringing
the user closer to nature and literally experiencing “taking people out of the river.”
ACY ∙ 2022 73
 How we won that competition How we won that competition

We used the former skids to extend the building into the water itself, and placed
stairs on top of them as a new meeting space and viewing platform.

The idea of watching activity inside the building seemed intriguing enough to pull it
further as a design theme as well. We wanted to create a true two-sided experience
- a building that becomes an audience but also a stage - literally and metaphori-
cally. This was the slogan that gave rise to the idea of a theater. The users of the
space moving through it will create a shadow show on the facade of the building,
while thanks to the placement of the viewing terrace and stairs they themselves
can become an audience for the events happening on the river.

Having already defined part of the design assumptions, we were looking for a
space arrangement that would be functional, easily adaptable and correspond
to the centric layout of the space. The traditional, approximately centric models
of theaters we were familiar with did not fit with the contemporary, experimental
vision of the space we saw here. We began a search for alternative typologies of
theaters where viewers can enjoy performances from different levels of the room.
At this stage, we made a lot of interior design models. We thought a lot using a
cross-section so as to imagine how it could be configured in different ways. While
researching various historical theaters, we came across one that particularly in-
spired us. It’s a Shakespearean theater where the main stage is located in the mid-
dle on an elevated platform, and galleries surround it on all sides so that we view
the play from different perspectives and heights.

“There were two kinds of public theaters in Shakespeare’s time. Playhouses, like
the Globe, were outdoor theaters - they had some covered seating, but the yard
in the middle was open to the sky.” The sky was, so to speak, an extension of the
play’s scenery. In our case, on the other hand, the scenery was to become a river.
With the help of existing curtains, we would open up to it and expand the stage, or
divide the space and leave the stairs for others.

Programming the building proved to be the most difficult task and as part of the
design process took a very long time. Using these accepted principles, keeping in
mind the paths of movement of different groups We finally created several layouts
of stages and auditoriums and a completely complex layout where the building is
an open multi-purpose hall.

74 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 75

 1st prize

project name

Urban Elevation,
Azure Fascination
authors
Alice Bonnet
Romane Boucher
France

Inspiration Hostel To rise.

To get an overview.

Competition
To feel the urban vibrations from above.
To get away from the hustle and bustle of your own life.
To get contemplative, meditative, inspired by a unique viewpoint of a
unique landscape.

The purpose of the call was to encourage innovative proposals, com- A calm place between the bustle of the city below and the ever-chang-
mitted to the strategy of implementing cutting-edge, contemporary ing clouds and sky above.
architecture in a natural environment, with approaches that lead to
synergies between the context and the building itself. Perched on the Parisian roofscape, discovering the city from above
rather than down at street level.
As each year the competition was open to architects, designers, archi-
tecture students and to people around the world interested in the topic.
Competitors could subscribe individually or as a team of maximum of 5.
This year we received 107 proposals from more than 20 different coun-
tries.

We received a lot of interesting ideas of spaces that promote a deep un-

derstanding and assimilation of nature. The jury focused on selecting
projects that lead through their architecture to sensitivity, awareness,
understanding, enthusiasm and commitment to the natural environ-
ment around them.

76 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 77

 1st prize 1st prize

This is what the Inspiration Hostel proposes as a new way to get in-
spired.

On arrival at Charles de Gaulle airport, you will be welcomed by per-

sonnel from the hostel, who will take you on an hour-long trip, 20 km,
hot-air balloon ride. You float across the whole city before being low-
ered down onto a giant net stretched over the courtyard of a typical
city block. You find yourself immersed in a new world: a seemingly in-
finity expanse of zinc roofs, terra cotta chimneys, and a never-ending
sky.

The Inspiration Hostel offers different kinds of architecture for each

unit, adapted to the particularities of each roof. You are free to explore
a rooftop zone made accessible by nets, steps and hand-rails until you
find the studio unit that appeals to you most.

Some of the studios are tall and narrow, others are wide, some are
angular, others rounded, some offer oriented views, others give pan-
oramic 360° vistas. You can create your art facing the infinite, take
your bath in front of the Eiffel Tower, sleep watching the stars, or
draw the curtains around you and be all alone. Between the private
spaces, you will find places to meet with the others artists: platforms
to congregate upon, a library or a living room. You may also find
yourself down a series of steps up to viewpoint and enjoy a moment
of urban silence and meditation. Otherwise, you can simply appreci-
ate the topography of the zinc roof.

At the end of your stay, the hot-air balloon will pick you up and take
you back to the airport, giving you one last view of Paris, the soul
fully inspired.

78 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 79

 2nd prize 2nd prize

project name Chapter 4

Let inspiration The new works that the gallery displayed were created that day by
the painters stationed in the train hotel. Visitors saw the locomotive
bloom along the through the window in front of the gallery and realized that indeed
they were in a train-like hotel.
tracks!
Chapter 5
The library is the last room that people pass by on the way to the si-
authors
lence room at the end of the train hotel. The cylindrical bookshelves
Yiu Cheng with pouring sky light making people settle down before they came
Rixue Jin into the silence room.
Siemang Wang
Baichao Wang Chapter 6
China At dusk, an old couple of artists slowly walked into the room of si-
lence . They sat down and snuggled together, looking at the distant
track and the sunset hanging in the sky, recalling their lives along
the way…

I
n a small city located on the border of three countries in
northeastern China, rich coal and gold mines have given
there unlimited prosperity. After squandering, countless
rusty and overgrown railways were left, which vaguely con-
nected the transforming cities and the hollow villages. Several
young artists decided to give them new life. They found the
locomotive that had been idle for a long time and built a train-
like and movable artist hotel. They hope to lead artists through
the countryside and cities, in order to get inspiration from the
changing scenes of the journey. And share their creations with
local residents in underdeveloped areas, so as to drive more in-
spiration and interest. They posted recruitment information on
the Internet and soon gathered a large number of artists who
are interested in it. On a cool early morning, they set off.

Chapter 1
The train hotel stopped by a volcanic lake. The painter in the
studio started his first sketch creation in the journey, facing the
lake outside the French windows. His photographer roommate
also picked up the camera happily.

Chapter 2
The hotel drove into a declining and dull village. The band
members lifted the side wall of the carriage and began to per-
form. The villagers quickly gathered with interest, and even the
old people started ballroom dancing.

Chapter 3
when sleepiness strikes at noon, in the arched corridor of the
studio area, in addition to the people who were greeting each
other, you could always see a few young people and their dogs
lying in the sun under the daylighting shaft.

80 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 81

 3rd prize 3rd prize

project name

Sensory Maze

authors
Clara Chatellier
Louis Boulacheb
France

T
he hotel is situated in an open air marble quarry in Portugal’s
Alentejo region. Carved out of the rock to a depth of thirty
metres, the hotel disappears below the horizon. Deep inside,
walls form a vault-like protected space, isolated from the outside
world. Through a game of subtraction and addition, the layered sil-
houette of the quarry welcomes the new architecture.

A sensory experience
The route to the hotel entrance immediately invites the artist to re-
lax and marvel at the majesty and beauty of the quarry. The hotel is
conceived as a labyrinth where different spaces follow one another
almost endlessly: narrow passages, dead ends, contemplative break-
throughs and sensory cavities accompany the artist on their inner
journey towards the renewal of their creative instinct. The sobriety of
the installations suggests the emptiness of inspiration but also repre-
sents the blank space where the fruit of this spiritual experience will
be able to express itself as freely as on a blank page. Smooth concrete
forms are added to adapt the spatial organisation of the excavated
blocks and provide a multitude of spaces between the interior and
exterior.

An inner search
At each turn, we discover a new passage, a new gallery, a new atmos-
phere, and a new spatial experience where the senses of sight, touch,
hearing, and smell are all engaged. Diverse spaces inside this maze-
like hotel, some spacious, expansive and open, others cosy, contained
and closed, allow the artist residents to gather, to exchange and share
knowledge and experience with each other, feeding their inspiration.
The beauty of the site and the simplicity of the monolith contribute
to the exaltation of the senses and the resurgence of the imagination.
Galleries leading to isolation spaces are formed by a process of sub-
traction, carved out of the rock.

82 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 83

 3rd prize 3rd prize

84 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 85

 Honorable Mentions

project name author project name author

Nicolás Paz Balazs Rose
Arte y Memoria en Colombia Reuse of Wine Hungary

Montes de Maria Cellars

project name authors

Paul Hereshkovitch, Juliette Magny, Pierre Chambaud
Virtuous Circus France

project name authors

Milania Almaro
Valley of Amina Yusupova
the Artist Isa Bagadov
Germany, Russia, Belgium

project name author

Mohammad Rahimizadeh
Suspended Power Iran

86 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 87

 How we won that competition How we won that competition

How we won that competition

authors
Alice Bonnet, Romane Boucher
France

We are Romane and Alice, two students at ENSA - Paris Belleville. Having recpec-
tively studied for our undergraduate degrees in Brussels and in Marseille, we met in
Paris for our Master’s degree. We participated in the Inspiration Hotel competition,
proposed by Opengap as part of our studio. The idea was to imagine a hotel where
artists would come to find a residence for inspiration and creativity. The location
was free to each participant.

To start, we will talk about some tips on how to approach a first competition ex-
perience, then detail a bit more our proposal and finally, our presentation panels,
which are all as important as the project itself.

Entering a competition requires immersing oneself in a world of deep questioning.

Indeed, to really understand the stakes of the exercise, the first objective is to turn
the competition question upside down, modulate it, modify it. In a way: to appro-
priate it, in order to propose a more thoughtful and adequate answer. For our part,
we put aside all the specifications to let our imaginative freedom guide us.

Taking the example of the inspiration hotel for artists which was the subject of our
competition, we first thought about the art forms that this could imply: paintings,
sculptures, photographs... Further on, we looked at body art, performances, ex-
periments, some happenings or even land art... This helped us to understand the
atmosphere we were looking for in our project. Very quickly, we asked ourselves
what visitors to our hotel would want to do there. How a hotel could become more
than a place of passage, but rather a real experience. This was the main idea that
we were committed to throughout the project.
Then, a series of questions arose concerning the nature of the hotel itself. About its
location: it could have been lost in an oasis, or directly confronted with the city in
the heart of New York. It could have been immersed in a supermarket inspired by
contemporary consumer society, or it could have gone to the moon, with the idea
of achieving the impossible.
Speaking of reaching the place, the question of the journey is also very important.
The nature of the route to the hotel is also carefully considered. Does the artist
reach it in a perilous way or rather serenely? Is it long – taking several months, or
quick – lasting just a few hours?
Thus, this first stage of the thousand questions plunges us into a universe where
everything is possible, and where creative and imaginative freedom is omnipres-
ent. It is necessary to let our mind escape to be able to experiment the field of pos-
sibilities, to consider all the solutions and to be convinced that the final answer is
the best and the most convincing one.
To answer the competition’s challenge, we started from the position that the source
of inspiration is at hand but that everyday life sometimes gets in the way. For us,
there is no need to take refuge in a utopian place to get inspired, as is often sug-
gested. The artist can be so blocked, biased, etc.… by their daily environment that
they can no longer fully perceive it; it is simply a matter of finding a way to redis-
cover his surroundings, to approach it and change one’s perspective. A new point
of view can provide real inspiration. For us, the artist had to take height physically
to recharge psychically.

Also, upon arrival, is there physically a hotel that receives the artists or was the trip
itself the source of inspiration sought? During their stay at the hotel of inspiration,
is the artist alone or do they meet people? Do they come to create or simply to be
inspired? Do they leave with their creations? We can also ask about the length of
the stay, or whether it is tedious, dangerous, luxurious or ordinary.
So, we propose to the artist to stay on the roofs of Paris.
To be honest, a rooftop location was our initial idea. Only to verify its relevance and
its power, we went through all the questions we mentioned above, we interrogated
other places of implantation as ruins, oasis, jungle... But it is up on the roofs that
we felt the greatest potential of creativity.

88 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 89

 How we won that competition
However, we knew that “down there”, i.e. in the streets of a city, the daily pressure
is too strong and becomes suffocating. We did not want the artist to experience
this first and then stay in the inspirational hotel. So, the decision was that the art-
ist would come to Paris and discover the city with the greatest intention to never
touch the ground.
The artist then enjoys a new city and a new view, all of which forms a unique expe-
rience. Perched, he becomes a spectator and actor of an observatory. The inspira-
tion comes from the passers-by, the sky, the horizon, the infinite...
But how do we design this rooftop observatory?
To begin with, we studied the place in detail. One of the particularities of the Paris-
ian roofs that emerged was that the chimney walls structure the space and give
rhythm to the facades. Therefore, it was around them that the search for a pro-
ject evolved. Our first sketches were not to scale as you can see (cf First intention’s
sketches) we couldn’t perceive the full potential of our ideas. Therefore, from this
moment on, we draw to scale to move forward.
Our architecture uses the roofs to build itself. The observatory can be placed on
the walls, between the walls, in compression, or even in the thickness of a wall...
However, as you can see on these sketches, the few first tests were still quite lim-
ited. However, as each roof is unique and has its own specificity, there are many
different and atypical architectural possibilities. A series of experiments began to
take shape, looking for volumes, locations, and points of view, keeping in mind
the memorable experience we wanted to offer to the artist, rather than the search
for a detailed, even constructible, architecture. Indeed, we must not forget that
this is a competition of ideas. We should not necessarily think of realistic volumes
but rather start from the principle that we can always find a way to concretize our
craziest ideas: this widens even more the field of possibilities and the potential of
creativity.
In order to advance the process of reflection, we looked for a precise location in
Paris. We selected a typical block of Haussmannian architecture, in the Marais, in
the heart of the capital. Moreover, located in front of the Pompidou Art Center, the
residents perched on the roofs are directly immersed in an artistic, creative and
inspiring atmosphere.
On this block, we wanted to offer each resident a unique experience, but we also
wanted to have a unified place. Developing a common thread allowed us to create
a homogeneity in the different ideas that crossed our minds and to reinforce these
ideas by proposing coherences with each other. In the end, it is a solid project, with
a strong but concrete main idea, and materializations of this concept in different
forms. This narrative arc helped us to keep a direction and to make choices during
the evolution of the project.
Our goal was to propose a pathway across the roofs, leaving them sometimes very
rough, to put the visitors to the test. This path is simply materialized by a handrail,
90 ACY ∙ 2022
How we won that competition
which is articulated on the beams of ridges in the manner of a conductive ribbon
and of some ladders. The latter were for the most part already on the roofs, and
recall the old trade of chimney sweeps: once again, the chimneys come to justify
our project choices. As the artist can go all around the block, they sometimes meet
what we called nodes, interesting crossings between private and common spaces.
The private spaces are then similar to small studios of spatial exploration. Indeed,
implanted in specific places of the roofs, they will first be faithful to the topogra-
phy, then they will also propose experimental volumes: the aim is then to expe-
rience narrowness in a big and thin space, compression in a space between two
walls, height in a small tower, infinity in a circular space, etc...
Again, regardless of the potential for rooftop buildability here, the preference is to
encourage unique and unusual stories.
Public spaces are gathering places. Sometimes they are open-air, like modest gaze-
bos, and sometimes they are enclosed and contain specific functions, like a small
library.
Finally, we wanted to talk about the competition panel, which seemed to us to be
a job in itself. To begin with, we were asked for an explanatory scenario of the ex-
periment we were proposing. Attached is the text from the final presentation.
To rise.
To get an overview.
To feel the urban vibrations from above.
To get away from the hustle and bustle of your own life.
To get contemplative, meditative, inspired by a unique viewpoint of a unique land-
scape.
A calm place between the bustle of the city below and the ever-changing clouds
and sky above. Perched on the Parisian roofscape, discovering the city from above
rather than down at street level. This is what the Inspiration Hostel proposes as
a new way to get inspired.
On arrival at Charles de Gaulle airport, you will be welcomed by personnel from the
hostel, who will take you on an hour-long trip, 20 km, hot-air balloon ride. You float
across the whole city before being lowered down onto a giant net stretched over
the courtyard of a typical city block. You find yourself immersed in a new world:
a seemingly infinity expanse of zinc roofs, terra cotta chimneys, and a never-end-
ing sky. The Inspiration Hostel offers different kinds of architecture for each unit,
adapted to the particularities of each roof. You are free to explore a rooftop zone
made accessible by nets, steps and hand-rails until you find the studio unit that
appeals to you most.
Some of the studios are tall and narrow, others are wide, some are angular, others
rounded, some offer oriented views, others give panoramic 360° vistas. You can
create your art facing the infinite, take your bath in front of the Eiffel Tower, sleep
watching the stars, or draw the curtains around you and be all alone. Between the
ACY ∙ 2022 91
 How we won that competition
private spaces, you will find places to meet with the others artists: platforms to
congregate upon, a library or a living room. You may also find yourself down a se-
ries of steps up to viewpoint and enjoy a moment of urban silence and meditation.
Otherwise, you can simply appreciate the topography of the zinc roof. At the end
of your stay, the hot-air balloon will pick you up and take you back to the airport,
giving you one last view of Paris, the soul fully inspired.
To quickly elaborate, we wanted to play with the length of the first few sentences
to remind us of the shape of the roofs and to immediately give our vision of the in-
spiration. Then, we wrote a text about a staging of the artist in the imagined place.
Not to touch the ground imposed arriving by air, and the proposal of the hot-air
balloon is not necessarily to be taken seriously, but more to see as a concretization
of our idea. Moreover, it played on a historical point since Paris was the place of the
first aerostatic flight.
For the question of the documents produced and displayed on two A1s, we de-
cided to feature an illustration representing the project as a whole on the entire
first page. We relied on a photocollage to show the exact context, and to immedi-
ately immerge in our proposed atmosphere. The second board was more playful in
its materials. Therefore, we offer two types of documents. We wanted to mix con-
crete architectural documents such as a perspective of the island detailing each
plot of the hotel or small axonometries of each studio; but also more evocative
documents, with collages representing the atmosphere of the multiple places. We
built our board as if we were trying to show a day on the Parisian block. To make
this clear, a color-changing sky lines the background of each document, which are
all aligned with the same horizon line. To complete the analysis, a character at the
top left of the plate was looking down to the right and vice versa, the character at
the bottom right was looking up to the top left. This invisible diagonal allowed us
to bring structure to the placement of the drawings and, once again, to justify our
choices to the very end. To summarize, we will try to give you some advice regard-
ing important elements of architectural design.
92 ACY ∙ 2022
How we won that competition
First of all, especially in the context of a competition, we suggest that you develop
two to three ideas in depth at the same time. In this way, if during the progress of
the project one idea does not seem effective and is no longer relevant, you will
always have something to bounce back to with the other ideas. Moreover, let’s re-
member how important it is to work at the precise scale of your site. Even in a con-
test where the site is a free choice, it is important to quickly put yourself in context.
Indeed, all ideas and intentions initially sketched must be thought and drawn at
the scale of the site to validate or invalidate all their potential.
Moreover, convincing a jury can be done in several ways: through a strong idea or
through an image that immerses them in the desired atmosphere. Thus, each of
your documents must be straight to the point by effectively showing one or two in-
tentions: either the design process, the atmosphere, or the dynamics of the space...
In our case, we opted for a mix between axonometrics made on Autocad to show the
architecture of our proposal, and collages made on SketchUp, Photoshop and Illus-
trator, to immerse the jury in each of our ambiances. With this, we wanted to have
a homogeneity in the board. So we chose two techniques. First of all, the choice of
the photos we would use as base was solved by the quality and the adequate views
which they offered. Then, we did not want to propose realistic images. For that,
we opted for a work on the grains and textures (thanks to Photoshop) making the
images more abstract and putting forward our first intentions of atmosphere. This
way, all the photos seemed to belong together. Moreover, each image seemed to
tend towards blue tones. That’s why we advise you to choose a color palette for the
presentation of your final panels: blue in our case.
However, to end on a note of honesty, we realized that the architecture we were
proposing could be similar to the thoughts of absolute architecture put forward by
Superstudio. Our layout could have played even more on this movement and, why
not become even more radical than it was?
ACY ∙ 2022 93
 1st prize

project name

Our Tabo
authors
Rodrigo Molina,
Mariana Santamaria,
Marco Luna, Erick

Rebuilding Siargao
Salvador, Pablo Ziga
Mexico

Competition
Archstorming, an architectural platform that organizes international humanitarian competi-
tions, has released the results of Rebuilding Siargao Competition. The main goal of the con-
test was to rebuild the island of Siargao after the disaster that took place last December 16,
2021, when the Super Typhoon Rai made landfall in the Philippines and damaged around 90
to 95% of the island structures. In order to do so, Archstorming partnered up with the NGO
Lokal Lab, an organization that is rebuilding the island as fast as they can.
Participants were challenged to design two projects: a new community center for Lokal Lab to re-
place the old one that got destroyed and a small urban intervention.
The all-Filipino jury team was formed by architects, engineers, sociologists and urban planners.
They took the task to decide which project was the winner of the competition and therefore will be
built in the near future.
T
ABO for us, is that security feeling we experience
when we´ve arrived home.
This project starts and ends with PEOPLE. So, in this
Tabo, furniture goes beyond just activities and becomes the
structural foundation for a community center. The basic need
spaces (core building) are solid and represent unmovable val-
ues (what people care about).
And around those basic values, “who we are” and “what we
need” over time, people can begin building this wooden struc-
ture. We recognize the important role that local labor will play
in this project, so the building is intended to be constructed
in an easy, logical manner, reinforcing regional construction
techniques with minor additions that decrease its vulnerabil-
ity to natural disasters, such as double-beams, iron bolts and
simple iron reinforcements.

The first prize was awarded to Rodrigo Molina, Mariana Santamaria, Marco Luna, Erick Salvador
and Pablo Ziga from Mexico City, Mexico. Whereas the second prize was granted to Alfonso Paron-
da Jr from Singapore, and third position to Junwei Li and Lianghan Wen from Chicago, USA. The
two special honorable mentions were awarded to Daniel Segovia, Carlo Hernández, Julia Jiménez
and Kenia Gutiérrez from Mexico and Abhinay Jadhav and Vishal Kangane from India. The three
winners of the urban intervention project were Hazel Grace Esmino, Aegirine Rei Taylan, Andrea
Monica Simon and Reuben Cyril Pintor from Philippines; Haoze Xu, Xiaofen Yang and Yifang Lin
from Japan; and Zion Enrico Licup, Janna Muriel Balasbas, Van Hexel Macalawa and Juan Carlos
Eugene Soler from Philippines.

