International architectural competition for housing community

The United Architects of the Philippines, UAP, in partnership with the City of Taguig, Philippines, My Shelter Foundation and the Climate Change Commission of the Philippines embarked on a global design competition, entitled Design Against the Elements  (DAtE). 

The competition is UAP's contribution to the global vision of addressing constructively the threat to lives, property and habitat community by severe climate change, similar to the havoc created by tropical storm Ondoy (Ketsana) in 2009. 

The competition seeks to help build a climate-resilient urban community and assist its residents to transcend their plight as disaster victims and survivors and become co-builders with a strong link of command with the local government and international partners.

 Design Against the Elements was conceptualized with the intent to mitigate the effects of the natural disasters brought about and worsened by climate change, particularly on the marginalized groups of society who are most at risk since they lack adequately planned and well-built shelter.

The project also aims to tap the most sustainable and ecologically sound technologies available in order to end the cycle of further damage to the environment. Thus, the objectives of the project may be stated as follows:

o To foster local and global awareness on climate adaptability and its relevance to poverty alleviation. The main hypothesis of this project is that having safer structures "ahead of time" will not only lead to less injury, number of climate refugees, and loss of life and property, but will empower communities to uplift their quality of life.

o To build the first green, livable, affordable, and disaster-resistant village in thePhilippines that will serve as the blueprint for how families in vulnerable areas can successfully cope with the impacts of climate variability.

o To compile an encyclopedia of climate-resilient and affordable design solutions that can be used and repeatedly referred to in the near future, and that can help facilitate the development of facilities that address these humanitarian challenges.

Design Against the Elements considers the concept of green architecture as essential to survival-planning for homes and communities that can survive for weeks in the severely restricted conditions of a post-disaster situation. The goal is to mitigate the effects of the destruction caused by these disasters, which currently contribute to the perpetuation of poverty as they result in loss of life and property and a costly halt in indigent communities' way of life.

The competition will be divided into two categories: the Open Category (Category 1), which shall be open to registered and licensed architects, and the Student Category (Category 2), which shall be for senior students and graduates of an architecture course.

A total prize fund of US $24,500 will be awarded for up to four winning entries in the first category and US $8,000 for the second category.

Moreover, the top winning design will be built as a prototype masterplanned disaster-resistant and livable eco-village in Taguig City, Metro Manila.

The deadline of entries is on September 24, 2010.  The awarding ceremony will be held in Manila and winning entries will be exhibited at the closing ceremonies of the prestigious World Conference of the Parties (COP) in 2011, supported by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Mexico. All the entries to the competition will also be compiled into an encyclopedia of architectural and planning solutions to address climate change.

COMPETITION TIMELINE

Deadline for registration: September 24, 2010
Deadline for submission of questions: October 5, 2010
Deadline to dispatch answers to questions: October 15, 2010
Deadline for submission of entries: November 19, 2010
Judging: December 1-3, 2010
Announcement of Winners: December 8, 2010
Awarding: January 14, 2011 (tentative)

For further details, please visit http://designagainsttheelements.org/index.htm