Archstorming, an architectural platform that organizes international humanitarian competitions, has released the results of Kurandza Competition. The main goal of the contest was to help the NGO Kurandza to look for designs to build a new learning center in Mozambique, a country ranked 139th out of 159 countries on the UNDP’s Gender Inequality Index, where women are exposed to threats of diseases, discrimination and violence.
Participants were challenged to design a new learning center where girls can feel safe and comfortable, a place where they can learn, play, run and discover.
The jury team was formed by experts in the field of sustainable architecture, especially earth architecture, such as Yasaman Esmaili from Studio Chahar or Shrutihi Ramakrishna from Made in Earth. They took the task to decide which project was the winner of the competition and therefore will be built in the near future.
The first prize was awarded to Klaus Schmidt, Carolina Souza, Debora Nunes and Juliana Akemi from São Paulo, Brazil. Whereas the second prize was granted to Christina Tubman, Paula Hinderer and Fábio Santos from The Netherlands, and third position to Diego Rodriguez and Maria-Cristina Deica from Paris, France. The two special honorable mentions were awarded to A+ Design Studio from Egypt and Isabella Vello, Julian Santos, Felipe Spijewski and Luiz Guilherme Lopes from Brazil.
1st place – Klaus Schmidt, Carolina Souza, Debora Nunes, Juliana Akemi – São Paulo, Brazil
The project aims to create a safe and welcoming environment for the girls. The building was designed around the central courtyard in order to preserve the existing trees. Its “u-shaped” design allows the students to freely explore, play and learn under the close supervision of their teachers.
Its simplified wooden structure is the key for the low-cost two-phased construction. The metal roofing is entirely supported by the light timber framing structure, hence the ceramic-brick walls are independent, non-structural and can be freely redesigned if needed.
2nd Place – Christina Tubman, Paula Hinderer, Fábio Santos – Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Kurandzas’ core values are integrity, responsibility, perseverance, community, joyful gratitude, and love. Drawing inspiration from these values we have designed a center that feels open, inclusive, and safe, where the girls are free to learn, explore, and play.
The center consists of several structures built around a main courtyard and two smaller courtyards (phase 2). All three courtyards offer ample seating between the steps and perches against the walls between the columns.
3rd Place – Diego Rodriguez, Maria-Cristina Deica – Paris, France
How can spatializing education support social and inspire economic and environmental action for generations of girls? We decided to organize the project as a “society of rooms”, where it feels safe and comfortable to learn. The H shape has many advantages, it creates a main entry to the learning center and a huge opening view to the landscape.
The design process for this project revolves around the view of the landscape, the sunset, and the skyline. Two long pink volumes are separated by a central void, defined as an ecological corridor, and oriented to frame views of the landscape from all parts of the school.
The H shape gives a strong spatial structure as well, where we can easily identify two arms: on the westside the typical classroom program and on the east side the atypical program such as the covered backyard area, kitchen, multipurpose room, childcare room, office, storage room, and bathroom.
Secial Honorable Mention: A+ Design Studio – Alexandria, Egypt
Secial Honorable Mention: Isabella Vello, Julian Santos, Felipe Spijewski, Luiz Guilherme Lopes – Curitiba, Brazil
Honorable Mention 1: Andrea Cristina Reigadas Terán, Andrea Miranda Pacheco, Nahia Urretagoiena Kortadi – Madrid, Spain
Honorable Mention 2: Laura Solsona Ramo, Eduard Fernàndez Garcia – Barcelona, Spain
Honorable Mention 3: Ezequiel Quijada, Matias Lopez, Franco Pozzi, Fernando del Podio – Rosario, Argentina
Honorable Mention 4: Matthew Wilson, Anton Boman, Matteo Giammartini – Stockholm, Sweden
Honorable Mention 5: Pierre-Henri Hoppenot, Faye Hu, Christina Batroni, Marco Pinheiro – New York, NY, USA
Honorable Mention 6: Shimin Zhou – Berkeley, CA, USA
Honorable Mention 7: Federico Litvin, Agustín Massanet, Santiago Iribarne Wynne – Córdoba, Argentina
Honorable Mention 8: Fabiano Sobreira, Mariana Sobreira, Lucas Sousa, Luana Faria – Brasilia, Brazil
Honorable Mention 9: Silvia Rueda-Guerrero, Nicolas Velasco-Gomez – Bogotá, Colombia
Honorable Mention 10: Kaan Yelaldı, Selin Hançer, Ceren Ergüler, Mehmet Leke – Izmir, Turkey
>>>See all the winners here <<<