94 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 95

 1st prize 1st prize

The structure of the building responds to a phased construction

process within the assigned budget using local coconut palm
wood for all carpentry except the structural columns (hard-
wood) while recycling materials that have been discarded (in
walls and masonry tables).

This 2-story building of around 120m2 NEEDS to go beyond en-

closed spaces so furniture physically connects what is outside
(community garden, seed library, rain collector or palm tree
plantations) with the inside and gives all facades a signature
character through openness (Community kitchen, open market,
main hall and an office).

But HOW we approach this process is also quantum. Resilience

is not about opposing resistance neither is it about reaching any
specific end.

Because each one of these stages is a complete Tabo. Meaning-

ful and purposeful for its people every step of the way. People
make the architecture. And people gather, scatter and reunite
again. So, we can leave a solid piece of OUR TABO on purpose
to help us get back up again. Faster, more connected and more
resourceful. To perhaps… get back that safety feeling. When we
smell the essence of what we are familiar with. Asking family
how their day was. Immersing back into our routines and being
next to the ones we love.

96 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 97

 1st prize 1st prize

98 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 99

 2nd prize 2nd prize

project name

KUBOnihan
author
Alfonso Paronda Jr
Singapore

K
UBOnihan inspired by the bahay kubo and bayanihan
spirit The design aims to explore opportunities for
placemaking that not only serve within the site but
also fosters collaboration within a vibrant and well networked
community. The proposed colorful recycled containers fea-
tures can be adjusted and rotated along the length and width
of the site to achieve different configurations and it can also
be duplicated in different locations across the island. The in-
terplayable weave design of iconic filipino culture, the bahay
kubo and the combination of colorful modern containers cre-
ated gives a unique character to the site that is new to the bur-
gos community. The spirit and fiber in which the strength of
this development shall be woven from, will promote bountiful
growth for the community along the heart of Siargao. It is also
part of the bayanihan spirit to help others without expecting
anything in return to achieve goals. It is where cooperative un-
dertaking takes place with each individual effort. The new com-
munity center is seamlessly interfaced providing the required
synergies and resulting in a dynamic development urban com-
munity teeming with life. It is an architectural and monumen-
tal masterpiece, a cultural heritage and a token of togetherness
which reflects the filipino identity as well as the heart and soul
of the Filipino country life.

Urban intervention
The intent of connectivity is further extended and expanded
by the Lokal Ribbon Corridor serving as a web which binds.
the various parts of the development into a cohesive whole
Thereby enhancing vibrancy, creating a seamless amalgama-
tion of the various diverse parts. Each new community function
is located by capitalizing on the specific circumstances of the
site’s context, resulting in an intentional and thoughtful site
response for interactive spaces created for people The design
is captured as intangible ideas which are manifested through
dynamic and flexible function spaces. Strategic location of
these urban intervention also offers the opportunity to serve as
a hub. The proposal seeks to embody this throught the dy-
namic reletionships of the various mixed used activities, thus
capturing the spirit of vibrancy and connectivity.

100 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 101

 2nd prize 2nd prize

communitihan weave view recycled 40 footer container

102 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 103

 3rd prize 3rd prize

project name research studio provides another level of intelligence to research and in-

Rebuilding
novate on coconut products. These efforts would hopefully contribute to
improving the local coconut economy.

the Tabo, In terms of sustainability, the project utilizes building materials that are all
Siargao locally accessible: nipa leaves for roofing, coconut wood for structure, and
mycelium brick made from coconut coir dust aggregates for enclosure.
Coco Lab Furthermore, structural stability and passive ventilation strategies were
applied to reduce wind pressure damage from typhoons and to maximize
authors comfort level for daily use with low energy consumption in the local hot
Junwei Li humid environment.
Lianghan Wen
USA

T
he project #1 LOKAL Tabo proposal aims to create an
open and highly variable community market. We pro-
pose a passageway design strategy that integrates
the consideration of disaster prevention and community ser-
vice functions. Splitting the massing into halves reduces wind
pressure on the Tabo when a typhoon hits, improving disas-
ter prevention performance of the building. The passageway
also serves as a canopied marketplace for local residents and
farmers to display their goods and conduct trade activities,
showing the openness of the new Tabo. Meanwhile, the pas-
sageway opens towards the beach, which makes the new
tabo a sightseeing and leisure place connecting nature and
the community, attracting people to gather and stay here.
The layout of LOKAL Tabo enables it to be transformed into
a key infrastructure serving not only as a community kitch-
en but also an evacuation center during typhoons or other
emergency situations. This proposal embraces the local con-
struction techniques and materials. The ground level is made
of concrete structure to give sufficient stability. Acacia timber
and coconut timber are used on the second level. The junc-
tion between the foundation and structural components are
reinforced, and the roof structure is also braced to make the
Tabo more stable.

The project #2 Siargao Coco Lab provides a typology to build

back stronger, faster and in a more sustainable way within
the local context. It serves as a Coco Lab, which is a makes’
space, building and garment material production lab, and a
research studio space, which encourages utilization and in-
novations on coconut products while embracing local crafts-
manship. The material production lab produces building
bricks and garment fabric made from coconut coir dust; The
makers’ space encourages people to innovate and make co-
conut products from raw materials produced by the lab; The

104 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 105

 3rd prize 3rd prize

ground level view

second level view

106 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 107

 Special Honorable Mentions Honorable Mentions

project name project name project name project name project name project name

Tabo, Totem A Resilient Space Tabo Market Long Tabo Tabo Tabo
authors authors authors authors
authors authors
Patrick Espiritu, Wenbin WEN, Zhihao Christopher Cornecelli, Ahmed Elmaghraby,
Daniel Segovia, Carlo Hernández, Julia Jiménez, Abhinay Jadhav, Vishal Kangane Spencer Sy HU, Zhexuan WU Bryson Wood, Mohamed Othman,
Kenia Gutiérrez India
Philippines Hong Kong Alexander Lamarche Ibrahim Abd elwahed,
Mexico
Canada Amir Gaber
Egypt

project name project name project name project name

Seed Life Shed A New Day New Tabo

authors authors author authors
JunWei Loh, Jie Nan Chynx Efrheim Bilaw, Chinh Vu Diego Peña, Alejandro
Wang, Heui Sung Kim, Carl Patrick Morco, Germany Pacheco, Jorge
Zhuo-Ming Shia Vernon Xian de Gracia, Cobacho
Malaysia Marc Deniel Demdam Spain
Philippines

Urban Interventions Winners

project name project name project name

Tindog Neighbor Spot Tabo at Timba

authors authors authors
Hazel Grace Esmino, Haoze Xu, Xiaofen Zion Enrico Licup, Janna
Aegirine Rei Taylan, Yang, Yifang Lin Muriel Balasbas, Van Hexel
Andrea Monica Simon, Japan Macalawa, Juan Carlos Eugene
Reuben Cyril Pintor Soler project name project name
Philippines Philippines
Tabo Square Bayanihan
authors authors
Min Kyoung Woo, Kim Dong Su, Kim Hyun Myung, Bhautik Prajapati, Sarang Chauhan, Krina Patel,
Kim Hyun Myung Pal Shah
South Korea India

108 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 109

 How we won that competition How we won that competition

How we won that competition

what unites us; activity and community. And with that, we began a multi-layered
design exploration.

authors First drafts

Rodrigo Molina, Mariana Santamaria, Marco Luna, Erick Salvador, Pablo Ziga
Mexico
Rebuilding Siargao is the second contest we have entered as a team. All 5 of us are
currently undergraduate students at the National Autonomous University of Mex-
ico (UNAM) and although some of us are closer to graduation than others, we be-
long to different generations. We didn’t know each other well, not even in person,
but our team leader saw potential in the way some of us expressed ourselves and
decided to try to bring us together to create something more. Some of us were cur-
rently in France, Germany and Chile this year doing our academic exchange, others
preparing their grade thesis, and others balancing the difficulty of the sophomore
year with a real job.
Why Siargao?
The Philippines immediately caught our attention because it represented a bit of a
scale up in difficulty from what we knew: traditional architecture, special methods
of woodworking and a different perspective towards the landscape. The challenge
was to rebuild a community center (Tabo) in Burgos after the Rai Typhoon devasta-
tion. But we absolutely fell in love with the idea when we realized that this contest
went far beyond that. This movement and the people who make it possible are an
incredible example of altruism, love for one’s community and a tremendous re-
spect for preserving and improving their home, wherever it may be. That became
invaluable to us.
A word about coconut palm trees
Siargao is one out of 40+ islands in the Philippines with tropical weather, beautiful
beaches and on average visited by 20 typhoons every year, five of which are de-
structive. At the same time a coconut palm tree in average takes 8-9 years to fully
develop and become useful either for fruit production, or woodworking material.
Local economy depends greatly on this. It was shocking to understand the loss of
crops and coconut groves that a typhoon represents. So much wasted timber and
so few resources left to do anything about it.
The outer layers of our design started by approaching disaster. Intensive sketch-
ing and sharing ideas wanting to protect that community. Proposing reinforced
buildings and focusing on the structure. We wanted to look at different construc-
tive solutions to make the building stronger, but we realized that they already
knew how to do that. We had to keep digging.
We also wandered about the crucial role of the physical building through sev-
eral 3D models. What if a community center is also a community of buildings?
Could they protect each other? Could this envelope protect and hold something
within? But ultimately, further debates about what true resilience looks like led
us to drop any resistance and embrace the vulnerable part of risk taking. It was
not a question of whether we would be able to protect them from a typhoon or
not, but when the typhoon comes again, what will they do? Where will they do
it? And what do we have left then?...
The answer became:
“In this Tabo, embracing tradition is not just about creating a strong and resilient
structure, but somehow returning to their old Tabo, because people will always
be able to use it, rebuild it, and continue to make architecture.”
People make architecture
The best example of activity and community we found in Burgos was how furni-
ture played a major role as a basis for many social interactions they had. So, we
posed yet another question to touch a solid designable answer:
What if furniture could literally become the foundation of a building?

We immediately knew that what was missing for these people was an advantage
point. This scenario is not a fair game, so they need leverage to get back up after
the disaster.

This was the major issue and the best tool we were given to understand it, was an
extensive photographic registry of both the island and the community. When we
took a closer look, everything changed. It was an extremely nurturing and informa-
tive process to see and understand all that this community is. The good, the bad,
the destruction, the connection, the daily activities, how they live and how they
make use of their spaces.

From there, we decided that our process would not focus on what separates us
(the disaster and the resistance to uncertainty). Rather, it would focus entirely on

110 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 111

 How we won that competition
The building
By doing research through the history of the region’s architecture,
we found all the different typologies of houses that possessed an
amazing wisdom towards natural phenomena where Filipinos
sought safety through different methods such as elevating buildings
to prevent flooding and enclosing dry spaces to preserve perishable
items. This wisdom translated into: Non-negotiable spaces. To cre-
ate a core building where all the non-negotiable values of the com-
munity center are safe and sound. Dignified basic need spaces, such
as bathrooms, a dry storage room for belongings and goods, and
a basic management office. The furniture and the core both estab-
lished the immovable part of the project so they would always have
a piece of their old Tabo left behind to help them get back up again.
Perhaps quicker, more proactive and more connected.
Materials shape programme
When the idea materialized, we put everything we had on the table.
“What if these people don’t want to go back to building with wood,
a flexible but fragile material?”
“What if we stopped trying to innovate?, is it so bad to re-create
something that already existed? “
Because the relationship we have with a material is fundamental,
the building’s structure responds to a phased construction process
within the allotted budget using local coconut palm wood for all car-
pentry, and hardwood for structural columns, while recycling dis-
carded materials (in masonry walls and tables).
The 2-story building of about 120m2 needed to go beyond enclosed
spaces for the furnishings to physically connect the planning.
Connect the outside (a community garden, a seed library, a rain col-
lector or even palm tree plantings all activities already practiced by
local people with the help of LokalLab studio) with the interior and
give all facades a unique and useful character of their own through
openness to embrace an open market, the Karinderya (eatery),
community kitchen and a multi-purpose hall.
112 ACY ∙ 2022
How we won that competition
Representation skills (what we showed)
Because we knew our creative process beforehand, we relied more on the skills of
each of us and decided that the visual message had to be direct and very informa-
tive without using many types of representation. That’s why we divided the com-
munication of the whole project in two languages: images (contest sheet 1) and dia-
grams (sheet 2). This means that we didn’t make any final plans or sections, we only
did working drawings. We heavily exploited a single 3D model.
We took 2 huge risks that paid off. The first one, to replace a main render that
showed the best side of the whole project, by two renders of equal hierarchy and of
the same view of the building to share our intention to say that the “final project” is
actually whenever they feel comfortable with the TABO they have built, whenever it
becomes useful for something.
The second was to unify all the technical, narrative and feasibility information in a
cycle of diagrams. We wanted to make clear through the graphics that the objective
was not a building, but that every moment of the construction (or reconstruction) of
this community center understood as a finished and useful building for the people.
Presentation (what we said)
Our process shaped the form of a two-story building with a gable roof. Something
that we knew the community could already build together. It’s that sense of security
when we come home. When we smell the essence of what we know. Asking family
how their day has been and re-immersing ourselves in our routines and being with
the ones we love.
Our narrative was neither about innovation nor experimentation; it was about con-
tinuation with all the cultural and constructive background Philippines had. We
tried to develop that fluid language through simplification.
Meetings, meetings, meetings
Backstage, we attribute much of our success to the constant process we followed.
The weekly meetings were sacred. Sometimes fun, sometimes challenging, awk-
ACY ∙ 2022 113
 How we won that competition How we won that competition

ward or very fruitful. Zoom meetings fleshed out the project and kept us communicating. It is not
only the moment when 5 people share their ideas and draw on images that is important. There were
also 1-on-1 talks between members, sporadic audios of random ideas, and we even shared what
we saw, where we traveled and what each of us did that was meaningful. We acknowledge that the
way we do architecture has changed in the last few years and for everyone, students, teachers and
practitioners it has been chaotic, but even in that disconnected and messy process, as designers we
can still produce very sensitive and honest ideas (now more than ever at least for us). So “how we
do architecture” has become as important as “the architectural statement” itself.

Finally, some tips (or not)

1. At the end we understood that entering a contest is not just about winning, it is about help-
ing as architects in social problems that we have around the world. What matters is that you
feel comfortable with your results, that you manage to understand the most sensitive part of
people in order to make a project that responds accurately, creatively and realistically to a pro-
foundly rich context.
2. We´d advice always to understand the context you are working with, that will give you the first
idea to approach the project. For example, for Siargao the main context we got was the amaz-
ing landscape of coconuts palm trees that seems to never end drawing distant lines on the
horizon, so why not make a reinterpretation of this beautiful view on the building´s columns
rythm. That’s how the phases started to make an important role on the project. It is a good start
or idea when you can justify it. Context, history and people will always be an important point
for each project, so it is essential to read about these three topics before even sketching.
3. Trying new things and going beyond of what a contest requires either in a conceptual or techni-
cal way might be the difference between other teams. Many times, we had failed, and we had
made wrong decisions but that has an important value for us, because when we failed, we
learned a lot more and the important thing is to look back at those mistakes to improve.
4. Finally, we´d say try to follow a bit more your own intuition. Ultimately what we do and where
we commit is up to each one of us. Choice is quite powerful and carves your way through ar-
chitecture. The more we try to listen to ourselves without distractions the more authentic the
outcomes might be!

114 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 115

 1st prize

YOUNG
ARCHITECTS
COMPETITIONS

Ghana Innovation Farm

project name

The Innovation Farm

authors
Shiran Potié, Arno Goedefroo,
The call for ideas for GHANA INNOVATION FARM was launched in October 2021 by YAC
Maurice Demeyer, Robin Feys
– Young Architects Competitions - in collaboration with Manni Group - with the goal of
Belgium
designing a technological and cultural hub in one of the emerging African agricultural
scenarios.

Ghana Innovation farm aimed at exploring the potential of architecture to imagine a structure
that will address the global challenges of food supply chains. The competition sought to sup-
port InspiraFarms in designing a technological and cultural hub that will generate a greater
availability of products and job opportunities in a place where more than 25% of the local
population lives below the poverty line.
T
he ensemble of our buildings in a cross shape provides two main axes: on
the one hand there is the longitudinal axis along which the going and com-
ing traffic runs to and from the Farm. On the other hand we have the trans-
verse axis through the impluvium that connects the fields and through which the
processing of the harvest can run smoothly and undisturbed.

Ghana Innovation Farm competition gave architects the opportunity to imagine a system of The innovation farm wants to take advantage from the modern opportunities of
infrastructures and a training center that will share with the local population knowledge and steel to create a sustainable and efficient building without losing sight of the local
technologies to meet their needs. Ashanti culture. With the light steel structure of the curved roof, we return to the
soul of the Ashantis, in particular to the symbol of the “Golden Stool”.
Designers from more than 100 countries took part in this compelling challenge proposing their
valuable concept ideas evaluated by an outstanding jury panel including Andreas Fries (Herzog
& de Meuron), Eduardo Souto de Moura, Diana Lopez Caramazana (UNDP), Giancarlo Mazzanti
(El Equipo Mazzanti), Raul Pantaleo (TAMassociati), Giuseppe Grant (Orizzontale Architettura)
evaluated the project proposals selecting those better responding to the competition’s brief.
The winning projects have been awarded a total cash prize of €20,000 distributed to the first
seven teams ranking. In particular, the Belgian team SAPLAB ranked first and was rewarded
with €10,000. The project, called “The Innovation Farm ‘’, designed by Shiran Potié, Arno Ga-
briel Goedefroo, Maurice Jan Demeyer, Robin Feys was thought to take advantage of the mod-
ern opportunities of steel to create a sustainable and efficient building without losing sight of
the local Ashanti culture. The second prize of €4,000 was awarded to the Danish team POTeam
featuring Paola Carrara, Faiza Hamid, Omar Dabaan, Paul Hubert Schrijen whose project was
thought around the concept of “One Roof”, a replicable, cold storage hub that is supported by
the international community and locally made and benefitted from. By demonstrating a se-
ries of easy-to-use principles, we create an open-source, seeing-is-doing cold storage model.
The team J. Przybylska, A. Holdenmajer from Poland ranked third with a proposal focusing
on a single word – a street. The streets of Ghanaian cities, like Accra or Kumasi, are where life
is – men, women, and children gather there to work, shop and meet other people. The street
became the main core of the plan, along which the buildings were located. The order of the
buildings is based on its function – in the design, it was crucial to ensure an efficient and com-
fortable movement of the food between the buildings, as a base of the cold chain.

Four Gold Mentions rewarded with €1,000 each follow in the ranking. The ranking is then made
by 10 Honorable Mentions and 30 Finalist Mentions.

116 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 117

 1st prize 1st prize

The geometry of the roof echoes the slope of the landscape and reflects the spe-
cific climatic conditions of the site such as the need for shelter and natural ventila-
tion but also permits us to open up the building at certain points to the wonderful
fields and surroundings.

On the one hand and foremost there is the intimacy of the impluvium, a place of
shelter and tranquillity. On the other hand there is the openness to and connection
with the hard work on the fields. It is important to us how both, using relaxation ar-
eas, complement each other and in this way make work on the Farm more efficient
and pleasant. The building opens in the direction of these different spots, so that as
a visitor to the innovation farm you will experience a total experience with a cross
flow of different influences.

118 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 119

 1st prize 1st prize

120 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 121

 2nd prize 2nd prize

project name

One Roof
authors
Omar Dabaan, Paul Schrijen,
Paola Carrara, Faiza Hamid
Denmark

O
ne Roof is a replicable, cold storage hub that is supported by the interna-
tional community and locally made and benefitted from. By demonstrat-
ing a series of easy to use principles we create an open source, seeing-is-
doing cold storage model. The materials used combine the best of local tradition,
local new economy and global engineering. The layout for the Ghana Innovation
Farm is tailored to create a healthy and social workplace that is intensely connect-
ed to the agricultural landscape that feeds it and integrates this with its needs as a
storage and distribution hub.

The replicable model consists of several principles that can be copied, repeated,
transformed and improved as the community sees fit. One Roof has designed the
Ghana Innovation Farm around a thermal mass principle. This principle can be
found in many mosque designs in sub saharan Africa. The grid structure with the
flat roof that is made of tree trunks covered by a thick layer of soil or mud and a
cool interior has a strong resemblance to the functional needs of the Innovation
Farm. The solar panels are placed on top of the roof and deliver the needed elec-
tricity. As a secondary benefit these panels shade a large part of the structural roof
and allow ventilation to pass in- between. Another passive cooling method is used
to support the main ventilation and air conditioning system. By drawing the incom-
ing air through ground tubes the air is pre-cooled before being actively cooled to
the desired temperature by the HVAC installation. The solar chimneys on top of the
roof are heated by the sun and create an updraft that supports the extraction of air.
Although the temperature requirements for the warehouses in this project demand
a mechanical installation, the passive climate interventions amount to significant
savings in energy and have benefits to produce storage projects. Similarly, placing
educational crops and trees in and around the building cools the general tempera-
ture by the virtue of transpirational cooling but also creates a more healthy work-
place by reducing dust and offering shade.

The main materials used in Ghana Innovation Farm form a hybrid between the best
of local traditions, skills, and new economy with global engineering potential. This
hybrid system makes use of the engineering skills and resources of the interna-
tional community to design a modular lightweight main structure made with light
gauge steel profiles. By minimising the amount of elements made outside the re-
gion we bypass the troublesome infrastructure into and through Afram Plains. The
light gauge steel profiles are easy to install on site and require a minimum of heavy
machinery to complete the main structure.

122 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 123

 2nd prize 2nd prize

The load bearing roof slab is made with an industrial folded steel plate. The main
walls and main slab of the roof is made of hempcrete. This newly developed mate-
rial uses waste material from industrial and medicinal hemp, both of which have
been legalised in Ghana since 2018. This unique material, when applied thick
enough, has an insulating function and simultaneously gives the structure a much
needed thermal mass. Hempcrete can be produced much like compressed mud
bricks or rammed earth, two techniques that are not uncommon to the Ghanese
construction market. Ghana is in a unique position to jump start a production
chain for this new sustainable material. A traditional mud and lime plaster is used
to render the hempcrete. This plaster makes the hempcrete weather proof and
adds some extra thermal mass. The ingredients and skills needed are locally avail-
able and integrate the building in local aesthetics and tradition. Floors are made
of rammed earth where the function allows it and is finished with a linseed oil to
create a non porous surface.

124 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 125

 2nd prize 2nd prize

The layout of the buildings is organised around a courtyard similar to local tra-
ditional architecture found in neighbouring Ghanese regions. From this courtyard
the building connects to the surrounding landscape via four paths extending along
building parts into the surrounding agricultural lands. Both the truckers office of
building A and the cafeteria of the Innovation Farm School (Building D) are placed
on the outer edges of the structure to guarantee panoramic views over the sur-
rounding landscape. The main route around the building forms a roundabout
of some sorts and gives access to the different warehouses and food processing
buildings. Incoming trucks pass by the offices of the main refrigerated warehouse
(Building A) first before driving onto the roundabout.

In-between the roundabout and the building the educational crops and trees are
placed creating a cool belt around the building. The design of the Ghana Innova-
tion Farm is a potential starting point for an extension plan. The extension plan is
conceptual in nature, the actual size, organisation and shape depends on the real
time developments. The concept allows the freedom of traditional village struc-
tures but overlays Haussmannian rigour, in the form of 4 extending paths, that is
needed for orientation and efficient movements. The circular plots of land allow
for industrial irrigation methods, but also unify the plan while allowing different
plot sizes, in between spaces and functions.

126 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 127

 3rd prize 3nd prize

project name

Along the Street

authors
Agata Holdenmajer, Jagna Przybylska
Poland

T
he first idea for the conceptual design of the Ghana
lnnovation Farm is based on a single word - a street.
The streets of Ghanaian cities, like Accra or Kumasi, are
where life is - men, women, and children gather there to work,
shop and meet other people. The street became the main core
of the pian, along which the buildings were located. The order
of the buildings is based on its function - in the design, it was
crucial to ensure an efficient and comfortable movement of the
food between the buildings, as a base of the cold chain.

The other important side of the project is the social aspect- a

canteen/ cafeteria was design ed as the heart of the project.
The building, design ed in the center of the site, is a common
space, with a small inner courtyard and a large tree in its cent-
er. The tree provides a Iight shading for the people, who would
rest in the courtyard.

128 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 129

 3rd prize 3nd prize

The canteen doesn’t have closable windows or doors, which provides

constant air flow and natural ventilation. lt was extremely important,
that the people, who would come to the farm to learn, could do that in
a modern, fully equipped building -that’s why the classrooms, work-
shops, offices, and toilets are design ed using modern materials and
techniques and are separated from the canteen/cafeteria, which de-
signed using more local materials.

The buildings A, B, C, and D (without the canteen/cafeteria) have ven-

tilated façade – lsopan Addwind. The roofs of these buildings are de-
signed using lsopan Greenroof. There are solar panels, designed on
the roofs of buildings A, B, and C. The canteen/cafeteria is designed
using Ghanaian local building materials – rammed earth. lt has a round
shape, also as a reference to the architecture of Ghana.

Ghana is a country with a lot of sunshine – it was crucial for the de-
sign to answer the question – how to protect the users from over-
heating. The problem is solved by covering the whole building
complex with a bamboo see-through structure – the structure is vis-
ible in vertical parts of the design, creating well-shaded externa
I corridors, and in horizontal elements-serving as an additionaI roof
system, casting unique shadows on the ground.

130 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 131

 Gold Mentions Honorable Mentions

authors project name project name project name project name

Nick Boer
Martijn Dahrs Ovo Fitt Well Fitt Headquarter 8 Piave Park
Italo de Vroom authors authors authors authors
Netherlands Yue He, Nuo Xu, Lingzhe Lu Stefano Lacala Louis Liu, Ting Wen,
Yuanyuan Dong, Kun Chen Emanuele Tucci Wendu Chen,
Peilin Hu, Dewen Ju USA Italy Dong Wang
USA China

authors
Athanasios
Mousmoulidis,
Vasileios
Mertzanopoulos
Greece project name project name project name project name

Fitt Headquarter Fitt HQ Fitt Headquarter The Flow

authors author author authors
Ansgar Huster Ibrahim Nawaf Joharji Linus Meier Flavian Basile, Savoia
Christian Moreno Saudi Arabia Germany Mariarosaria, Flavio
Germany Maio, Marika Maio,
Francesco Butta’,
Francesca di Santo,
Daniela Molfetta,
authors
Carmen Vicco
Peter Bulovec
Italy
Taja Dežman
Slovenia

project name project name

Future Campus Fitt Headquarter

author authors
Alexandru Pavel Simone D’Eredità
authors
Denmark Mariangela Vertuani
Ian Dainton, Gaby Italy
Peña, Priscila
Esparza Calderon
Mexico

132 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 133

 How we won that competition
How we won that competition
authors
Shiran Potié, Arno Goedefroo, Maurice Demeyer, Robin Feys
Belgium
Introduction
The innovation farm is a place where new ideas and innovations are born. A place
where the Ghanaian atmosphere and local dynamic fuels the energy. For that rea-
son, it needs a building complex which shows the same goals and ambition in it’s
architecture; combining traditions with innovation. With the light steel structure of
the curved roof, we return to the soul of the Ashantis, in particular to the symbol
of the “Golden Stool”. The Golden chair belonged in the past to the king, but now
makes shelter for the hard workers and visitors of the farm. The geometry of the
roof echoes the slope of the landscape and reflects the specific climatic conditions
of the site such as the need for shading and natural ventilated spaces. It permits
us also to open up the building at certain points, showing the wonderful fields and
surroundings. The ensemble of our buildings in a cross shape provides two main
axes: on the one hand there is the longitudinal axis where the main traffic occurs.
On the other hand we have the transverse axis through the impluvium that con-
nects the fields. The processing of the harvest can run smoothly and undisturbed
in the center of the complex.
The buildings are facing the openness of the fields making connection with the
hard work that is done on it. But in the middle we create the opposite atmosphere,
the impluvium. A place of shelter and tranquility. It is important to us how both,
using relaxation areas, complement each other making the work on the farm more
efficient and pleasant. The cafetaria opens in the direction of all kinds of different
spots. In this way a visitor of the innovation farm will always experience the total
amount of quality in the innovation center.
Whats the innovation all about?
The masterplan forms a central cross with two main axes. In between the buildings,
near the impluvium, the greenery unfolds itself like a red thread through the site.
Outside of the buildings ensemble, the beautiful Ghanaian fields spread out to the
horizon. Pedestrians or visitors of the site can sit and relax in the impluvium or
educate themselves by studying the symbiose between the different departments
of the project site. Transport can maneuver freely between the buildings, without
having to travel too much unnecessary distance.
The plan of the innovation center itself consists of 2 large rooms, with a wide corri-
dor in the middle. This provides a direct visual connection between the entrance of
the building at the impluvium and the admirable landscape where the agricultural
fields manifest themselves. A staircase has been placed in the middle of this cor-
ridor to steadily enter the roof. The result is a beautiful viewpoint over the African
landscape.
The cafe contains the building volume at the outer point of the building, a point of
interest. It is appealing to the new visitors but also to the landscape. On the main
134 ACY ∙ 2022
How we won that competition
corner, the roof was raised to widen the view from the cafe to the
countryside by which the line blurs between interior and exterior. The
other volume consists of the teaching and workspaces. These are ori-
ented towards the center of the ensemble, where all functional oper-
ations of the innovation farm are. This makes it easy to walk between
the learning center and the other buildings. Different setups are pos-
sible in these spaces, as well as sliding walls so that it is easy to move
between different workshops. The classrooms are situated towards
the impluvium, where they find the necessary peace and quietness
inbetween greenery. The workshops look out over the fields, so that
a direct link is made between research and practice.
We decided to create the main trusses of the project out of steel. We
want to take advantage of its capacity to perform very well under ten-
sion. Using tension cables, we can counter big gravitational forces
with a relatively small amount of materials as a result of which the
weight of the materials to be transported is being kept to a bare mini-
mum. Each truss has an identical geometry, but they are differently
rotated in order to form the curviness of the roof. The series of trusses
makes standardisation possible. The secondary structure contains
local wooden beams. These beams are tender and light and contrib-
ute by their local origine to reducing energy costs or costs caused by
transportation. The combination of an innovative use of steel and
tender local wooden beams makes the building refreshing in a sense
of architectural taste but always with a close link to the origin of Gha-
na and the local products or materials.
The print of the Kenthe Cloth forms a structure onto the top layer of
the sandwich panel. The aim is to match an innovative material such
as ISOPAN with the local culture and its history. This makes the ISO-
PAN wall softer and lighter in appearance, just like a traditional wo-
ven cloth of Ghana.
JURY QUOTE:
With a minimal use of material and an efficient organization of
the program, a very flexible and yet specific space is being creat-
ed. The four buildings grouped around a crossroads evoke a small
village placed gently into the surrounding landscape”, Andreas
Fries, Herzog & de Meuron.
The Innovation Farm recognizes the context by incorporating the
project into the landscape, achieving a subtle and light architec-
ture. The management of the roof in the project achieves an in-
teresting language that unites passive control and sustainability
with spatial richness”, Giancarlo Mazzanti, El Equipo Mazzanti.
ACY ∙ 2022 135
 How we won that competition How we won that competition

Selecting your teammates

The four of us met during the first year at Ghent University. The fact that we were all
very eager to learn and our strong mutual interests in architecture and the design
studios quickly brought us together. We almost immediately became friends. After
our first year at university, we didn’t hesitate very long to enter this unknown terri-
tory: our first architecture competition, parallel to our studies. As rookies, we didn’t
have any experience at the time, but we went for it. Although we didn’t achieve a
very good result, we learned a lot of valuable things and had our first experience.
We promised ourselves we would definitely try again.

One of the main reasons this competition was a success was because of our team
composition. Have fun, is a very important advice we could give when joining a
competition. Enjoy the design process and have a good time with your teammates/
friends. This ensures that you don’t see the competition as work, but as a fun, re-
laxing activity.

Finding and composing a balanced team is essential. Try to find a team with di-
verse strengths so you can complement each other. By dividing the work well, you
can respond to each other’s talents and skills and work in the most efficient way.
Also, don’t overdo with your team size. Too much team members can be chaotic
and distracting. A team of 4 seems ideal to us.
Personal interest en appreciation
The origin of our participation in the Ghana Innovation farm competition has its
roots in Munich, more specifically in the summer of 2020. During this period, as
four Belgian exchange students, we took part in the design studio ‘mix it up’ of the
renowned architect Diebo Francis Kere who is mainly known for his progressive
humanistic architecture in African areas where scarcity plays a central role in the
daily life of the local population.
Within this design studio we learned to deal with the African context, namely study-
ing the customs of the local population, examining climate conditions and looking
at how we can respond to this with local materials and a creativity in construction
methods. Mix it up, merging a variety of programs into one another, was a common
thread in the design process and we took this, in combination with a know-how of
African culture, to the competition for the Ghana Innovation Farm.
For us as a group it was important to participate in a competition with which we
already had a certain connection in terms of the theme. If you already have a strong
connection with the proposed subject, it makes you stronger and more confident
as a designer. So choose your competitions well, set a theme that you are familiar
with.
Context & culture
In the early stages of the Innovation Farm design process, we asked ourselves how
we could go beyond the purely functional and given program and consequently
create added value for the environment and users of the project. In this regard, ex-
circulation and vegetation plan
tensive research into context and culture is key. To express this in significant terms,
we based the shape of the roof of our design proposal on the age-old traditions
of the local Ashanti culture, more specifically on the symbol of the ‘Golden Stool’.
The golden chair used to belong to the king, but now this curving shape houses the
hard-working employees and visitors of the farm. A symbolic gesture in which we
try to give something back to the local population. In addition, the roof not only
has a symbolic role to play, but with its varying slope it also responds to the spe-
cific climatic conditions of the site, since there is a tremendous need for shading
and naturally ventilated spaces. Combining the cultural context on the one hand
with the functional need on the other, is a tool to give a design strength and mean-
ing. Analysis of local customs and needs is fundamental in the early stages of the
design process. Take your time to understand this properly.
The mix of a local culture with innovation can be used in all kinds of different scales.
For example, if we have a look at the master plan of the site, we opted to work with
an intersection of only two major axes. Transport can maneuver between the dif-
ferent buildings of the site, without having to travel too much distance. An oasis of
greenery unfolds between the buildings. This impluvium, also an age-old typology
in african housing, is a surplus for the visitors or employees within the area. Here
they can enjoy nature and see the interaction of flows between the different build-
ings. The galleries at the sides of the buildings, which are found under the dynamic
shaped roof, respond to this impluvium and make an intermediary space between
building and nature. They make a shaded circulation space whilst connecting the
exterior with the interior. These galleries and the impluvium are focusing on the
well-being of the user of the site without this being a requirement within the com-
petition. Deploying an architectural tool in the function of people’s well-being can isopan integration
form a strong medium to reinforce architecture.

136 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 137

 How we won that competition
Allways search for optimalisation and innovation
Once the ideology and analysis of our project was clear, the question was how we
were going to make it specific and materialize it. Since we are dealing with an inno-
vation center and thus a project of a large scale, we wanted to minimize the materi-
als. Yet the material had to be strong enough and affordable. Within this ideology
we came across the use of standardized steel trusses. These are supplied as prefab
in such a way that we can avoid high transport costs and construction costs on
place. This is also an advantage in terms of construction time, since these repeti-
tions of trusses are pre-assembled in workshops. Using only one type of truss that
rotates around its axis means that we are dealing with a fairly simple prefabrication
process. The innovative material can also handle large spans. In addition to this
smart construction, we were looking for a material to make the small transverse
spans possible. Local types of wood seem to us to make this possible. In this way
we give the project a local touch and we avoid unnecessary transport costs of ma-
terials from other countries/continents.
In order to give the roof a certain thermal inertia, which benefits the indoor climate,
we opted for a green roof where soil and other vegetation can be supplied from the
direct environment. Accessing local sources is a win-win, both for the population
and the project developers.
The skeleton has now been designed, and now it remains to be filled in, in other
words the shell of the building. Sandwich panels seem to be elements to fulfill the
shell of the building. Their insulating value benefits the air-conditioning of the
building, workers can work in a cool, pleasant environment. We propose a classic
sandwich panel as the basic product and we replace the top layer of the classic
panel with a print of the cultural Kente cloth that is embedded in the local culture.
The aim is to connect an innovative material with local culture and history.
Time management proces
The key to controlling the preparation of a design competition is to structure the
work process, more specifically the time management. By meeting the team mates
on fixed days, a kind of structure was built into the design process, so that continu-
138 ACY ∙ 2022
How we won that competition
ous progress could be made. Every few days we agreed on a
fixed day, so we arranged our agenda accordingly. We think
this is an excellent tool to be able to take targeted steps
through the weeks that flew by.
Within this time management, we can certainly recommend
setting the ultimate deadline to a week before as a kind of in-
ternal deadline. In this way, for example, we have been able
to build in a margin with our team so that crucial images
could receive the finishing touch in that last week, knowing
that sufficient extra time has been included for this, so that
a certain peace of mind was built in within the timing. Extra
margin in time for the final moments just before the dead-
line is a luxury that you can foresee in advance if the timing
is right.
An excellent tool to save a lot of time is to manually out-
line the expected deliverables. A quick sketch of what is ex-
pected will save you time to the extent that you can work
towards something with a limited number of detours. Using
the sketch as a tool as a kind of dummy for the final finished
product: definitely worth a try!
Graphical expression
Architecture is nowadays highly judged based on the visual
material. A good image of a building can reveal a lot about
the architect’s approach. Conversely, a building can also
easily be misunderstood when viewed incorrectly or sepa-
rately from its context. The floor plan and its functional and
emotional intentions are only carefully read if the interest in
the project is high enough. An attractive image is essential if
you want to attract the attention.
With this in mind, we started to work. We first selected im-
portant locations and viewpoints on the site from where we
want to see our building. This is being set up while having
only a rough draft volume! When searching for the right vol-
umetrics, we always visualized the building at the selected
locations. This gave us an immediate idea of whether our
changes to the design were powerful enough. It pushed us to
further refine the design so that we got our desired images.
It kept us focused on what our images should ultimately be.
This methodology has allowed us to see our storyline on
our layout from the beginning. When updating the images
every now and then, you get a very good overview of your
building and this allows you to be more critical. You see the
pain points more easily and can intervene on time. So it is
certainly not only a graphical tip, but also one for overview
and management!
ACY ∙ 2022 139
 1st prize

project name

The Building
Block
authors
Bryan Velastegui,

African Urban School

Jose Chavez,
Nicolas Dorfflinger
Ecuador

Competition
Archstorming, an architectural platform that organizes international humanitarian competi-
tions, has released the results for the African Urban School contest. In this competition, par-
ticipants were challenged to design a school for Enko Education, a fast-growing network of
African international schools that offers affordable quality education in order to provide ac-
cess for young Africans to the best universities worldwide.
L
ocated in the Republic of Mali’s capital city Bamako
the proposal for a preschool, primary and secondary
school arises. Being one of the heaviest populated cit-
ies in the country with 1,8M people, the necessity of the pro-
posed school to be a recognized, well thought-out and up to
international standards of education presents itself.

Enko has a total of 15 schools and aims to open 45 more in at least 20 African countries over the
next five years. To do so, they are looking for an innovative and adaptive architectural design that
will be used in their expansion across the continent, solving their school infrastructure challenges.
This contest was focused on their next building, a new Primary and Secondary school for 550 stu-
dents that will be located in Bamako, the capital of Mali, a landlocked country of western Africa.
Expert judges with experience in Africa, such as Issa Diabaté from Côte d’Ivoire, Jakub Cigler from
Czech Republic, Mamy Tall from Senegal, Paola Bagna from Spain or Lin Liu from China thought-
fully selected the five winners and ten honorable mentions of the competition.
“The Building block” Enko school begins with the idea of a
system that can be designed, built and modified, in shape or
size, like that of a LEGO set or a puzzle with relatively simple
but heavily though-out guides to become the host of one of
the best possible forms of education for young kids from Mali
whilst unlocking their full potential in a space that enriches

The first prize was awarded to Bryan Velastegui, Jose Chavez and Nicolas Dorfflinger from Quito,
Ecuador. Whereas the second prize was granted to Hugo Alves Rebelo from Porto, Portugal, and
third position to Tan Yeong En and Wong Tian Ming from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The two spe-
cial honorable mentions were awarded to Fernando Landeros and Nicolás Vidal from Chile and
Eduardo Bissoli Loverro, Caio França Lopes dos Santos, Francisco Leão de Campos Andrade and
Vicky Berl from Brazil.

140 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 141

 1st prize 1st prize

their well-being, desire to learn and impulse to make the most

out of an education method serving as a bridge between kids
who are pathmakers and the affordability they need to pre-
pare themselves and overcome their distinct conditions by
studying in well renowned international universities.

The school design takes sustainability as one of the most

critical and important points. We have devised different types
of school block facades depending on exterior factors such
as sun, wind, views to street, garden, corridor, ground floor
and 1st level corridor. Different block heights, differentiated classroom view
by the program they contain, window size, openings, terrace
adaptations, and solar panels are varied along the proposal
to give the optimum school experience to both faculty and
students of all ages while collecting rainwater for bathroom
reuse and grass irrigation, sunlight and giving the best ther-
mal comfort. The main circulation joins the project together
as a form of representation of the network of students from
different backgrounds that gets created in this proposal while
being in plain sight for the teachers and staff, making it a
straight-forward transition between classes, open and social
areas.

entrance view
Finally a connection is formed between blocks thanks to the
social areas (multipurpose room and cafeteria) that form a
bridge that more than just a physical structure, imitates the
gap that is being bridged every day a new student receives his
preparation for a better future through their enko education
studies.

multipurpose room view

142 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 143

 2nd prize 2nd prize

project name

Parallel
author
Hugo Alves Rebelo
Portugal

I
n a culture connected to the earth and sensitive to the
qualities arising from nature, a School model will be bom.
It will be the sustainable Archetype of Educational Archi-
tecture in the Country. Bamako will be its home.

The School Organism diverge into two transparent volumes.

The first adopts a lower shape and houses the Administrative,
Nursery, and Primary Programs. The second Volume comprises
the social living areas on the ground floor and the entire Sec-
ondary School Program on the rest of the Building. Due to the
number of classrooms necessary for the Secondary School sce-
nario, this Volumetry ends up receiving a more elegant propor-
tion, proudly demarcating its presence in this quarter of Bam-
ako. This geometry coexists as well with the control of the Sun
Shadow in the Outise Playground. Strategically designing the
higher Volume at the Northeast Corner of the Plot, the Proposal
protects the Playground on the southeast corner from the Sun
temperatures.

The proposal implies a structure that arises from a little static

Grid to reduce assembly efforts and increase modular and flex-
ible construction. Regardless of the different dimensions of
classrooms and toilet facilities, all shapes follow this grid in a
flexible assembly. It can start at 300 cm, although it can stretch
or shorten. If the program changes, the school, as an organism,
can adapt and respond to its needs. This grid, lately printed in
a regular wooden structure gives us a sense of support, stabil-
ity and security; its transparency, willingness to wander easily
through spaces.

The Program is designed clearly and structurally to ensure the

optimization of spaces. Synthetically, the proposal is charac-
terized by two parallel bars, leaving the beauty of the school,
not to the geometry of the program but the geometry of the
structural shape. The proposal starts with the converging of

144 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 145

 2nd prize 2nd prize

the entrance that leads the users to the reception space. To estab-
lish this gesture the rammed earth peripheral envelope loses the
parallelism with 96th Street and creates a tension that enhances the
friendly sense of invitation to the School space. After we arrive at the
foyer, the school spaces logically present themselves. The reception
is connected with the Administration to guarantee its autonomy. The
ground floor is dedicated to areas of social interaction, recognizing a
direct relation with the Playground. For security reasons, the Nursery
classrooms are the only lecturing devices integrated into the Ground
floor, guaranteeing its contiguity to the entrance. On the remaining
floors, we have classrooms, except the top floor of the lowest vol-
ume that treasures a second Outside Playground, mainly destined
for Primary School Students. Both private access outside facilities for
the Nursery and Elementary, tend to increase the safety of younger
students and allow educators to more easily ensure their well-being.
The elements of the proposal connect us to nature’s Atmosphere.

The earthly elements relate ‘Parallel’ to a natural organism where

we sense the parallel shadows that shield the school from weather
conditions. In its essence, the elements have a structural and atmos-
pheric function: the practical use of the metal sheets on the roof is
then covered with a second layer of straw, warming its visual impact
and creating an ocher mantle that undulates into the wind and en-

hances the shadow effect in spaces; the smell of the earth in the
adobe elements such as ground slabs and walls; the water sound
when it goes down from the metallic roof into the draining system
like a waterfall; the smell of the trees and all the greenery that treas-
ure this space; the sublime wood lines in the tactile impressions of
the structure. All these experiences free our senses, perpetuating
their magical effect, with an emotional project that enhances the
need for a comfortable and beautiful learning space, but as well for
a functional and structured organism that works in a clear perspec-
tive. The regular wooden structure gives us a sense of support, sta-
bility, and security. Its transparency, willingness to wander easily
through spaces.

146 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 147

 3rd prize 3rd prize

project name

Urban
Terrace
School
authors
Tan Yeong En
Wong Tian Ming
Malaysia

T
he design challenge was began with a brief to synchro-
nize functionality, program diversity, spatial quality, ef-
ficiencies as well as environmental and contextual fac-
tors within the constraint of a small site to create a prototype
reassessing the typology of an educational facility. This design
scheme primarily aim at creating a place where teachers, stu-
dents, and community can learn, play and get inspired. The spa-
tial planning’s first goal is to maximize viability of the scheme by
optimizing the allowable site area while controlling the build-
ing’s height to ensure the connectedness of scale in relation-
ship to the context. Building blocks are designed as permeable
structures with single-classroom-thick, open-ended corridors,
and multiple volume atrium space for low cost and mainte-
nance passive ventilation and lighting. For the east- and west-
facing façade, the zig-zag seting out alternates between open
and closed in response to the penetration of direct sunlight and
simultaneously minimizing noise transmission from the mov-
ing trains at the southern direction. The orientation exposed to
most sunlight is opaque; the one geting the least is transparent.
Openings are uniquely designed to reduce the direct visual con-
nection hence students could be more focus to the activities. De-
spite a small site of approximately 0.4 acre, a child-friendly open
space is created at ground level to provide a genuinely pleas-
urable all-weather multipurpose space in the tropical context.
Open spaces are evenly scatiered on multiple zones and levels
as extension of classrooms. Verandah-like circulation spaces are
introduced as activity spines linking all the learning and playing
spaces. A seamlessly integration between indoor-and-outdoor
is encouraged to foster participatory engagement and social
cohesion which resonates the school’s ideology namely car-

148 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 149

 3rd prize 3rd prize

ing, commitied, path-makers, and teamspirited. Some buffer are allowed along the
main road to provide some pause spaces in facilitating community interaction in the
neighborhood and as an expression of civic generosity. Conventional construction
method with locally sourced materials are proposed to keep the resource optimiza-
tion and future reachability. Ideas of flexibility and readiness for adaptation are ex-
pressed through the layout arrangement. For instance rootiop level is intentionally
designed as an open space to allow future expansion, which the building structure
could be extended vertically and to be occupied as activity spaces. In term of green
and sustainable feature, the roof performs as a giant urban umbrella sheltering the
spaces below and a rainwater harvesting system is incorporated to collect rainwaters
to be safely used for toilet flushing, irrigation, and general cleaning.

150 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 151

 Special Honorable Mentions Honorable Mentions

project name project name project name project name project name

Empty Spaces for Community Life Enko Loop African Urban Cocoon Microclima
authors authors
School author
de la Terre
Fernando Landeros, Nicolás Vidal Agata Jankowska, authors Arman Ghafouri-Azar authors
Chile Agata Marzec Sammuel Gama, Canada Gwinyai Dzinotyiweyi,
Poland Enrique Cadavid Kholisile Dhliwayo
Colombia Australia

project name project name project name project name

African Urban Bamako Enko Education A Sky Full of

School Education Hub authors
Dreams
authors authors Brenda Machado, authors
Ruxandra Iancu-Bra- Hakki Can Ozkan, Cheila Seibert, Bhairumal Sutar,
tosin, Alessandro Ozlem Ozdener Ozkan, Tamara Silveira, Purven Shah
Mattoccia, Rodrigo Safak Ozaydin, Alex Brino India
Rubio Cuadrado Sirri Berkay Kara Brazil
Spain Turkey

project name

African Urban School

authors
Eduardo Bissoli Loverro, Caio França Lopes dos Santos,
Francisco Leão de Campos Andrade, Vicky Berl
Brazil

project name project name

Arican Urban School In Between

authors authors
Mehrdad Mirzaei, Mahdi Mirzaei, Luz Ramírez, Juan Segura, Gabriela Ipial,
Hamid Shakeri, Ali Kave Daniela Pastrana
Iran Colombia

152 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 153

 How we won that competition
How we won that competition
authors
Bryan Velastegui, Jose Chavez, Nicolas Dorfflinger
Ecuador
Introduction
A competition is always an unknown challenge, a desire of making the most of
what you have, trusting the people in your team and hoping for the best outcome
possible. The African Urban School Competition asked us to design a school in
Mali, Bamako that took the Enko Education principles of growth and opportunity
through education and applied them onto a building that would be able to vary its
size depending on the constraints of the different lots it would be constructed on.
Why did we choose this competition?
We chose this competition because our team is composed of 3 young architects
who are trying to make their way into the architectural world, but it’s difficult to
start getting commissions that will actually get built, so we were doing our research
on competitions and came across the African Urban School Competition. We read
the brief and found that it was a really good fit for us because we are interested in
education, social projects and new challenges on size, design methods, contexts
and users. It was the perfect opportunity to make a really good project that would
help the youth of Mali grow in a way that would guide their path into a better future.
Unfortunately, the competition didn’t go through with the construction. Even
though this didn’t happen, hopefully it gives us the tools to keep getting a better
understanding of much needed educational projects around the world.
Idea
We began the competition through the first obvious, but important part, that we
attribute as one of the defining points of winning: reading the brief. As simple as it
may sound, to familiarize yourself 100% with the provided text and taking the most
important points not as constraints or requirements to be completed but as oppor-
tunities for design, will generate a change in the whole discourse of your proposal
whilst making it stand out from the beginning.
Even though we have participated in various competitions beforehand, this was the
first time we applied this method and took it to the next level. So much so that on
the first design stages we began feeling lost with the complex requirements needed,
which were going to be a problem all the way through, but while chatting between
us during lunch and complaining about how we hit a bump on the road we started
to think that everyone else, principally the builders and clients, will as well and with
that we were thinking about complicated elements with simple assemblages and
came across a LEGO set which inspired us to create a form with smaller pieces which
intertwine with each other creating a whole, through a series of instructions and de-
sign considerations which will help guide, us on the design process and the builders
when the project would be solidified. Taking complicated design decisions and con-
densing them down into simple assemblies that would still work even if the lot and
size changes bringing new compositions into reality which we haven’t thought about
but made them through the backlog of instructions we put forward.
154 ACY ∙ 2022
How we won that competition
Design
For the designing process, we’ll have to admit that it was a challenge in a certain
way, due to the fact that we were forced to work using a hybrid meeting system,
alternating between face-to-face meetings and different virtual tools that allowed
us to collaborate as a team, such as Zoom, among others.
The whole process started by gathering all of the information we could get about
the main facts that were to be taken into consideration during the designing pro-
cess of an educational institution that follows “Enko’s” method of learning, in the
other hand we had to analyze and study the main aspects that influence the site
where the school was planned to be placed.
For this part of the process, we proceeded to make an investigation starting in the
macro (the city) all the way to the micro which is the lot. Then we studied what’s
called the ‘school typology’ taking into consideration the information we received
from the competition brief and from the gathering of information from some other
architecture books. After we had gathered all of this information, we organized it
for a better understanding during the next steps of the process, we then proceeded
to schedule the one, that for some force majeure reasons, was the last face to face
meeting; where we proposed our different individual ideas, concepts and drawings
in order to make some alternatives of what we call the mass plan using and com-
bining the ideas that we all presented into a cohesive architectural design.
After this we had to adapt ourselves to the virtual tools that we had at our disposal,
at first, we faced a few complications, not only because of the physical distance of
the team, but also for the meeting availability due to the time zones we were locat-
ed in. In order to overcome this difficulties we carried on to schedule the meetings,
taking into consideration the availability of each member, also we had to do some
‘homework’ so we could deal with different topics and problems with which we
were then able to discuss them step by step during the meetings were we talked,
drew and tested new ideas that would come up and every time we did this we had
in mind the competition rules and instructions so we wouldn’t propose something
that was not relevant or allowed, and so, this became an interesting cycle where
we would move forward by always going back to the beginning to make sure eve-
rything is following the same idea and then repeating it until it was done; this was
elaborated this way so we could stay focused on the goal, which was to solve the
project in a way that gave the students and the people, who would interact with it,
the best possible addition to their urban fabric and life experience.
The design process isn’t a rectilinear journey, it has new information that adapts
better into the project, and you have to be open to make changes. Like in every de-
sign challenge we had problems, not only when the creativity grows stale, but get-
ting into our own heads and not being able to look further because we have seen
our same design and same sketches hundreds of times. This where we took our
next step of our process which was to hold some ‘pear reviews’ where we asked a
group of our friends and colleagues to criticize and give a fresh set of eyes in a quick
‘elevator pitch’ of each of our options which helped us set in motion a different out-
look on what we have been thinking and how that was being transmitted to people
that were not familiar to the project. From then on it became a turning point of our
project, to consider it from other people’s perspectives, specifically from, not only
ACY ∙ 2022 155
 How we won that competition
the students but the pedestrians as well. This started many discussions between
the team because one thing that was really important for us was to make as least
impactful as possible towards the streets and make it more human centric, but
with the scale of the project and that area it was something that had to be tested
out multiple times before getting, what for us was, the best design iterations.
A very important thing to take into consideration is that the first idea is not always
going to be the better idea, we think that we should always have to think about
different options, paths and ideas which you have to make comparisons between
them and you have to discuss and analyze the good aspects and the bad ones so
you can choose the right option, the one that fills the most important needs of the
project, this ideas will manifest in any part of the designing process, so it is impor-
tant to draw them in a piece of sketch, put it in 3D, etc., so you can analyze it and
decide whether it is going to be beneficial for the project or not.
Furthermore, we felt it was important to generate, in a project which was going to
be replicated and would change according to our instruction manual, a sense of
identity that would start with the architecture form, a non-complicated shape with
complicated design decisions that was accompanied with a ‘logo’ of the principal
characteristics of the overall volume which you could easily remember, even if not
the whole project, but those defining features of the building.
Finally, when we already had an architectural proposal completely clear we de-
cided to split the manufacturing tasks of every architectural plan, assembly and
material details, renderings and the reference budget, which led us to the final
meeting where we organized all of the information and plans we had, so we could
make some banner alternatives and then choose which one was the most suitable
for our whole proposal, in the end, after a long discussion we came up with the
final banner proposals which were the ones we submitted to the competition site.
We were only able to do this due to the complete trust in each other’s abilities and
skills to complete the project in a certain way we all agreed upon making it a cohe-
sive style which mainly speaks towards the fact that we are not only colleagues but
friends who know each other and can easily acknowledge the final feel we want the
drawings to have, of peace, knowledge and understanding education as the step-
ping stone to a life with more opportunities.
156 ACY ∙ 2022
How we won that competition
Conclusion
An Architectural competition is an experience that gives you the opportunity to ex-
plore your creativity, but it’s restricted by certain parameters which are necessary
for the project’s development. Here you can explore your skills and try out new
knowledge while getting closer to the real world and its problems through archi-
tecture. This is an opportunity where despite some issues that may appear in the
process, you should be thankful to always have a team where you can compare ide-
as and solve any problem through their different understandings and knowledge.
Final tips
• Use the brief as an opportunity of design
• Ask a set of new eyes for criticism on your initial ideas
• If you’re in a team, design together and always talk about new ideas
• Make it as easy as possible for the jury to understand
• Maintain a concise idea that encompasses the whole project
• Every design idea must make the overall concept stronger
• Generate an identity
• Take advantage of the technology you have in hand
• When designing, think of what perspectives you want to show that best exem-
plify your idea
• Find your own design method that works well with the abilities of your team
1st win
For us, this was our first win. When they announced the winner, we couldn’t be-
lieve it. We were on the phone while refreshing the website over and over just in
case, but when we were finally completely sure it wasn’t a dream, we felt proud of
what we had accomplished due to the fact that this was a final compilation of the
experience we developed over years of competing. We finally found a project that
we thought could truly make a difference but that took a lot of failures on the way
which leads us to the final thing we learned which is to trust in yourself, on your
team and enjoy the process.
ACY ∙ 2022 157
 1st prize

project name authors

Climate: Kim Gyeong Jeung, Min Yeong Gi,

Yu Sang Gu
Control Tower South Korea

Skyscraper Competition
eVolo Magazine is pleased to announce the winners of the 2022 Skyscraper Competition.
The Jury selected 3 winners and 20 honorable mentions from 427 projects received. The
annual award established in 2006 recognizes visionary ideas that through the novel use
of technology, materials, programs, aesthetics, and spatial organizations, challenge the
way we understand vertical architecture and its relationship with the natural and built
environments.

The FIRST PLACE was awarded to CLIMATE CONTROL SKYSCRAPER designed by Kim Gyeong
Jeung, Min Yeong Gi, and Yu Sang Gu from South Korea. The project investigates the use of
a series of skyscrapers to modify weather conditions that would improve the global climate
crisis and stop desertification, rising temperatures, and natural disasters.
The recipients of the SECOND PLACE are Wang Jue, Zhang Qian, Zhang Changsheng, Li Mu-
chun, and Xu Jing from China for the project TSUNAMI PARK. The project is designed as a man-
made inhabited mangrove for the Tonga region to prevent tsunamis that would affect the Pa-
cific Rim.

NEW SPRING: AGRO-ECOLOGICAL SKYSCRAPER designed by Michał Spólnik from Austria and Background
Marcin Kitala from Poland received the THIRD PLACE. The proposal is envisioned as an ag- The two risk factors that will come to mankind over the
gregation of garden modules containing distinct flora and microorganisms that could be de- next decade are “Climate crisis” and “failure to respond
ployed to specific regions that would flourish with new life. to the climate crisis”. 2019 was confirmed as “the Sec-
ond warmest year in history”. Experts are referring to
The Jury was formed by Volkan Alkanoglu [Principal, VA | DESIGN], Gianni Botsford [Principal, the end of the Earth as 2050 due to the abnormal cli-
Gianni Botsford Architects], Steven Chilton [Principal, SCA | Steven Chilton Architects], Tsvet- mate. From the beginning of the 21st century to 2021,
elina Georgieva [Principal, DesignMorphine], Nuru Karim [Principal, Nudes], Arthur Mamou- the average temperature of the Earth’s surface rose by
Mani [Principal, Mamou-Mani Architects], and Moon Hoon [Principal, Moon Hoon Architects] 0.93 ±0.07’C, which is more than two-thirds of 1980. (It
is increasing by 0.13 degrees to 0.25 degrees every 10
years). Due to the increase in temperature, the global
village is currently facing various natural disasters and
environmental problems. There are various damages,
the most serious damage of climate change to extreme
drought and desertification caused by drying up long-
term. Of course, reclamation of forests, and man-made
factors such as environmental pollution and deforesta-
tion have conspired to happen, but desertification due
to global climate change is accelerating. Despite these
global movements, environmental disasters and de-
sertification around the world are still rising exponen-

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 1st prize
tially, and some experts say that environmental problems have
already progressed a lot. In other words, awareness and policy on
environmental issues are important nationally, but a movement
to solve environmental problems through a groundbreaking
technological and architectural approach is needed and should
be applied worldwide. Then, how can we architecturally prevent
desertification as well as persistent natural disasters? The answer
lies in the ‘Climate Control Tower’. CCT is designed to cope with
climate change and overcome the current climate crisis the world
is facing. Through clouds generated by absorbing seawater, the
climate crisis regulates the weather by raining where there is a
drought, absorbing clouds where heavy rainfalls, or reflecting so-
lar radiation.
Process
CCTs are built above the sea for effective use of marine resourc-
es. CCTs anchored through subsea trusses import cloud seeds,
chemical catalysts, and human resources through ports accessi-
ble in all directions. They also export materials such as sodium
chloride and ionic substances obtained by electrolyzing seawater.
160 ACY ∙ 2022
1st prize
The power consumed by this gigantic skyscraper is
supplied by a solar panel roof and a wind pressure
generator on the lower level of the building. The
heat generated by the solar energy is transferred
to the high-temperature pressure tank inside the
cloud generator and is used to make pure water
by synthesizing hydrogen and oxygen molecules
extracted from seawater. Water moves upward in
the form of water vapor and passes through a wind
pressure generator, generating electricity through
wind power generation by pressure difference.
Water vapor moving upwards is sprayed around
the skyscraper in the form of clouds and stored
in a membrane controlled by a control ring. The
laboratory located inside the CCT transmits mete-
orological observation information to the control
ring through communication with the CCT Weather
satellite, which is floating in space. It calculates the
movement of clouds according to the wind direc-
tion and distance so that they can reach the target
area. As the wire of the control ring rotates and
contracts, the cloud is discharged through the out-
let in the middle of the membrane, and the control
ring dispatches the drone unit with it.
Conclusion
We would like to set up CCT in countries around the
world. CCT can prevent desertification by creating
clouds, creating ecosystems by creating forests,
and eliminating the threat of disasters caused by
heavy rainfalls by getting rid of clouds. We believe
that CCT can protect the environment on a global
scale, and by setting up multiple CCTs around the
world, we can get one step closer to global environ-
mental protection.
ACY ∙ 2022 161
 2nd prize
project name
Tsunami Park
authors
Wang Jue, Zhang Qian, Zhang Changsheng,
Li Muchun, Xu Jing
China
P
eople are often afraid of tsunamis. Technological ad-
vances have not led to sufficient measures to with-
stand tsunamis. When a tsunami strikes, people are
still helpless. The Pacific Rim, which is linked to all four major
tectonic plates, has the highest tsunami rate in the world, with
more frequent undersea fluctuations. For example, the volcan-
ic eruption in Tonga on 14 January 2022 resulted in a tsunami
threat to the entire Pacific Rim region.
It is therefore envisaged that a skyscraper will be built in front
of Tonga’s long and narrow coastline. The aim was to reduce
the biological and ecological damage caused by the tsunami.
We use the edge wave effect of tsunamis to advance the tsu-
nami wave so that the building is in the sea to dissipate it when
it has not yet inundated the city.
Mangroves are woody plant communities in the intertidal zone
of tropical and subtropical coasts, with developed root systems
and staggering growth, which have the best effect on tsunami
mitigation. Therefore, the skyscraper is inspired by the princi-
ple and mechanism of mangrove resistance to tsunamis, and
consists of a single unit aggregated to form a vast complex
along the coastline. Each cell consists of a bottom pillar and a
top multi-level platform. The bottom pillar is made up of thick
concrete columns that form a porous structure to dissipate the
enormous force of the tsunami, while the upper platforms are
of varying sizes, heights, and interconnections to carry peo-
ple’s lives.
This skyscraper has two functional states, the normal state,
and the disaster state. In the normal state, at the lower end of
the columns, which is at sea level, people can use the space
162 ACY ∙ 2022
2nd prize
between the concrete columns for tidal fishing and
water bazaars. This is where recreation, gathering, and
fishing take place. And when a tsunami hits, the up-
per part of the building functions to absorb the waves
of the tsunami. Each level of the building has a water
cistern, and the absorbed water is transferred through
columns to the underground desalination area for
treatment. The underground desalination area is also
capable of desalination and energy conversion during
normal conditions, using the ebb and flow of the tides.
Our solution strategy is therefore to turn a disaster into
something, which means conforming to the tsunami,
rather than fighting it. Transforming the catastrophic
nature of the tsunami into a gift from nature to man-
kind.
The terrace at the top of the building is a ‘garden in the
sky’ where people can relax and enjoy themselves. Low
shrubs, gardens and water cisterns are planted on the
terrace to provide a degree of amenity and dissipate
the power of the tsunami. When a tsunami strikes, the
high level of the platform becomes a safe place, mak-
ing it a perfect place for people to ‘watch’ the tsunami
and, in this relaxed way, to be less afraid of it. The in-
terior of the building is a place for cultural activities for
the local population, for exhibitions to enrich people’s
lives, and for the storage of first aid supplies to ensure
that people are well supplied in the event of a disaster.
Each of the concrete columns has a complex structure
inside that allows for the collection, storage, purifica-
tion and transport of the water, as well as vertical traf-
fic. The seawater from the tsunami is collected by the
concrete columns and transported underground to
the bottom of the complex, where it is desalinated by
the purification facilities placed there and then trans-
ported inland via pipelines, thus ensuring that water
resources are scarce in the aftermath of the tsunami.
ACY ∙ 2022 163
 3rd prize 3rd prize

Modules are seeds of future gardens, fields, or farm-

lands. When one is requested it can be easily dis-
patched and shipped to the destination, where it will
help to restore the natural landscape. Modules can be
added, removed, or replaced freely.

project name
Hidden behind the envelope of modules and their
New Spring timber supporting structure is the core, filled with
hardware functions – seed and plant tissue banks,
laboratories, lecture spaces, data centers, warehouses,
authors
and high-tech composters. The program is completed
Michał Spólnik, Marcin Kitala with meetings, discussions, and knowledge exchange
Austria, Poland events.

Pods are made with cross-laminated timber, which al-

How would the world be able to feed itself? lows agile fabrication and a relatively repetitive pro-
We live in a paradox – nowadays more food is pro- cess of assembly and disassembly. Strains of CLT linear
duced than needed but the expansion of hunger is elements branch out from the core towards the pods
increasing. How is this possible? – finding their way in optimized load-bearing bundles.
Elements of ladders placed upon particular elements
Global food production relies greatly on an ex- stimulate activities of small animals, that roam around
tremely small number of crop and livestock spe- in their floating garden.
cies. Grains are married to particular chemicals,
becoming vulnerable to environmental changes,
and lack immunity. Together with changes in how
land and water resources are used, population
growth, urbanization, and shifting food culture,
this lack of crop diversity poses a threat to global
food and nutrition security. For the sake of our so-
ciety – and for the ones to come – we might like to
rethink the ways we treat our land.

What could we do about it?

The proposed skyscraper is a large-scale device
that connects nature, science, and social fields.
It is an aggregation of garden modules – each be-
longing to a particular biome, containing distinct
flora, soil, microorganisms, small animals, and mi-
croclimate.

Following the principles of agroecology, each

proto-garden is experimental from the start, often
bringing together plants that do not come together
in the natural environment. It is particularly impor-
tant when fighting climate change, where some
damages cannot be reversed and a new solution
and adaptation are needed.

164 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 165

 3rd prize 3rd prize

Polish Countryside
New Spring could have flourished in a number of plac-
es around the world, but there is some kind of speci-
ficity among the fields of Poland. Cultivating the land
over the centuries gave rise to many local festivities –
that praise all the goods that flourish from this fertile
soil. Fields are not only a support for the culture – they
are a valid part of it.

Extending those farmlands vertically accentuates its

significance in shaping Earth’s ecology while keeping
the gentle footprint and prominence within the land-
scape. With its shape informed by traditional Easter
Palm – symbolizes cyclical rebirth and rejuvenation.
With a positive look into the future, New Spring shall
stimulate biodiversity, and cross-pollinating ecosys-
tems and cultures. Countryside will flourish in a pleth-
ora of colors, reclaiming its vivid agency. But perhaps
most importantly – it will promote the culture of shar-
ing and caring about Nature. Our Home.

166 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 167

 Honorable Mentions

project name project name project name project name project name

Adapting Beeswax Adobe Farm The City Chloroplast Center For Organic Parallel
Obsolescence Skyscraper Skyscraper authors Development
Kaiyu Chen, Yong Lin, Ziyi Li, Zhipeng Tao
author author authors China
Ahmed Helal Chien-Ching Su authors
Hamidreza Esmailnazari,
US Taiwan Karan Jain, Vishwal Ram Gowda
Hosein Mosavi, Amir
India
Hossein Saeedi Majd,
Hossein Amery, Hossein
Arshadi Soufiani, Ali Jamali,
Maryam Baharvandi
Sweden

project name project name project name project name

Oasis Regenerative Highrise Residential Flying Unit Tree Skyscraper In South

authors
Han-Yu Lai, Wei-Qun Cai, Chun-Yi Yeh authors
Nest Skyscraper Sudan
Taiwan
Haptic Architects, Ramboll author authors
Tomas Stokke, Shonn Mills Mohammad Pirdavari Ron Krakovski, Talia Tsuk
UK, Singapore Portugal Israel

168 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 169

 Honorable Mentions

project name project name project name project name

Skyscraper For Open Skyscraper Injects New Urban Bypass Surgery Hyper-Mask Skyscraper
Pit Mines Life To Tiankeng authors authors
Yi Liu, Baichao Wang, Hao Zhang, YiHui Gao, Yu Liu, Junjie Hou, Jiaxi Shi, Hailin Wu,
authors ZongHao Yang, Shiliang Wang Ronghui Yang, Jiang An
authors Shuzhan Liu, Siang Duan, Yimin Gao, China China
Sacha Cudré-Mauroux, Nils Hayoz, Jingyi Li, Shiliang Wang, Daxu Wei
Bart Oosterhoff, Thomas Wenzel China
Switzerland

project name project name project name project name project name project name

City Healer Cure For Sanctuary Urban Air Purification Connecting

Skyscraper Desertification Above The Condenser Skyscraper Skyscrapers
authors
Wang Changsi, Guo Fang,
Skyscraper Tomb authors
Yunheng Fan, Baoying Liu,
authors
Zelun Wang, Shengwu Fan,
In Hong Kong
SiYuan Zhang authors
Wanjing Wang, Zhenhao Chen,
author
Xueer Wang
Rongwei Gao, Junliang Liu Manqian Lin Through
Infrastructure
China China China
Minghui Sang, Xiaoran Xiong, China
Kaifeng Fan
author
China
Zheng Xiangyuan
China

170 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 171

 How we won that competition
How we won that competition
authors
Kim Gyeong Jeung, Min Yeong Gi, Yu Sang Gu
South Korea
We participated in the 2022 evolo skyscraper competition with an interesting pub-
lic offering theme of whether the situation facing the world can be solved through
skyscraper. It was quite interesting to think about and design the impact of urban
population density, skyscrapers and architectures that are being built around the
world by various laws, on social, cultural, and environmental impacts.
Team:
We are currently college students studying architecture at Keimyung University
located in Daegu, Korea. During the vacation between semesters when we were
not as absorbed in studying, we often applied for interesting domestic and inter-
national competitions. Before starting our fifth-grade graduation work, we wanted
to submit it to an international competition and thought collaboration was im-
portant, so we formed a team of students with strengths that derive ideas, design
them, and express them well. When we start participating in the contest, we work
together in the studio provided by the school. For about two months from the be-
ginning to the last submission, we spent all our daily lives together in the studio.
The reason is that sometimes ideas that come to mind can be shared in real time.
It was a pity that the only time a college student could rest was vacation, but when
we won the first place at the end, that time was never a waste.
idea-making process:
In fact, we thought that ideas were the most important part of designing contests
and buildings. First, we thought about what the biggest fundamental problem the
world has in common. There are various social and cultural issues, but what we
focus on is the environment. The reason is that, as can be seen in our script, the
risk factors that will come to mankind over the next decade are the climate crisis
first and the failure to respond to the climate crisis second. Since we are not en-
vironmental experts, dealing with environmental issues was a new attempt. So,
we studied various books, papers, and Internet materials about the environment
for a week after we first set up the concept. Since then, we have referred to many
domestic and foreign papers for additional information. After searching for many
attempts for the environment, we developed our concept by looking for parts that
could connect with architecture.
The climate crisis comes in various forms all over the world. Basically, heavy rain,
heavy snow, drought, forest fires, ice caps and glaciers melt, sea temperatures rise,
and sea levels rise. Living in Korea with four distinct seasons, we feel that spring
and autumn are getting shorter and summer and winter are getting longer.
So we first investigated what is the biggest factor in this abnormal climate. It is
global warming. Increasing carbon dioxide, air pollutants, and greenhouse gases
gather in the atmosphere and absorb sunlight and solar radiation reflected on the
Earth’s surface accelerates global warming. We imagined that we could solve this
172 ACY ∙ 2022
How we won that competition
with clouds, and we thought, “Let’s make clouds.” Clouds have many natural ele-
ments, such as rain, blocking sunlight, and creating shade to cool off the surface of
the earth.
This idea is often defined as geoengineering, climate engineering. So far, there have
been various engineering methods to solve warming. Among them, the method we
found interesting was the method in which the idea was released through a 2014
paper in the “SCoPEx (Statosphere Control Interferometry)” conducted by Harvard
University in the U.S. Earlier last year, a test flight was planned to fly an instrument
into the stratosphere at the Swedish Space Agency’s Israeli Space Center, but it was
canceled due to opposition from environmental groups. This method was based
on the principle that spraying aerosols into the stratosphere prevents the entry of
sunlight into the surface and reduces the amount of sunlight reaching the surface.
So we started thinking about incorporating this idea and this technology into the
architecture of skyscrapper.
In order to implement the idea of “Let’s make clouds,” we needed water. This has
contributed to selecting our project’s site as the sea, which accounts for about
70.8% of the Earth’s surface. The first idea was to evaporate seawater into water
vapor and form clouds with it. In order to evaporate water and create clouds, we
needed a passage to move water vapor. It’s shaped like a chimney from the begin-
ning of the sketch and this is later the basic concept of the form of a mass. The form
of mass that began in this way developed into the “waterspout” of the sea. Water-
spout was conceived in a natural element that formed a strong ascending air cur-
rent in the center, allowing us to visually reproduce the image of the chimney that
we intended. Setting “waterspout,” an abnormal climate that is becoming more
frequent due to climate change, as the mass concept of a project to solve environ-
mental problems, is an attempt to show a contradictory view of humans who have
destroyed the natural environment and caused abnormal weather.
We had to focus on the environment. But having to use a lot of energy in a way to
move water vapor into the stratosphere didn’t fit the way we intended it. That’s
how we started thinking, ‘How do we get fluids to the point we’re aiming for?’ It was
in Bernoulli’s principle through the Venturi. Bernoulli’s principle is that the speed
of air increases and the internal pressure decreases when air moves from a wide
passage to a narrow passage. We used the Bernoulli principle to form a narrow
funnel-shaped mass at the bottom as we went up to the top. We applied the princi-
ple of naturally increasing the velocity of the fluid in the vertical direction.
But the scientific reasoning of our non-major team lacked the basis for convincing
these principles. So we went to the engineering professor at the same school and
asked for advice. The advice is that it is difficult to raise large amounts of water
vapor to the upper floor only by pressure, so the solar device is installed on the
surface to increase the internal temperature, and naturally, the temperature dif-
ference becomes the difference in air pressure, adding an element that increases
water vapor. Thanks to this, it was easy to raise water vapor to the target point, and
thanks to the addition of solar power generators, we got an element to meet the
energy capacity required by other facilities.
Since then, the mass has progressed with the development of our ideas. As shown
ACY ∙ 2022 173
 How we won that competition
in the panel, divided according to the height at which each cloud is formed. This is
why we divided the space for the clouds that we need for each role. This position
is largely shaped into three parts and its boundaries are divided into giant rings.
As the building emphasizes facility elements more than the overall floor plan and
cross-section, we put a lot of emphasis on detailed sections. First, the control ring.
The primary role of the first-thought control ring is to form layers by wind so that
clouds trapped by layers are not mixed in the membrane. The design concept was
Dyson’s wingless fan. The way to divide the floor without installing any device be-
tween the building and the control ring is to blow high-pressure wind, the most
similar product to this design was the cross section of the wingless fan. In other
words, the artificial wind formed inside comes out of the curved wall and naturally
divides the layers of clouds.
Next is the Wind Pressure Generator. This is an incidental facility element that rais-
es clouds by generating artificial winds from blades, or fans, to help them reach the
top floor. Basically, it can be raised to the upper floor due to the Bernoulli effect,
but when the effects of temperature and air pressure are low, it converts the solar
energy of the lower floor into electrical energy and artificially operates the wings
to move clouds to the upper floor. There are wings in the middle of the passage
over about 4km, making it easy to raise clouds formed at the bottom to the top.
This process is most similar to the vent principle. In other words, for the pleasant
environment of the building, the ventilation hole has the effect of sending the air
outside, and we expected the effect of moving the low-rise air (cloud) to the upper
floor by applying these elements to our building.
Finally, the Cloud Generator, the starting point for all facilities. This part only con-
sidered the efficiency of the facility without considering the design factor (the el-
ement under the deep sea, so the cloud formation process of our building turns
seawater into pure water, heats it up to create clouds, and pumps it up to the top to
create clouds. The Cloud Generator was bound to be huge simply to support a 4km
building and build the largest installation. It is also designed to fit the concept of
chimneys and waterspout mentioned earlier.
Grasshopper
The specific shape is that the surface of the slab and glass surrounds the chimney
that serves to lift the cloud. Holes are drilled throughout the mass so that the emit-
ted sound can move smoothly, and the curved frame once again weaves the un-
stable shape. The lower part receives a complex load due to the amorphous upper
part. For this reason, a lower end part that spreads widely is formed to alleviate the
load, and water is drawn up as a whole.
Parametric Design
Top: Create a smooth ceramic-like base surface based on several baselines through
which the curved surface will pass.
Create a curved frame based on the Base Surface. A second surface is created as
another reference line and overlaps the base surface to form a perforated base
polysurface.
174 ACY ∙ 2022
How we won that competition
Create a slab and glass elevation area based on the Base Polysurface. A space is
formed by covering a certain interval in consideration of the passage of clouds.
Lower part: The spreading lower part becomes a curved roof like a huge tent. It
constructs a pattern in which solar panels are arranged regularly by taking advan-
tage of the characteristics that are good for receiving sunlight.
The variable is manipulated with a function graph so that the number of panels
increases rapidly as it goes down (Rhino Grasshopper Program)
Rendering Process
As with other competitions, we thought that the eVolo competition emphasized
the importance of perspective. The reason for presenting the two panels seemed to
implicitly say that the perspective filled with one sheet is important. So, the most
powerful part of the panel work is the rendering, or bird’s-eye view. No other de-
sign was completed, but modeling was performed in consideration of pure aes-
thetics. (Considering only the most basic facilities and functional factors). Then
the quality was improved by adding vertical louvers, revealing facilities, or adding
detailed modeling.
The composition also had a lot of worries. At first, the entire building was expected
to appear in the center of the shot, but the width of the building was about 1km
and the height was about 4km, and it was very difficult to put it in one shot, includ-
ing the scene of spraying the sea and clouds with a huge building. Therefore, it was
decided to cut the upper floor and express only a part of the building in the shot,
and instead, a number of buildings were placed far away from the sea to create a
natural situation. (Original composition of many buildings creating large clouds)
In rendering work, it is necessary to understand how a building works with the sur-
rounding environment, going beyond simply creating a pretty image. By appropri-
ately using channels such as shadow, lighting, and reflection, the influence of the
building can be controlled in the shot. This is also important in actual expression,
but it is necessary to focus more on what factors we want to emphasize.
If we wanted to express the harmony with the sea more strongly, we would add a
blue feeling to the reflection of the sea and lighting, and if we put more importance
on the harmony with clouds, we would have adjusted the reflection value of the
cloud membrane and added an expression like a cloud.
Important elements and tips in competitions (extremely personal experience)
In addition to the eVolo International Competition, our team members have won
many architectural competitions. Based on our experiences, we would like to give
you some helpful tips for the contest.
Be together as much time as possible
In school, you design your own work for about three months, that is, you develop
your personal capabilities with the professor’s creativity, and your individual pro-
gram and design skills are prioritized over cooperation. However, while other per-
ACY ∙ 2022 175
 How we won that competition
sonal competencies are important in the competition, the most important thing
is cooperation. It may be the most basic and boring word, but cooperation is the
most important thing in the contest.
It is always best to work with the new team in the same space every day during
the contest. I spent all my time with my personal computer, except for sleeping in a
school studio, in a private studio, in a lab, or even in a private house. In other words,
in addition to working time, you can get architectural inspiration in various areas
such as eating together or resting, and maximize the advantage of communicating
and embodying ideas. Currently, meetings are possible through video calls due to
the Corona crisis, but more communication is required in the contest to design a
work, so it is recommended to spend as much time as possible in the same studio.
Creative ideas are so important that they account for 70 percent of the design
Unlike other competitions where you design according to the specifications of the
land, the concept, or idea, is the most important in the eVolo competition, where
everything can be freely selected. Topic selection is influenced by global issues
(mostly environmental issues), but how you solve the problem will be different.
If you’ve chosen a topic to solve a global problem, ideas to solve it will be in the
Internet, books, and magazines. (Even if it’s a really weird idea, it must be someone
else’s idea.) Pick your favorite idea and think about it in a different way through
brainstorming. For example, if you try to combine two good ideas or add facilities
to make a ridiculous idea realistically possible, it will be your original idea entirely.
Reflect on the current situation
At the time of the emergence of COVID-19, interest in medical and green spaces
increased, and when housing problems caused by population shortages became
a hot topic, innovative residential buildings became an issue. Also, when the envi-
ronmental problem worsened due to global warming, of course, the buildings for
the Earth would have been concentrated. (When we selected the concept, it was
176 ACY ∙ 2022
How we won that competition
time for news reports about natural disasters around the world.)
If you’re wondering what topic to cover, look at Google search terms and news re-
ports and choose the hottest topic. (We selected the most frequently mentioned
issue among Google News in the second half of 2021 and selected topics that
matched global issues. It was a natural disaster.) This is not necessarily the Internet,
but magazines (most recent) are fine. If you look at the current eVolo No. 1 award-
winning works, most of them will be about the hottest issues at the time. But keep
in mind that a common topic should never lead to flat concepts and dull ideas.
Add realistic elements and facilities to the concept
Facilities account for most of our panels. (Detailed section, perspective, compo-
nent disassembly). If you insist on a really crazy idea, your argument will be con-
vincing if the perfect facility element, scientific theory, and operating principles
support it. If idea selection is 70 percent, the remaining 30 percent will be this part
Of course it could be more than that. (I think we’ve chosen a relatively simple idea.
So we designed a very realistic theory and equipment.) As long as it is an architec-
tural contest, not an idea contest, realistic elements must be strongly supported.
We are not equipment and scientific experts either. But we put as much effort and
time here as experts. This part depends on your efforts. Finding papers, reading
books, consulting experts, and reading articles gave validity to our ideas. Finally,
persuade others around you to verify that your idea is logically perfect. If the ma-
jority readily agree, it is successful.
Express strongly and professionally
Keep that in mind again. The elements of the panel are powerful images that are
easy to see at a glance and professional additional explanatory elements. Just re-
member these two things.
In order to attract the attention of judges who see about 500 works, it must be
expressed strongly with perspective. (As mentioned in the previous paragraph, the
reason for giving two panels is the same as saying to express perspective strongly
ACY ∙ 2022 177
 How we won that competition How we won that competition

in one panel.) Spend the most time on the ‘one shot’ that best reveals your archi-
tecture, your ideas. It should be your face and your strongest weapon. (If you com-
plete a strong perspective, you have a higher chance of winning.)

If you have built the image well enough to be recognizable in the panel, express the
facility elements and scientific theories well in the rest. Never just express it in text.
Never put it hard.
Express most theories and facilities in an easy diagram to persuade the judges and
professionally express them in the essential areas (detail section, facility disassem-
bly). Then your persuasion will be even higher.

If you complete the panel in this way, you will be attracted by images, understand
your ideas through diagrams, and be persuaded in a professional way. This ele-
ment will be applied equally to all building elements as well as other contests.

Kim Gyeong Jeung: The most frequently asked questions were given to me by the
team leader. As we mainly deal with the wind, the most reference was the mechani-
cal diagram and the cross-sectional view of the wind turbine. Other facilities, such
as batteries and power supplies, were affected by the existing drawings.

There were many difficulties because we imagined and drew it considering the di-
rection of energy movement, efficiency, reality, and technology, not just following
the cross-sectional view. Every time we did that, we simply drew the energy path
by hand and put the right parts into it.

It is the reality that has been mentioned before. It is a very subjective idea, but it
is a simple idea that can be thought of as “preventing natural disasters by making
clouds with seawater.”(Especially in the eVolo competition.) So we gave it a sense
of facility, of scientific theory, to the point where it’s built really realistically. [Crea-
tive Ideas 50% / Reality 50%]

Various episodes during the eVolo competition

1. In order to specify the process of making clouds, an artificial rainfall experi-
ment article conducted by NASA was referenced.
2. Surprisingly, the process was fast, so it was submitted about 4 days earlier
than the expected submission date.
3. In order to give validity to the scientific theory we designed, we spent the most
time consulting papers and experts.
4. It was very quiet when all the team members were working on their own tasks
(autocad, 3D program, photoshop, etc.).

Lastly, thanking eVolo for giving us this award, please mark [keimyung university of
South Korea] and if you are curious about us, please refer to Instagram @Kyahahaa
@ycraftroom @julytwentyse7en.

178 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 179

 1st prize

project name

The Beirut
Lines
authors
International Chee Kin Tan

Beirut Port:
Jennifer Wei Zhang
Malaysia

An Urban Life Generator

Almost 2 years ago, Inspireli offered help to Beirut after the devastating
explosion in Aug 4, 2020, by organizing this competition. Our help was
accepted and we became the official organizer of a competition for the
city of Beirut.
Inspireli’s goal was to show that Beirut is not alone in these times of crisis.
The competition was organized free of charge, both for the students to ap-
ply and for the Municipality of Beirut as a receiver of the designs, too.
For a year, many universities and students from 43 countries around the
world worked on the project in their University studios and it resulted in 249
projects submitted by 579 participants. Winning projects are offered to the
Municipality of Beirut with the aim to help the first steps or renewal of the
destroyed port and bringing ideas on how to integrate more public spaces
into the port area.
The Beirut Lines envisions a bold elevated public hub, connecting four urban axes
of the city and bridging across the existing urban fabric from the northern coastline
towards the Green Line – an intervention designed to create a new urban culture,
inspiring wider regeneration and synthesis on an urban and social level.
For many years, the Beirut port represented more of a barrier than a connection
between the city’s communities and its coast. The reconstruction of the port area
opens up the opportunity for a pivotal civic gesture that will both catalyse the area
and fill the void of active public spaces in the city.
Project description
Urban Catalyst - The Beirut Lines envisions a bold elevated public hub, connecting
four urban axes of the city and bridging across the existing urban fabric from the
northern coastline towards the Green Line – an intervention designed to create a
new urban culture, inspiring wider regeneration and synthesis on an urban and
social level.

The two round voting system with more than 800 jurors selected first the 40
finalists, out of which then the best 4 project and 4 honorary mentions were
awarded in Beirut.

180 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 181

 1st prize 1st prize

For many years, the Beirut port represented more of a barrier than a connection be-
tween the city’s communities and its coast. The reconstruction of the port area opens
up the opportunity for a pivotal civic gesture that will both catalyse the area and fill the
void of active public spaces in the city.

A Public Hub - Consisting of a series of (semi) open and multi-levelled courtyard plat-
forms, the mixed-use public hub creates a rich spatial experience that inspires spon-
taneous moments and interactions between interior and exterior spaces; contained
within a singular rectilinear form. Diverse programmes aim to attract both locals and
tourists, becoming a starting point for dialogue between different social groups.

Central to the scheme is the permeability of the structure and versatility of space,
enabling the freedom to adapt to the public’s needs. While proposing tentative pro-
grammes, the architecture does not impose a strict functional narrative on the users,
but instead remains polyvalent by providing a framework that allows the programme
to evolve with the city and its inhabitants.

Elevated Connectivity - While culturally and morphologically diverse, the compromised

mobility network and inward-focused developments of the city have exacerbated the
disconnection between the different communities and neighbourhoods in Beirut.
Converging towards the port site, The Beirut Lines becomes the connective element be-
tween the active coastline and historic Green Line, interwoven into the existing network
of organised spaces in-between. By elevating the structure, The Beirut Lines liberates
the ground plane, allowing the brownfield site to recover through phytoremediation
using a sea of sunflowers, and creating better connectivity between the city and its sea-
front.

A Symbol of Collective Hope - The revised port zone is located at the east end of the
plot, while the brownfield remediation site opens up different possibilities for the area.
We imagine a public recreational landscape at the central seafront, framed by an ur-
ban expansion zone which enables various cultural and commercial uses to promote
greater social integration and economic viability.

In addition to the pragmatic purpose of the brownfield remediation site, it encapsu-

lates the resilience and strength of Beirut and its people. The memory of the blast and
its effects can be observed in two dimensions: the void and the ruins. The remains of
the Silos structure (the ruins) are preserved, with wire mesh frames tracing the missing
pieces, and stand amidst the sunflower field (the void) as a beacon of hope. Passing
through the elevated public hub, users are taken on a journey, following the gradual
recovery process of the site. The Beirut Lines extends the historic Green Line into the
remains of the cardinal Silos structure, linking the memories of the city.

182 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 183

 1st prize 1st prize

project name
ferent spots, one facing the Mar Mkhael Train Station
Beirut Port: towards Karantina, and one from Mar Mikhael through
Charles Helou Bus Station towards the port. All these
An Urban Life maintain continuity in the transition and stitching of

Generator the now separated regions Karantina, Mar Mikhael,

Gemmayze, and Beirut.

Leabanon authors The project intends to create a public zone in the port
Sergio Zgheib (1st & 2nd queue), through limiting boat traffic and in-
Peter Aoun corporating visitor attraction functions like an opera
Lea Lahoud house and a cultural center, that maintain a dialogue
Rita Abi Zeid with Martyrs’ Square and serve as a principal entrance
Julien Mikhael from Beirut. The silos are transformed into a memo-
Nour Kreidy rial linking back to the tragedy of the explosion. Others
Thea Bechara include a maritime museum, a modern arts museum,
Lebanon a convention center and a commercial center. Facing
Charles Helou Bus Station is a mixed-use residential
area with a souks street at the very end line near the
sea. Taking into account the strategic location of the
port and the train station’s historical location near the
port, we created a metro station on the 3rd queue as
main attraction point. Hence, people coming from the
cruise terminal have the possibility to reach out to any
location in the country and vise versa. This generates
further economic gain and easy access to the port.

B
eirut Port: An Urban Life Generator, is a project that aims not only to re-
gain the functioning of the industrial part of the port, but also to transform
it into an international landmark through different strategies. The design
approach began by studying the visual permeability, the public and industrial ra-
tios in the port, connections with nonfunctional landmarks, maritime circulation
and creation of new water channels within the project. Some strategies include the
creation of a main axis from Electricite Du Liban, through a tunnel under Charles
Helou highway directly towards the silos. Soft circulations are incorporated at dif-

184 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 185

 1st prize 1st prize

The industrial zone (current cranes zone) is restudied and incorporates high tech
systems such as high bay storage systems, drone controls, automated vehicles,
etc... Spaces are studied to serve with maximum efficiency, solving the problem
of wasted spaces in the port. The link with Karantina region is also rehabilitated
by transforming the region into a economic district, and building an urban bal-
cony that extends along the peripheries. Finally, our project aims to give a new
significance to the Beirut port, through turning it into a main component for the
regeneration of Beirut urban life.

Technical information
The industrial part of the port follows a sustainable and self-sufficient design
with its high bay storage system made of steel structures and automated panels
and trucks, controlled by modern softwares to allow a variety of storage options
while reducing the need of space. It is entirely covered by solar panels to ensure
the supply of electricity needed to operate. Water collecting vessels float around
the commercial basins of the port to filter the water from all sorts of pollutants
and store it in an underground fire water tank for a faster response to emergen-
cies. Smaller silos are located near the bulk terminal and new ones are added in
different Lebanese ports (Saida, Jounieh etc..) for the decentralization of wheat
stocking, avoiding future shortage crisis of this essential human need. Moreover,
a train station is implemented in the industrial zone to facilitate the transit of
merchandise across the country. Vessel circulation in the port is regulated and
filtered as we move towards the public zones, where it becomes almost non-ex-
istant. Typological levels are studied and exploited allowing a proper integration
of various functions such as the metro lines, parkings, and waterfront prome-
nades at lower levels.

186 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 187

 2nd prize 2nd prize

project name

Beirut Port
authors
Růžena Mašková
Jakub Tomašík

T
Adam Rössler he 2020 Beirut explosion occurred on 4 August 2020, when a large
Czech Republic amount of ammonium nitrate stored at the Port of Beirut in the
capital city of Lebanon exploded, causing at least 218 deaths, 7,000
injuries, and US$15 billion in property damage, and leaving an estimated
300,000 people homeless. Cargo of 2,750 tonnes of the substance (equiva-
lent to around 1.1 kilotons of TNT) had been stored in a warehouse without
proper safety measures for the previous six years after being confiscated by
the Lebanese authorities from the abandoned ship MV Rhosus. The explo-
sion was preceded by a fire in the same warehouse, but as of September
2021, the exact cause of the detonation is still investigated.

As part of the proposal itself, we dealt with several topics that will lead to a
functional connection between the existing Beirut and the new port, pre-
serving the dignity of the place, but also the creation of an attractive lo-
cation. Currently, the port is in a desolate state, the wreckage has still not
been removed, and in the middle of a formerly important logistics hub, we
see a damaged grain silo that commemorates the dozens of human victims
who died during the blast. This place in the middle of the site where a large
amount of ammonium nitrate exploded is where we design our proposal (ur-
banism) and think of it as the center of the entire port. In the center of the
whole locality we design an organic shaped multifunctional building pro-
truding into the sea, which contains not only the Philharmonic, but also the
center of modern architecture and art or congress halls. It is an association
point that will attract different people from all over the world and will be
a place to live day and night. This building is followed by smaller elliptical
buildings, serving as the exhibition complex, which will host various trade
fairs, exhibitions, etc. The most important place of the site is the already
mentioned torso of the grain silo, which we decided to preserve and respect-
fully reconstruct to its former shape using a light transparent construction,
which will house a gallery, memorial of the 2020 catastrophe that affected
the lives of many families living nearby.

Within the entire urban planning of the port, we mainly thought about the
connection between the existing old Beirut and the new port. There is an
unpleasant barrier between the port and the city in the form of a motor-
way, which separates this site and makes it nearly inaccessible. The entire

188 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 189

 2nd prize 2nd prize

port is also located about 15 meters lower than the level of the city and the
highway. So the question was how to deal not only with the interconnection,
but also with the height levels. In the design, the problem was solved by an
organic platform levitating over the port, running between skyscrapers. It
gradually rises from the existing city, continues across the highway in the
form of footbridges. It continues over the port and gradually descends to the
sea towards the sea. During its journey, the platform treats individual build-
ings and re-emerges. In some places it falls to the ground or, conversely, ris-
es higher. It serves as an attractive pedestrian path, which runs around the
city and during your walk can visit individual buildings, or just walk around
and watch the sunset.

The design also took into account the links to the downtown. During the
analysis of the context and collecting of information, we studied the indi-
vidual connections. The Armenian district and the Mar Mikhael district are
close by. There are many shops and bars and high concentration of people
in the evening. However, the real Armenian district is across the river. (Beirut
river) In direct contact with the building is the Karantina district, place of
many services, workshops and similar services. In the urbanism of the port
itself, we propose ascending - grading buildings from the sea to the highway.
The development also rises from the left and right part (Karantina) to the
center and thus creates the silhouette of the city from the sea. The pedes-
trian permeability of the area is directed to the center of the area and creates
a network for easy orientation and movement in the area.

We also propose a slight modification of the shore of the entire port, we

chose an organic shape, composed of graceful curves that correspond to
the location of the crater after the explosion. In the left part of the port we
designed an anchorage for smaller passenger ships with a two-level coast.
As part of the modifications, we have created mobile platforms floating
on the water, which create a pleasant space for relaxation and walks, un-
disturbed by traffic and noise. These platforms are also located along the
right waterfront near the terminal. Within this space, exhibition screens are
also implemented, used for art or as a space for information. In connection
with the terminal, we also find a control tower, which controls and organizes
the entire operation of the port. The terminal is also connected to piers for
yachts Within the anchorage, we propose an artificial island with a distinc-
tive organic structure, serving as a hotel with a view of the whole of Beirut.
The whole island is completed with the help of adjoining ground floor and
cottages, used for recreation.

190 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 191

 3rd prize 3rd prize

selected streets and underground parking units, leav-

ing the public spaces, residential areas and the water-
front mostly car free.

project name

Port of Beirut
author
Ruben Epping
Sweden programmatic organization
of the proposal

A
fter the devastating explosion at the port in
August 2020, the city of Beirut was left with
immense humanitarian and material dam-
age. Most of the port and its surroundings have been
destroyed and are waiting for recovery and redevel-
opment since.

The catastrophe started a discussion about the future

of the port and offered the opportunity of claiming the
land closest to the city center for urban development.

To achieve a well accepted and sustainable new dis-

trict, respecting the location as a site for memorial
and connecting it to the existing neighborhoods as
well as to the city center is of high importance. At the
same time the focus should lay on the needs of the
citizens of present and future Beirut.

The proposal presents a possible outcome of a devel-

opment that could be partly accompanied and super-
vised by representatives of the public. Especially the
development of the memorial site to a park should be
based on a public participation process. By involving
the citizens, the acceptance of the new district can be
increased and the emotional relevance of the site re-
spected.

The proposed port district consists of several public

zones as well as residential neighborhoods. It extends
the city center and connects the city to the sea. Over-
all it has a pedestrian focus and restricts car access to

192 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 193

 3rd prize 3rd prize

The proposal responds to four contemporary challenges of urban planning:

Accessibility of the waterfront

The proceeding privatization of Beirut’s coastline reduces public access and
usability of the waterfront and affects the quality of the public life. By offer-
ing accessible and usable public spaces along the waterfront, the proposal
for the port secures a 3.3 kilometer long promenade for the citizens with
numerous interaction points with the water, making the sea not only visible
but tangible.

Public green spaces

The port development offers the chance to increase the number of public
green spaces accessible to the citizens resulting in a more healthy and pleas-
ant outdoor climate. The visual quality as well as the benefits of vegetation
for the micro-climate encourage people to make use of public spaces even
in the hottest months of the year, increasing the visibility of public life in
Beirut. The proposal offers several major parks along the water and smaller
vegetated spaces along the streets in the build up areas.

Connection to the existing city

The design of the new port district is solely based on the port’s surround-
ings. It mediates between the grown urban landscape of the historic neigh-
borhoods in the south of the port and the latest development of the Central
Business District and Waterfront District. The proposal picks up the street
dimensions and great variety of scales and styles from the neighborhoods
around the port, creating a similar pedestrian experience as the citizens are
used to and enhancing mental accessibility of the site. It reconnects the city
to the water through several corridors and has a strong focus on pedestrian
experience and accessibility.

Microclimate
The proposal presents several strategies to maintain a healthy and pleas-
ant outdoor climate to ensure usability of public spaces throughout the
year. The high amount of vegetation as well as the introduction of a canal
along the central public axis help cooling the air through evaporation while
trees and shading devices offer protection from the sun. Having only a small
number of high rise buildings keeps the amount of solar radiation reflected
in the public spaces low. Climate adapted building design can furthermore
ensure pleasant indoor climates while keeping the amount of required cool-
ing energy low.

The site of around 700,000 square meter is covered with buildings by 29.9%
with 70.1% open space. 21.2% of the site are covered with residential build-
ings which leads to 148,247.15 square meters. An average building height of
five floors leads to 741,235.75 square meters residential space.

194 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 195

 Honorable Mentions

author
Antanios Habib
Lebanon

authors
Hanieh Hasmehifar
Soudeh Saeidi
Turkey

The most visited

Architecture
Competitions
author
Milan Ristic
Serbia

website in the World

authors
Zahed Arzouni
Mohammad Alirezaeitehrani
Lebanon

196 ACY ∙ 2022

 How we won that competition
How we won that competition
authors
Sergio Zgheib, Peter Aoun, Lea Lahoud, Rita Abi Zeid, Julien Mikhael,
Nour Kreidy, Thea Bechara
Lebanon
We are a team of 7 students: Sergio Zgheib, Peter Aoun, Lea Lahoud, Rita Abi Zeid,
Julien Mikhael, Nour Kreidy, and Thea Bechara. We are 2nd year Architecture Mas-
ters students at the Lebanese University – Faculty of Fine Arts and Architecture
(Furn El Chebbak – Beirut). During the first semester of our Master’s year we were
asked to form a group in order to work on the reconstruction of Beirut Port that
was damaged by the explosion, within the framework of the architecture, urban
planning and landscape studios. We were then encouraged to participate in the
Inspireli competition and we made sure that our team could combine all the neces-
sary skills to provide a consistent project that would reflect a diversity of ideas and
values. The strength of our team undoubtedly resided in the fact that through all
the phases of our work, we remained motivated and kept supporting each other to
bring out the best in ourselves.
Since the beginning, we set a goal to propose to our country a project that is not
only conceptual, visually nice, or just theoretical, but a project which is achievable
and concrete. We aimed to revive the port and bring life to the port itself and the
region around it through various strategies. What motivated us further is setting
aside all the hardships our country and university are going through, and believing
that we can bring light to our port and a sense of hope to our people.
B Analysis
Beirut City – Lebanon’s Capital
Beirut, the capital of Lebanon containing the chief port, is located on the Medi-
terranean coast at the base of the Lebanese Mountains. Primarily settled by the
Phoenicians, Beirut gained prominence under the Roman Rule in early years. Later,
it was dominated by the Mamluk Dynasty, Crusaders, Ottoman Empire, and finally
the French Mandate, before it gained its independence in 1943.
Beirut served as a banking hub and main cultural centre of the Middle East, but
was ravaged during the Lebanese Civil War in 1975-1990. Afterwards, the city slowly
began to rebuild, but still faced some unrest in the following years. Today, the city
benefits from the presence of diverse architecture styles and landmarks built over
the years. In 2020, a massive explosion severely damaged Lebanon’s capital Beirut,
killing hundreds of people, injuring thousands, and causing considerable physical
damage in the neighbouring regions of Beirut. The grain silos, built in 1968, situ-
ated at the point of the explosion, stands as a symbol, representing the image of
a city aggrieved by the explosion but still standing strong in the face of hardships.
Beirut Port
Ports are commonly identified as communication nodes between land and mari-
time networks having a strong influence on the spatial organisation of bordering
regions as well as the local economy of the city.
198 ACY ∙ 2022
How we won that competition
The Port of Beirut has always been the dominant maritime gateway into Lebanon.
Being the main seaport in Lebanon, its location makes it one of the most important
and busiest ports in the region, and connects it to neighbouring countries in the
Eastern Mediterranean as well as other continents. However, despite its commer-
cial importance, the port of Beirut has been disconnected from the city for several
years, and remains until today, inaccessible by the public. Moreover, the enormous
explosion that ripped through Lebanon’s capital on the 4th of August 2020 left deep
socio-economic damage as well as physical devastation. The challenge today is not
only to reinstate the port’s functionality, but to restore the life encompassing it.
Design Process
Our design process started by analysing the long-standing relation between the
port’s expansion and the events that shaped the current landscape in Beirut city. It
seemed vital for us to carefully study the port’s area and its surrounding regions. At
present, three main regions exist around the port: Downtown Beirut labelled as the
country’s economic, commercial and administrative centre, Gemmayze and Mar
Mikhael familiar for being the city’s cultural and entertainment centre and Karan-
tina classified as an industrial low-income residential area. After multiple site visits
and research, we were able to detect a social and urban fragmentation within the
same city, reflected at the level of the urban fabric and the landscape.
With the aim of getting to the root of this segregation, we initiated our approach
on the macro-scale by evaluating the port-city interface. Effectively, the port-city
interface is the filtering line of demarcation between the port-owned land and ur-
ban land uses, reflecting the interactive environmental, economic and social sys-
tem. One of our main concerns was that Beirut, a coastal city, doesn’t have any
direct relation with the sea, making it inaccessible despite its proximity. The city is
therefore isolated from its initial natural context due to multiple visual and physi-
cal factors separating the port, and consequently the sea, from the city. This lack of
porosity is presented through both weak and strong break points that we were able
to identify after multiple observations and studies, as well as oral and documented
history. The most noticeable barrier is the Charles Helou highway that lacks pedes-
trian crossings with the nearest bridge over 500m to the east and none to the west.
Additionally, the Charles Helou bus station, being a non-functional infrastructure
in the heart of the city, accentuates the visual and physical separation. We also
noticed a staggering topographic break that separates the Medawar zone from the
port and a clear gentrification that disrupts the connection with the port.
On the micro-scale, we analysed the current state and the public-industrial
ratios in the port. It is important to note that the port of Beirut handles 82% of
Lebanon’s imports and exports and controls over 98% of all containers handled at
Lebanese ports. All quays and basins are mostly occupied by industrial and com-
mercial activities, leaving no place for public functions. Consequently, the water-
front can no longer be accessible by the public, leaving prime lands not invested to
their full economic potential.
The study of pertinent cases of waterfront redevelopment projects around the
world allowed us to establish the basis of our rehabilitation strategy. To elaborate,
tourist and cultural attractions were invited to the port of Genoa, aiming to revital-
ise the waterfront, merge the economic fabric, and create a centre of interest for all
users. As a result, these strategies gave the city access to the water and encouraged
the use of public spaces.
ACY ∙ 2022 199
 How we won that competition
Moreover, the Port of Spain, similar to the case of Beirut Port,
showcased an exemplary intervention where focal points re-
stored the links between the historic centre of the city and the
waterfront, reconnecting the city with its port. These strate-
gies, implemented as specific points between the active port
and the city, improved the efficiency of the existing infrastruc-
ture within the limits. Accordingly, revitalising the waterfront
could offer an opportunity to improve the dimensions of the
port city interface and transform the port into an urban con-
nector.
C Project Idea
“Beirut Port: An Urban Life Generator”, is a project that aims
not only to regain the functioning of the industrial part of the
port, but also to transform it into an international landmark
through different strategies. The aim of our project is to con-
vert Beirut Port from an industrial barrier to an urban connec-
tor.
The design approach began by studying connections with
nonfunctional landmarks around the port, limited ship circu-
lation, a new axis from EDL, the visual permeability, the new
industrial ratios in the port, and the port functional trilogy
from public to industrial
Strategies
1. EDL Axis
Standing in the heart of Mar Mikhaël in Beirut, overlooking the
sea and the coastal highway, Electricité du Liban also known
as EDL, is a remarkable work of early modern architecture that
was severely damaged by the Beirut port blast.
In order to revive this iconic building, we tried to revitalise its
initial plan by restoring its old platforms, bringing back the
public space designed in the original concept on the ground
floor, and maintaining dialogue of EDL building with the silos
and the rest of the port. A tunnel is created from EDL, under
200 ACY ∙ 2022
the high-speed Charles Helou Highway reaching to the port,
through a magnificent axis that brings the visitor towards the
sea and the Silos Memorial.
2. Mar Mikhael Train Station
Another important symbol of the city was the Mar Mikhael
Train Station that we turned into a public zone: delimiting
walls were removed and soft circulation on the fast highway
was implemented in the urban fabric to reconnect the region
with the port balcony and Karantina neighbourhood (which
shall be transformed from a ruptured area into an economic
district).
3. Charles Helou Bus Station
The station, which at this moment is closed and nonfunction-
al, is partially given back its original function. Physical barriers
are removed and spaces are opened up. Circulation elements
include stairs and ramps within the station, facilitating pedes-
trian access from Gemmayze and Mar Mikhael to the port.
What is interesting here is that after studying the port and its
surroundings, with the rich history and different building ty-
pologies and landscapes, we were able to derive how these
layers function together, laying our hands on the key land-
marks that we used to implement our connectivity strategies.
These structures, which were initially erected due to their
position next to the port, and which were meant to serve the
public, represent a heritage and architectural importance
that must be saved to preserve Beirut’s identity. We aimed to
maintain continuity in the transition and stitching of the now
separated regions Karantina, Mar Mikhael, Gemmayze, and
the city centre of Beirut.
Functions & Connectivity
What we concentrated on was the rationality of the design, and
that it can actually be perceived as a basis for an executable
project. For instance, the space and function distributions in
the port are restudied and managed in our proposal, creating
a public zone in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd queue, and an industrial
zone with modern high tech systems in the 4th queue (cur-
rent cranes zone). Visitor attraction functions like an Opera
House and a Cultural Centre maintain a dialogue with Martyrs’
Square and serve as a principal entrance on the lower level
from Beirut Central District.
On the EDl axis mentioned previously, docks open up towards
the sea, leading us to several monuments, such as the silos
which are transformed into a Memorial that links back to the
tragedy of the explosion, housing a Museum for the History of
Beirut to recall what is being vanished and untold about the
city. The new water channel path also includes other func-
tions such as a Maritime Museum , the Modern Arts Exhibition
Complex and an extension of the Urban Balcony.
Topographic differences in the port/city interface are studied
and exploited in such a way to allow proper integration of vari-
ous functions such as a Metro Station, Convention and Com-
mercial Centres, parkings, and waterfront promenades. The
choice of these functions comes from the study conducted
on the strategic locations of the port and the old train station,
and the creation of a Cruise Terminal that acts as a transition
between the public zone and the commercial harbour. This
helps to restore public maritime access to Beirut while gener-
ating further economic gain. Also, visitors coming from cruise
ships have the possibility to reach out to any location in the
country and vice versa through the metro.
Last, facing Charles Helou Bus Station is a new Mixed-Use Res-
idential Complex with a souks and a waterfront promenade at
the very end line near the sea. As for the industrial zone, we
incorporated various modern technologies such as high bay
storage systems, drone controls, automated vehicles, etc. In-
stead of enlarging the commercial portion of the port, spaces
are rearranged and equipped to function with maximum ef-
ficiency, solving the problem of wasted areas while following
a sustainable and self-sufficient design. The high bay storage
is in fact entirely covered by solar panels to ensure the supply
of electricity needed for the port to operate. Water collecting
vessels around the commercial basins of the port filter the wa-
ter from all sorts of pollutants to store it in an underground fire
water tank, helping achieve a faster response to emergencies.
Smaller silos are located near the bulk terminal and new ones
are added in different Lebanese ports (Saida, Jounieh etc..) for
the decentralisation of wheat stocking, avoiding future short-
age crisis. Moreover, a train terminal is implemented in the in-
dustrial zone to facilitate the transit of merchandise across the
country, while normal vehicular circulation is regulated by dif-
How we won that competition
ferent entrances and roads, some of which are only allocated
to trucks. The heavy vessel and vehicular flows are filtered as
we move towards the public zones, where it becomes almost
non-existent.
It is important to note that not only did we work on rehabilitat-
ing the port itself, but also on its surrounding neighbourhoods
such as Karantina, for better communication with the harbour
and to respond to many functional needs. In line with this vi-
sion, we transformed the Karantina into an economic district
creating a new function, and a new physical link with the port
through an urban balcony that extends along the periphery
and hosts public and commercial spaces and functions.
The circulation is studied in a way to maintain continuity of
pedestrian circulation from outside the project, maintain pub-
lic circulation for zones allocated to all people, and private cir-
culation for industrial functions.
Conclusion
The blast and total destruction have given us a chance to build
anew, and respond to many problems the city has been suffer-
ing from for more than 20 years. Thinking of long-term solu-
tions is necessary and vital in planning such a project - one
that does not only benefit the region but the whole country.
The concept of integrating public functions in the port is now
a reachable idea, especially when we come to understand that
the port is part of the city, and the city breathes through its
port.
Our advice to everyone reading this article is that no matter
how challenging the situation you are passing through is,
always put the goal of achieving the best you can in front of
you. We as a group had a rather rough and challenging year
with the situation in Lebanon reaching its peak stages, but we
wanted to make a change right where we were. We wanted
to dream and propose to our country a project that will help
raise the port from its ashes and see some light. We as stu-
dents are able to make a change, and we validate that we
have so much potential to show out. That can’t be completed
without clear planning to make things work smoothly, espe-
cially when conducting work with 7 people. Coordinating the
strengths of each person is essential in task management, and
proper communication is the primary tool to achieve success.
ACY ∙ 2022 201
 How we won that competition
How we won that competition
authors
Chee Kin Tan, Jennifer Wei Zhang
Malaysia
Team and competition background
The two of us met through the international Masters programme at Tsinghua Uni-
versity in Beijing, China, where we paired up as a team for the competition as part
of our first design studio at university. While both of us come from considerably
different personal and educational backgrounds, our design language and archi-
tectural direction seemed similar, which turned out rather helpful throughout our
collaboration.
The scale and context of the competition project - although quite new and chal-
lenging to us - was also a great opportunity to experience a different type of design
approach compared to other hypothetical university studio projects we had previ-
ously done in our bachelor’s degrees.
Site analysis and brief
From the start, site analysis had been a very important element for us, particularly
considering the critical background and meaning of this competition project. Situ-
ated at the location of the August 2020 blast, the site covered an area of approxi-
mately 1.4km2 in the northern part of the city. The explosion left behind not only a
devastated port area but also a large social scar in the communities. The aim of the
competition therefore, was to reimagine the port area not just as a piece of archi-
tecture or urban masterplan, but to also reinvigorate its economic, programmatic
and social potential.
Usually, we would always try to visit the given site to experience the context with
all its complexities personally. However, due to the complicated political and
pandemic situation at the time, we were unable to physically visit Beirut. Online
maps and street views therefore became essential tools for us to virtually ex-
plore the area and obtain a sense of place. The general site analysis was carried
out in a larger group within our studio, looking at the condition of the surround-
ing environmental, urban planning and zoning, economic situation, case studies,
cultural background, and social context of Beirut. Our team focused primarily on
the social environment of the site, exploring the sociocultural background and its
influences on the city’s built environment. To us, the underlying issues of the pro-
ject could not be solved on a purely urban and architectural level but required a
deeper understanding of the sociocultural climate of the city. We tried to analyse
people’s daily habits in the city to see what missing facilities and opportunities a
new development could bring - researching vlogs, blog posts and other personal
documentations of life in Beirut. At the same time, we started looking at important
urban nodes and zones with a social or historical significance, mapping them out
and drawing connections between them. By doing so, we noticed two main ‘lines’
within the city: the Green Line, a sequence of buildings with historic significance
primarily from the civil war period, and the Coastline, an active urban space run-
ning along the northwest border of the city with public, semi public and private
recreational facilities as well as natural landscapes. Converging towards our port
202 ACY ∙ 2022
How we won that competition
site, we saw great potential in this intersection as a place to link and continue both
historic landmarks and recreational spaces in the city.
Design Process
Our design process throughout the project was anything but linear - instead it was
a continuous back-and-forth between ideas, sketches and research. Following our
general site analysis, we compiled all the different topics together and identified
key issues we wanted to tackle; creating an imagined sequence of activities be-
tween the Green Line and Coastline as well as potential user groups and their jour-
neys through the site. With this research in mind, we explored our first concept
idea: the “Green Spine”, a greenbelt connecting the Green Line and the Coastline
with additional links to existing green spaces in the city, the Beirut River and the
Karantina communities. However, following a more in-depth analysis, we noticed
weaknesses in our zoning and the undefined end at the east side of our “Green
Spine”. We therefore decided to turn the spine into a loop with a series of pro-
grammes, such as a memorial park, an outdoor auditorium and gathering spaces
for the nearby communities. We also explored the idea of a circular structure at the
centre of the site, acting as a social hub and providing shortcuts between the dif-
ferent areas around the former port area. As we gradually progressed with the idea,
however, we realised how inefficient and elaborate some of the routes along the
loop had become, causing an overcomplicated and confusing circulation within
the site. Consequently, we started to slowly dissolve the loop into a more rational
system of paths and roads connected to the existing surrounding infrastructure.
The site became an extension of the city where port functions were arranged
around the east of the site, while the central space was split into different zones for
Beirut’s communities to share their culture, activities and memories following the
tragic incident of the blast. While the ideas were all justified, the design became in-
creasingly diluted with no clear concept that stood out. Going back to some of our
initial ideas and research, we started exploring different typologies and building
forms to create a more distinct overall scheme; however, none of our first attempts
seemed successful.
We realised that in the process of trying to solve too many issues with too many
programmes we started to lose clarity in our design, which especially in a competi-
tion can be fatal. We therefore returned to our general site analysis from the start
of the project, re-examining the general issues we chose to tackle and prioritising
the ones we thought were most important to us. Our primary focus went into the
connection between the Green Line and Coastline, an intersection we explored in
the beginning of our research but somehow lost in the design process. Looking at
the former port area from a practical standpoint, we also understood that we were
facing a brownfield site which realistically would take years to recover before it
could be used for construction. We therefore chose to use this to our advantage,
creating a straightforward connection between the two lines while most of the port
would remain as a brownfield remediation site, recovering through phytoremedia-
tion using a sea of sunflowers. Once again, we explored different forms of this “El-
evated Hub” before settling down on a simple linear typology. During the process
of re-examining our previous site analysis, we also went back mapping out existing
building functions around the site. We identified 4 existing programmatic urban
axes which we intersected with our elevated hub, creating 4 distinct entry nodes
to our structure.
ACY ∙ 2022 203
 How we won that competition
Especially in the early stages of the design and particularly
considering the scale of the project, we found sketching to be
the easiest and quickest way to explore ideas. We would often
start out sketching individually before discussing each sketch
in a call, overlaying and drawing on top of each others’ ideas,
utilising screenshare and online collaboration programmes as
a substitute for tracing paper. As the sketches started to be-
come too rough and out of context, we would try and digital-
ise them in order to better understand the relationship and
proportions of spaces. By doing so, we also started to grasp
the vast scale of the project; a sketch line would quickly turn
into a 10 m wide road and intended programmes were eas-
ily drawn inside blocks larger than some of the existing build-
ing clusters in the city. By condensing our project down into
a linear structure, we were therefore also able to explore our
intended programmes from a more architectural scale.
Our final design, the “Beirut Lines” envisions a pivotal civic
gesture in the context of Beirut, aiming to catalyse the area
and fill the void of active public spaces in the city. The elevat-
ed linear structure consists of a series of (semi) open and mul-
ti-levelled courtyard platforms, creating a rich spatial experi-
ence that inspires spontaneous moments and interactions
between interior and exterior spaces. Another central concept
to the scheme is the permeability of the structure and versa-
tility of space, enabling the freedom to adapt to the public’s
needs. While proposing tentative programmes, the architec-
ture does not impose a strict functional narrative on the users,
204 ACY ∙ 2022
but instead remains polyvalent by providing a framework that
allows the programme to evolve with the city and its inhabit-
ants.
Designing and Collaborating during the pandemic
Communication is one of the most important aspects of team-
work, both verbally (discussions) and non-verbally (sketching,
drawing, annotating). While genuine discussions might be dif-
ficult at first, especially if you are not close to one another, a
project’s coherency and success highly depends on clear and
honest communication between the team members.
Due to the complex pandemic regulations at the time, neither
of us were able to get to campus in the first year of our master’s
degree. Our work throughout the competition was therefore
carried out through virtual communication across two differ-
ent time zones. The initial site analysis work was comparably
straightforward: both of us would research different aspects
and then update one another about each of our findings. As
we gradually progressed into the design stage, however, we
had to be more structured in our communication. Generally,
the two of us would always start with a brief discussion after
every studio tutorial, discussing the feedback we received and
what steps we needed to take next. Depending on the project
stage we were in, we would either start a preliminary design
on the same or separate parts of the scheme. After a day or
maximum two we would meet again to go over each other’s
ideas, critiquing or adding elements to improve the coherence
of the overall design proposal. Sometimes these discussions
would last half an hour, while other times they could go on for
4-5 hours, sketching on different video calls or online collabo-
ration platforms and screenshotting ideas we found worth de-
veloping.
Presentation Boards
When it comes to presentation boards, simplicity and clarity
are two very important factors. During the design process you
will undoubtedly have produced a lot of work, but remember
that the jury will only have a couple seconds to look at your
competition boards, often without reading the provided text.
If you try to cram the whole design development and every
idea you had in, it will most certainly overwhelm the viewers
with information. Try and keep the number of drawings per
competition board to a minimum and make sure to set a hier-
archy to help establish a visual sequence of drawings on the
panels. For this competition, we were allowed up to four A1
boards which we decided to arrange with a series of renders
and diagrammatic line drawings.
After a couple board narrative sketches, we decided to start
and end with a series of renders illustrating specific points
and the overall scheme, while the two boards in the middle
would be used to further explain the concept and program-
matic notions of our project. The first one is kept the simplest
out of our 4 boards, with an aerial view showcasing the over-
all design and three concept diagrams at the top. However, it
took several attempts to find the “perfect” angle to introduce
our project; trying different camera positions up-close and
further away before settling on the final bird eye view with
our elevated structure in the foreground and the remaining
brownfield remediation site and port area fading into the back
of the image. The primary connection between the Green Line
and the Coastline along with the sunflower field are highlight-
ed in yellow while the rest of the image is slightly desaturated,
further emphasising the primary elements of the design. The
second panel elaborates on our elevated structure, illustrat-
ing its relationship to the four urban axes and the entrance
nodes at their intersection points. Contrasting the flat plans
and elevations on the second board, the third board is primar-
ily composed of axonometric views depicting urban connec-
tions, port operations, section sequences and the relationship
between spaces within our elevated structure, demonstrating
tentative programmes and circulation routes for locals, tour-
ists and runners. We deliberately chose a simplistic line draw-
ing style for the middle two boards as a juxtaposition to the
colourful renders, providing variety between the panels. The
last board contains a series of renders, showcasing compo-
nents related to the commemoration of the August 2020 blast.
How we won that competition
The primary render at the top presents a view from the brown-
field remediation site, this time with the sunflower field in the
foreground while the elevated structure and silos become the
backdrop. Two diagrams are added on top to further explain
the phytoremediation process as well as the intended devel-
opment of the brownfield site over the next 13 years. Using
the rule of thirds, the bottom third is split into three separate
images, showcasing the cultural axis entrance from the Green
Line as well as a day and night view of the silos. All three ren-
ders were chosen with a human eye perspective and a focus
on the silos. The cultural axis entrance render positioned the
building in the middle of the image to create an almost equal
proportion between ground and sky while the angle is fixed
to a two-point perspective to create a clear view towards the
silos. The day and night renders capture the silos from the re-
maining blast hole, showcasing the infill mesh structure on
top of the heavy concrete base, and its illuminated effect in
the evenings as a beacon of hope at the centre of the site.
Final Thoughts
There is no fool proof recipe for competition projects or gener-
ally any project you will work on. Everyone’s design process
will be different and particularly in a team, there will undoubt-
edly be some trial and error before you get to a design solu-
tion that everyone agrees with; sometimes you need a bad
idea to find a good one, so don’t be afraid to just try sketching
and exploring different concepts. Good communication is cru-
cial for any teamwork, so make sure you discuss ideas, issues
and aims clearly and honestly. Compared to other projects,
competitions will often require a higher standard of visual
presentation as well as a bolder and clearer concept. While
many other projects are often supported with a written report
outlining every idea and design process, competition juries
often only have a couple seconds to look at a panel before
moving to the next. Eye-catching visuals and clear concept
illustrations are therefore critical to attract viewers attention
and spark interest to linger.
ACY ∙ 2022 205

project name
Site Bathouse
authors
Pablo Briceno
Gabrielle Chapuis
Site Bathhouse
Thomas Laffly
France
This international one-stage architecture ideas competition inviteed
all architecture students, young architects and young professionals
with a degree in architecture studies (≤ 40 years old) to develop and
submit compelling ideas for the design of a Site Bathhouse located at
the Milreu Fortress, in Ericeira, Portugal.
The Milreu Fortress is a historical landmark located within a remarkable
place, a powerful natural scenery where the remains of the Fortress to-
gether with the steep cliffs and the immensity of the Atlantic ocean are
prominent features within this setting. When generating a vision for an
intervention located within such a remarkable place, it is essential that
each design proposal emphasises, respects and celebrates the site and
existing ruins, while provide a unique and memorable experience.
206 ACY ∙ 2022
1st prize
T
he fort of Mireu, in its spectacular environment, marks
a stop in time, suspended above the ocean, clinging to
the cliffs and looking at the horizon. It immerses us in an
atmosphere that is both hostile and soothing. The paradoxical
state is conducive to imagination, to dreaming… This dry and
textured, hilly environment invites the visitor to crisscross the
relief, to let themselves drift. The state of conservation of the
fort invites any intervention to bring respect and delicacy, and
to come and play with this dreamlike feeling, hovering above
this natural scenery.
The project accepts this challenge and proposes to reveal the
subject by a distance intervention, without even touching it.
A mirror of water placed delicately on the highest points of the
relief and attached on a raw and contemporary volume, offers
the visitor a unique experience of discovery and surprise. This
mirror of water merges with the horizon and the ocean and
comes to play with our senses and the perception. A feeling of
fullness and harmony with the natural elements brings new
life to Fort Mireu and invites the viewer to meditation. Under
the fine structure of the mirror, another universe, more cavern-
ous and intriguing offers perfect privacy and freedom of move-
ment. The new volume, abstract and monolithic, breaks with its
context and offers two different atmospheres at ground level,
a cold and intimate bath opens slightly onto a secret and mysti-
cal place. When the visitor decides to go up, it is a hot bath lost
between sky and sea, which opens onto the ruins as well as in-
finity, in order to let the dreamers escape…
ACY ∙ 2022 207
 2nd prize 2nd prize

project name

Site
Bathouse
author
David Cirocchi
Italy

T
he Milreu Fortress was built in the 17th century as
part of the coastal defensive strategy. It is articulated
between two terraces on two different levels. On the
lower level existed the battery with five cannons and a large
mirador. The roof terrace is accessible by a narrow staircase. It
was abandoned in 1806.

The project stems from the desire to preserve the Milreu For-
tress in its purest form of ruin. In fact, the building remains un-
touched by man, marks the time with its stones and marks the
entrance to the new bath-house. The external volume does not
present changes as well as the internal spaces, which are not
cleaned up by the wear and tear of the passing of the seasons
but rather enhance it.

The new bath-house is located below the fortress, dug into

the ground. The excavation splits the coast in two very specific
points: at the entrance and at the end. Inside is accessed via an
external staircase that appears as a crack in the ground, sized
on the basis of the side facade of the fortress. Through this you
arrive at a large covered atrium that offers a first glimpse of the
sea and allows, through a large window, the lighting of the en-
trance, where visitors are welcomed. The building is designed
for a small number of people, so that they can fully enjoy its
atmosphere in a much more intimate experience. The interior
spaces are divided into a side corridor leaning against the cliff.
In sequence there are the two changing rooms, divided be-
tween men and women, the bathrooms and the laundry room,
the cold bath 14°C, the warm room 35°C and finally, the hot
bath 42°C. The interiors are also left here deliberately bare in
assonance with the upper spaces of the fortress. It will be the
visitors, who will heat the empty spaces.

208 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 209

 3rd prize
Honorable Mentions

project name
authors authors authors

Site Eleonora Popovska

Marta Bruschy
Elliot Di Martino, Elie Cordier,
Antonin Contesse
Jakub Jopek
Julia Giżewska
Bathouse Germany France Poland

authors
Rumeng Zhao
Tong Le
China

F
ully respecting the historic and cultural nature
of the Mireu Fortress and preserving the loneli-
ness of the site, we will bury the new bathhouse
underground. It has two parts for males and females.
Shaped like a cave, the spatial form continues the latin
cross of the Mireu Fortress.

authors authors authors author

Experience of the site bathhouse will be a movie of ups
María del Rosario Paweł Mytnik Philipp Knaus Pierre Fortunel
and downs. The steps leading to the basement floor, in Fernández Pajín Sonia Ziębowicz Moritz Salzmann France
front of the south gate of the Mireu Fortress are used Gerónimo Sobrino Poland Germany
as the beginning of the whole movie. Full of curios- Argentina
ity and excitement people will enter the bathhouse. As
the main clue of the whole movie, the light will guide
people into every corner of the bathhouse. The space’s
lights are different at its different temperatures. The
cold bath is a gloomy artificial light, the warm bath is a
starry spot of natural light and the hot bath is a cave of
natural light. As the light changes from dark to bright,
people’s moods change accordingly. When people
reach the sunbath by steps, the cinematic space experi-
ence also will reach its climax. People soak in the sun
while looking at the endless sea.

210 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 211

 How we won that competition
How we won that competition
author
David Cirocchi
Italy
Reflections
My architectural research began at the School of Architecture in Florence, Italy, and
continued in Spain in March - Master in Architecture Design and Innovation - and
in the Fran Silvestre Arquitectos studio where I currently work. Knowing different
approaches and different developments towards architecture has been very im-
portant for my education because it has given me the opportunity to experiment
with new proposals each time. At the beginning it is never easy, especially when
participating in international competitions, where the level of proposals is certain-
ly very high. I was lucky enough to be awarded an Honourable Mention in the first
international competition in which I participated with other colleagues of mine,
and this gave me the impetus to continue submitting proposals in other competi-
tions. Winning an architecture competition is never easy, especially because there
is a jury judging you and it is possible that a project that is evaluated positively by
one juror might not be evaluated in the same way by another. So, the most impor-
tant thing is not to think about what others might like, but to try to remain yourself
and come up with a design, an atmosphere, a render that is right for you and that is
fulfilled from your point of view. In addition, participating assiduously in competi-
tions, especially at the beginning of our careers as architects, allows us to build an
important portfolio that we can show, that can tell our story, our path and develop-
ment in architectural research.
Contest
The following project is developed for the ‘Site Bathouse’ competition proposed by
the international online platform Arkxsite. This is a very important and well-known
platform that has been constantly proposing new challenges for many years, which
are always very interesting. I had already participated in other competitions on this
platform in the past and I must say that I find the proposed themes on which to do
architectural research very stimulating. These are always themes linked to a con-
nection with the past, with history, in fact in each competition one is faced with
having to rethink ancient ruins scattered around the Portuguese national territory,
in symbiosis with the arid rocks and the infinite horizon of the ocean. In particu-
lar, this competition in which I participated is entitled ‘Site Bathouse’ and involves
having to design a bathhouse near a military fortress located near the tourist town
of Ericeira. The Milreu fortress looks like a disused ruin on top of a cliff overlooking
the sea, which can be reached via a sandy path through uncultivated vegetation.
The theme proposed by Arkxsite was to rethink this ruined space as a spa house, a
place where one could come into contact with nature, with the ocean, but also with
history. The theme, as I have said before, seemed very interesting and stimulating
to me because I always find the problem of having to build in the vicinity of an old
building very topical, and so doing an architectural research stimulated me to par-
ticipate once again in an Arkxsite competition.
212 ACY ∙ 2022
How we won that competition
Atmosphere
The central themes of water and ruin and how they could dialogue brought my
mind back to Rome, to the Trevi Fountain. Below the monument is the Vicus Capra-
rius, the city of water. These are the remains of a Roman house and aqueduct at
an archaeological site nine metres below the current road. Hence the idea of the
project, that is, of a silent atmosphere, hidden underneath a monument, which
cannot be seen at first glance and which leaves all expressive power to what is on
the surface: in this case I thought that the best way to enhance the ruin was to
leave it as such. The project should therefore have been developed at a lower level,
where there is no visual connection with the artefact and the sea, but it is more of
a sensorial experience. Already in the first sketches I had very primitive spaces in
mind, lit only by sunlight, which was only to filter through cracks in the walls at cer-
tain points. I imagined almost dark spaces, where one could hear in the foreground
the sound of water drops coming from inside the spa and in the background the
sound of ocean waves breaking on the cliffs. I immediately went in search of this
atmosphere and feeling. I didn’t have a clear idea of what the design would look
like, the floor plan, the section or the images, but I knew that the livability of the
spaces would be there. In a way, what I was looking for was to design a space that
would give the feeling that it had always been there: a ruin beneath the ruin, a
primitive, ancestral space that seemed to have been carved out over the millennia
by a drop of water.
Project
My approach is not always the same towards a new project: sometimes I have a
form in mind and I go in search of how to develop it, other times the site reminds
me of sensations that I have already experienced at certain times in my life and I
try to re-propose them through particular atmospheres. Often I see other projects
published in other competitions or by important architectural firms and I focus on
a particular detail that impresses me and I decide to research this and try to start
from there and develop a new proposal. As I mentioned before, in this case I was
sure that the project would have to develop below the fortress, without being dis-
covered by the visitor from the distance, but I was not clear from the beginning
how I would develop the various spaces. The brief proposed an entrance hall that
could mediate between the surrounding nature and the interior spaces, chang-
ing rooms, a space with showers, a cold water pool, a dry room where one could
dry off and finally a hot water pool. The square metres to be related to each space
ACY ∙ 2022 213
 How we won that competition How we won that competition

were not specified, but were left up to the designer. As the fortress was modest in
size and the project had to be developed underneath it, the spaces would not have
been very large, and this immediately gave me the size of the whole project, which
could then accommodate a few people at a time, perhaps by prior arrangement.
And that was definitely what I was looking for because I imagined quiet spaces that
could be used by a few people at a time. I was also sure that the section would
be interesting because in front of the fortress, looking towards the sea, there is a
small terrace where cannons used to be placed, and it was under this terrace that
I thought it would be possible to place the design of the baths. The spaces below
are then accessed via an external staircase that simply forms a cut in the earth,
almost invisible from afar, adjacent to the fortress. Descending this staircase, one
arrives at the space that acts as an intermediary between the exterior and the inte-
rior spaces: it is a partially covered terrace that overlooks the sea and seems to be
carved into the rock, in fact a part of the cliff enters the space as if it were a parapet
and delimits the path of the person entering the spa house. For the location of the
interior spaces, I thought that all of them should be in the dark except for the hot quently we approach them faster and more quickly because our soul
water pool, which was to be the only room located outside and which had direct is already accustomed to that kind of development. Other times, on
contact with the sea. The plan therefore conforms as a rectangle where the various the other hand, the challenge is more difficult, we are not comfortable
rooms follow one after the other, and the only outdoor spaces are located at the with the proposal of competition, it is something we have never faced
beginning and end of the whole project. After the entrance, one enters the chang- before. I believe that it is precisely these challenges that we need, try-
ing rooms through which one enters the shower corridor, which has a direct view ing to break out of our comfort zone and face something that at first
of the outside, where the hot water pool is located. From the shower area one im- leaves us puzzled but which in my opinion we should not shy away
mediately enters the cold water pool, a semi-dark space lit only by a gap formed by from. The advice I would give is not to be afraid to put yourself on
the meeting of the ceiling and the perimeter wall, which do not touch each other. the line, to face every competition and every project while remaining
Without returning to the main corridor, but directly from the pool, one enters the yourself, trying time after time to refine more and more a style that
dry room, a dark space where the body is prepared for the final hot bath. It is only must be recognisable at first glance. The most important thing is not
at the end of the thermal path that one goes outside, where one finds the view of to be afraid if the idea is not born out of the blue, but to keep search-
the sea again by immersing oneself in the main bath. ing endlessly because the idea is always born from several elements
interacting with each other.
Thoughts
In conclusion, I can once again say that I had a positive experience participating in
an international competition; it was certainly a formative challenge for my career
as an architect. The first time you take part in an international competition you
have many doubts and uncertainties, but at the same time you have the will to
get involved, to want to prove yourself or simply to design architecture for pure
pleasure. Often the idea is not born immediately, and this is not due to a ques-
tion of maturity. There are simply challenges that are closer to our idea and conse-

214 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 215


Innatur 10
Competition
The purpose of the call was to encourage innovative proposals, com-
mitted to a strategy of implementing cutting-edge, contemporary
architecture in a natural environment, with approaches that lead to
synergies between the context and the building itself.
Each year, the competition was open to all architects, designers, archi-
tecture students and to people around the world interested in the topic.
Competitors could subscribe individually or as a team of maximum 5
people. This year the competition received 60 proposals from more than
15 different countries.
OPENGAP organized the tenth edition of INNATUR open online ideas
competition.
216 ACY ∙ 2022
1st prize
project name
Harvesting in the fog
author
Mariana Leveau Armas
Peru
L
ima Metropolitan area presents, between 200-1000 me-
ters above sea level, the appearance of the fragile ecosys-
tem of “Lomas Costeras”, a group of extraordinary climatic
and geographical conditions that result in the seasonal appear-
ance of 70 thousand hectares of flora and fauna biodiversity, due
to the strong presence of winter fog winds intercepted annually
in the desert hills of Lima, from July to October. Despite being
part of the ecological structure of the city, this world wide unique
ecosystem faces the progressive reduction of its extension due to
anthropogenic logics, reducing its presence to fragmented green
islands throughout the city’s periphery, being the south, in the
ACY ∙ 2022 217
 1st prize 1st prize

district of “Villa María del Triunfo”, the most affected area. Due
to its metropolitan quality, and a territorial systemic approach,
the community of “Lomas de Valle Alto” is identified as a relict of
knowledge and protection so as to enhance and highlight their
natural, urban and social processes, where there is no limit be-
tween the peri-urban city and the lomas ecosystem.

Based on 3 communal and territorial scale fog catchers and 1 in-

terpretation center connected by the same ecotourism route, the
project allows the capture, retention, distribution and infiltration
of the harvested fog water. In this way, a research and interven-
tion methodology is proposed for the Lomas belt of the city, and
thus, the visibilization and maximization of the communal and
territorial ecosystem is not only imaginable, but possible. Each
of the 3 interventions in the micro basin of “Valle Alto”, become a
milestone of ecosystemic reconversion, where multifunctionality
and ecosystem impact is sought to face and deal with informal
occupations, desertification of lomas, and the precariousness of
Lima’s peri-urban communities. In addition, it is essential to un-
derstand that this approach is only possible thanks to a double
scale approach: a local and specific view to the “Lomas de Valle
Alto” and its loma community, as well as a metropolitan and ter-
ritorial view of the city, emphasizing in this way, its urgency.

Finally, the constant search for reciprocity and mutual benefits

between the anthropic and natural systems lay the foundations
of the project, and allow us to rethink our territorial, urban and
architectural approach to the “Lomas Costeras”. Therefore, a new
socio-ecosystem climax is reached, where the self-sustainable
and ecological development of a communal and loma territory,
reconverts the collective imaginary of the city, and thus, once
again, become part of the territorial management of Lima.

218 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 219

 2nd prize 2nd prize

project name

The Smokes
That Thunder(ed)
authors
Tiziano Spadoni
Raffaele Capasso
Italy

C
limate change is heavily impacting this natural won-
der with the decrease in water volumes. This causes
the disappearance of its typical mist, which is funda-
mental to the survival of the tropical vegetation in the area,
and consequently also of its varied animal life.
The project is composed of three simple volumes of
rough rock-looking concrete which generate spatial
events at their intersections. The exterior appearance
blends with the natural context like a trunk brought by
the river which remained stuck above the gorge.

In the first place, the proposal is an infrastructure for the

artificial reproduction of the mist to prolong the life of this
unique ecosystem. The water is pumped up from the bottom
of the falls and vaporized with an irrigation system which
spans its complete length (1.708 meters).

In second place the project is also a bridge connecting two

sides of the gorge and at the same time two countries with a
history of conflicts. The location is strategically chosen at the
center of the gorge in order to split in two the length of the
irrigation system and to connect the southern side with Liv-
ingstone Island, which is the place where the falls were first
discovered and a commemorative monument can be found.
Moreover, the project facilitates the visit of the national park
and the Devil’s Pool on the northern side, and the access to
the bottom part of the falls with a lift.

The erosion by the water of Karoo sediments and Kalari sand

lying in the cracks of the basalt rock base allowed the forma-
tion of the falls. The geological conditions are both an inspira-
tion for the architecture and part of the exposition.

220 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 221

 3rd prize 3rd prize

project name

Pampa
authors
Facundo Garcia Berro
Paula Lesh
Argentina

P
ampa is the name given to the flat terrain that lacks trees and
dense vegetation. The word pampa comes from the Quichua
language meaning “limitless space”. It is an extensive plain, with
undulations (from ancient dunes), one of the most fertile in the world.
The Pampean Region is the most important region of the Argentinean
territory due to its climate and soil characteristics, which make it an agri-
cultural and cattle raising area par excellence.
Due to its great extension, it presents important spatial and temporal
variations in temperature and precipitation regimes. The plains pre-
dominate in this region, resulting in a particularly fragile scenario in the
face of extreme hydrological events, both in terms of water deficit and
excess. This problem has worsened in recent times due to intensive and
speculative agriculture, which proposes deforestation, monoculture and
agrochemicals. In addition to the adverse effects of intensive livestock
farming on the environment, the situation is worrying and the deserti-
fication of the landscape is accelerating. The area chosen for the land-
scape interpretation centre is in the geographical centre of the country
and is located on the green-arid diagonal of America.
The intervention shapes paths of interpreta-
tion and recovery of the landscape and com-
bines them with static points of contempla-
tion immersed in nature. The enclave offers
us variable situations and landscape units
in a small area of the territory. Recognising
this wide range of variables in the landscape,
the intervention seeks to contemplate each
one of them. The spirit of this centre is not
to create an architectural piece that contrasts
with the landscape. What it proposes is that
the interpretation takes place at the interface of the natural
landscape and the anthropic landscape, in this case repre-
sented by the existing disused railway elements, of great
weight in the collective memory of the local inhabitants.
Minimal building and environmental impact is achieved, as
the entire centre is the result of the recycling of pre-existing
buildings. This aspect of sustainable recycling is key, part of
the meaning of the centre, as it incorporates these valuable
pre-existences also as landscape, without invading it with
new constructions that add to its carbon footprint. The recy-
cled pre-existences will be woven by the panoramic route of
the railway track along the existing track, the layout of which
configures the geometry of the complex. At the same time,
its mission to recover the water resource and its didactic es-
sence constitutes the starting point for this immense plain
to maintain its biodiversity and escape the growing deser-
tification, thus transcending its specific problem to join the
global environmental agenda, contributing to the change of
paradigm.

This sequence of lowlands, formerly wetlands and water reservoirs, is

in the process of total desertification. In this historic moment of climate
change, it is urgent to make proposals that help to gradually recover the
original landscape, interpreting the traces of the land. It is therefore pro-
posed first to recover the landscape and then to interpret, value and dis-
seminate it.

The proposal is based on efficiently guiding the rainwater through the

existing topography of the vast adjacent cleared land and conducting
it towards a central wetland excavated in such a way that it becomes a
reservoir that acts as a buffer, preventing flooding in the event of excess
rainfall and managing the resource in times of drought.

This circular reservoir is built following the geometry of a disused railway

track. The track has a sharp curve just above the groove, at this intersec-
tion is the heart of the interpretation centre. That is to say, the track is
the axis of the centre, and at the same time this intersection generates a
second axis, the LIVING axis of circulating and RE-generating water, eco-
systems and biodiversity. All this will be generated and enhanced by the
landscape interpretation centre.

222 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 223

 Honorable Mentions
www.yacademy.it

YACademy
project name

The Factory
authors
Nicola Zivadinowic, Ana Jovanovic

learn and work with the best

Russia, Serbia

project name project name

Bo Kuabo Dos Faros, Dos Mares

authors authors
Marco Antonio Perez Ignacio Hernandez
Andres Felipe Ramirez Tonocolia Juan Carlos Daroch
Columbia Sofia Lira
Manuela Celis
Catalina Rabanal
Chile

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 How we won that competition How we won that competition

How we won that competition

author
Mariana Leveau Armas
Peru
The decision making
Open Gap´s “INNATUR 10 - Centro de Interpretación de la Naturaleza” is the first
architectural competition in which I have participated, and, to my still very present
astonishment, won. I´m a 25 years old recent graduate from the Architecture and
Urbanism Faculty of the “Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú”, and since the
presentation of my thesis in November 2022, took the decision of expanding my
horizons by applying to various conferences and competitions where I could show-
case my academic work. INNATUR 10 was brought to my attention by a teacher of
my faculty who had given me a couple of counseling sessions during the develop-
ment of my thesis, as a competition that could not only fit the theme I was already
working on, but that could also challenge my abilities. Despite the very thoughtful
suggestion, I was extremely nervous to go forward with the decision.The delivery
of the proposal for the contest was 3 months away in that time, but making the
payment for the registration fee meant, for me, the commitment to a very large
international competition where I had to demonstrate -mostly to myself- that all
the hard work during my student years do pay off. I made sure to read very care-
fully all the requirements and due date to corroborate that my registration to the
competition would not be compromised by my working schedule and complemen-
tary activities. It looked like I would have to make some compromises about my
free time, seeing as my schedule for the upcoming months was a bit packed, but,
furthermore, I had to also decide whereas I was going to register by myself, or try to
seek a partner or group. Thinking back on that moment, I remember feeling -and
maybe deep down, knowing- that searching for a partner was a way to not step out
completely of my comfort zone. A group partner meant that I would have some-
one to rely on and accompany me throughout my first competition, but regarding
how much I had already researched for my thesis by my own, and how immersed
I was in theoretical and practical architectural design in natural environments, that
I came to the realization that to register on my own would definitely be an oppor-
tunity to reaffirm my academic and working confidence.
environment could remedy its degradation and improve its relation with the nearby
communities. I now reckon, these are the first pieces of advice I could give to those
who are considering entering a competition in the near future. First of all, I consider
it fundamental to be able to relate to the competition´s assignment. Whether this
relation is to a previously known subject, or to a theme or location you feel pas-
sionate about, I strongly believe there needs to be some kind of connection to it
so as to help guide and push you forward throughout the making of the project.
On second hand, I highly recommend finding a way to add value to your idea, and
moreover, to your proposal. It is not enough to meet with the requirements given,
(obviously, in a profound and thoughtful way), but necessary to demonstrate how
your proposal can deliver additional solutions to problems in close proximity to
the one you are already working on. I have no doubt, aside from the graphic and
visual components that will be covered in the upcoming paragraphs, that once you
have outlined the objective of the proposal and the solutions that it will grant, that
the process of its resolution will not only be easier to follow, but the outcome that
your aiming to, will also be more interesting and powerful.
First sketches and references research
Once the concept of the proposal was decided, the first drafts and sketches are
primarily intuitive when previously studying, and then, working alongside local
mankind intervention and natural processes. I will be referring first to the natural
environment chosen for the competition, so as to explain through it, the design
process behind the proposal. The case study is the “Lomas of Valle Alto”, a micro
basin located in the southern area of the peri urban hills of the metropoli of Lima,
capital of Peru. In its 42 hectares and height range of 150 to 1000 meters above
sea level, the annual appearance of the “Lomas Costeras” generate a worldwide

The competition assignment

One of the most important and vital piece of information that was given from the
rules of the contest, was that each contestant had to define the natural environ-
ment in which to locate their proposal. Having the freedom to choose from any
location around the world not only meant that we were given a window of opportu-
nity to try and amaze the judges by the election of an extraordinary environment,
but also, for me, it meant that I could choose the theme I was already working on
in my thesis: an endangered, cyclic and fragile ecosystem in the periurban hills of
Lima Metropolitana. In this way, the chosen location fit the competition´s theme,
and additionally, gave me the perfect chance to provide added value to my pro-
posal: I was determined to make visible and emphasize the natural and sensory
qualities of the chosen ecosystem, as well as to showcase how an architectural and
urban proposal in a natural

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 How we won that competition How we won that competition

unique ecosystem characterized by its biodiversity of flora and fauna, ecosystem

services, and extraordinary fog levels, an outstanding quality in a city that faces
water deficit as one of its major environmental problems. Furthermore, in the face
of unplanned urban growth, people established in this micro basin -as well as in
other ones where the lomas ecosystem also appear annually- forged communal
ties and identity around their urban necessities and the protection of the lomas.
This is how a natural environment, that fits the competition´s requirements, pro-
vides a bigger problematic, and therefore, an even bigger proposal. Image n°1 was
the first draft made. As it can be observed, this collage is made up with 2 simple
elements: 1) a drone photograph that shows the micro basin during its dry season,
alongside the last rows of housings, roads and pedestrian paths; and 2) Christo
and Jeanne-Claude´s Valley Curtain. The objective of this collage was purely ex-
perimental and non definitive, but managed to capture the project’s main idea in
a way that handmade drafts couldn’t. Collage of Christo and Jeanne-Claude´s Val-
ley Curtain in the Lomas of Valle Alto. The curtain talked about how a single -yet
complex- intervention could be the tool needed for the community and the city, to
help emphasize the Lomas of Valle Alto´s greatest quality: mid to strong fog winds
of 98% of humidity. In this way, the project´s idea was now settled: a micro basin
scaled fog catcher that helped capture as much of water air suspended droplets as
possible, so as to turn the fog into a communal hidric resource for urban revegeta-
tion, orchards and the expansion of the natural lomas appearance. Quick sketch
and estimate of captured fog as a water resource. Once the objective was clear,
the architectural resolution of the fog catcher and its relation to the territory and

community was next. Hand drawings and loose sketches alongside photographic
investigation and search of references is what helped to nail down the proposal.
started by seeking how the community in Valle Alto faced the opportunity of the
lomas through different fog catching devices, usually in a very human-like scale
and price accessible materials that could be built by their own. Diverse materials
and materialistic solutions found in Valle Alto. Local fog catcher devices built by
loma communities in Villa María del Triunfo. Following that information in mind,
external references from art, architecture and local process were also needed to
help channel the idea, and then, more sketches came. Was the fog catcher going to
be just a single plane? or a double plane? Would it have width? How tall should it
get? Is it crossable? walkable? Perpendicular to the fog? or with some inclination?
The only answer I was certain of was that however it ended up being, it had to pro-
pitiate multifunctionality: for the lomas ecosystem, to regenerate and prolong its
greenery and ecosystemic services; for the community, as a touristic attractor; and
for the metropoli of Lima, as an eco-friendly territorial device for facing and stop-
ping unplanned urban growth. Local and external references.

Sketch about adding width to the fog catcher. Set of sketches in search of the ide-
al shape for the fog catcher. To determine which was the best section for the fog
catcher, it became indispensable to think about its form based on where it was
going to be located specifically. This comeback to a territorial scale, made me real-
ize I couldn´t design the fog catcher as an isolated device, and so the schemes for
its replicability and multifunctionality began. Once again, it was imprescindible to

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 How we won that competition How we won that competition

understand and identify human tracks, natural paths of water run off, zones where
vegetation was/is more likely to grow, and of course, human dynamics linked to the
lomas temporality. In this way, all these natural and anthropic layers were seeked
to be linked and enhanced with the presence of three fog catcher displayed on the
lower, middle and higher levels of the micro basin, and also, accordingly to the
intensity of human activity, fog levels and vegetation growth depending of the eco-
systems temporality. Scheme of the whole micro basin of Valle Alto. Close up to
the fog catchers to be displayed on the micro basin. Moreover, several drafts were
made to try and design to detail the principal fog catcher, placed on the middle lev-
el of the micro basin due to the highest levels of water droplets presence, wind ve-
locity and vegetal and animal appearances. It definitely is, through several drafts,
adjustments and constant back and forth process, that an idea will turn into a pro-
ject. With this been said, I highly recommend talking to classmates, friends and
peers, and if possible, to teachers or mentors so as to seek their advice when not
being certain which way to continue, and also, in the opposite situation, to know
their opinion and improve from there. Fog catcher assembly drafts. Color palette
and layout As briefly mentioned before, the graphic style and layout that is given
to your presentation will help you stand out from the first reviews of the jury. In my
case, the color palette chosen came directly from photographs taken from the site,
with an additional touch of light blue gray to help enhance the importance of the
new hidric resource in the community and micro basin of Valle Alto. This is helpful
not only to build the atmosphere of the location, but also to generate a feeling of
natural belonging to your proposal.
evant to break down the layout of the panels so as to reinforce how the distribution
of the visual elements helps to guide the external look into what you want them to.
For me, it was the whole visual of the micro basin and the principal fog catcher,
the strongest and most developed part of the proposal and the ones with the most
space in the panel. In this way, you can concentrate your forces and take more time
to develop them.
Final thoughts
By this moment, I suppose some may be wondering about the development and
design process of the Interpretation Center, which was the basis of the assignment
given, but I wanted to go through the thoughts, ideas and process that helped me
the most for this competition. It was always about the whole system and its rela-
tion to the ecosystem, the loma community and the city, and not just about one
architectural building placed in an incredible landscape. Finally, the biggest advice
I can give is to always search for advice with friends, colleagues or mentors, to help
you guide your process and round up your ideas -especially when entering a com-
petition alone-; and to be constantly searching for references, in architecture and
other disciplines as art and history, in the location and community you are working
in, and in the comprehension of natural and anthropogenic processes. I truly be-
lieve it is always a good idea to reach out, discuss and be helped, and therefore, grow.

Color palette based on site photographs. Furthermore, all of the plans, sections
and axonometrics displayed on the panels were drawn in a linear style, so as to
enhance the fragility and extraordinary diversity the ecosystem presents. I believe
that in this way, the delicacy of the design is reinforced, and it helps to accentuate
the exact elements of each drawing. For example, in the principal drawing of the
second panel, where the aim of the section is to showcase the temporality of the
fog catcher and its relation to human and non human beings, a careful selection of
herbaceous, shrubby and arboreal vegetation draw was made, so as to potentiate
the contrasts between the dry and humid season of the lomas ecosystem; and also,
the fog catcher mesh, the water collected and the ground infiltrating water were
represented through similar colored hatches and lines that emphasize their con-
nection. On the other hand, the layout is just as important as the graphic style cho-
sen. As it can be observed, the panels delivered for the competition are composed
of medium to small size line drawings, two groups of texts and two render-like im-
ages. For the first panel, a 50-50 horizontal proportion was chosen: one big photo-
realistic image of the whole proposal settled in the micro basin, that also helps to
understand its connection to the city and nearby lomas; and three columns that
explained in a more detailed way what the render was showing visually.

The second panel is also composed by a 50-50 proportion, but in a vertical mode,
as a way to give continuity to the layout. Evenmore, another render-like image is
used to close up the panels, next to quantified data that the project accomplishes.
Maybe you are thinking why the first collage was not chosen to be displayed in the
panels, but I consider that even though some images or drafts help your design
process, it does not always mean they help your final presentation. I consider it rel-

230 ACY ∙ 2022 ACY ∙ 2022 231

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