Virserums Konsthall

Winners 2016 Architecture of Necessity

The three winners and five honorary mentions have now been chosen by the jury whose members are Claes Caldenby, Professor in Theory and History of Architecture at Chalmers University of Technology Gothenburg, SWE, Epp Lankots Architectural Historian at Estonian Academy of Arts Tallinn, EST, Inge Vestergaard Associate Professor Aarhus School of Architecture, DNK and Erik Stenberg, Architect and Teacher at KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, SWE.

 

The winners and honorary mentions represent different parts of the world, but a common ground for the projects is to consider and respect the human beings affected by the projects.

 

The winners will take part in Wood Summit Småland 29-30 June, where they will receive their prizes.

 

The three winners are:

 

A Place of Respect and to Pass on Knowledge  by Iredale Pedersen Hook, AUS

A house for elderly aborigines in north-western Australia. It performs several functions; it is the home for the residents and staff who have a range of living support needs, it provides a commercial kitchen for the residents, laundry, a common dining and activity area which is also a central meeting and celebration areas for the community, gender specific private activity areas to allow for gender specific Cultural activities to occur and a generous courtyard for the residents to enjoy.

 

The jury´s motivation:

For its ecological, social and not least cultural sustainability in reconstructing a house for elderly aborigines in north-western Australia after a flooded river. The respect for the weakest of the weakest in society is obvious, as is also the thoughtful design process. The architecture includes public functions and is deeply touching.

 

The Wave by The Scarcity and Creativity Studio, Christian Hermansen Cordua, NOR

Sitio Eriazo, a collective whose members are mostly theatre school graduates, with one of their aims to recover empty, abandoned, urban spaces in the city of Valparaiso and put them to community use, commissioned the design and build of a Public Performance Space in which they offer free theatre, music and circus performances to the residents of the city. There are also ancillary facilities, a kitchen with an adobe pizza oven and a BBQ grill, workshop benches for craft activities, a toilet, and areas for group meetings, seminars and instruction

 

The jury´s motivation:

For its reuse of a derelict site in the city of Valparaiso in Chile and its low-cost building with reused materials for a client with very clear ambitions for a social sustainability and to reach out to the neighbourhood with a place for play and joy. Also for its open description of the problems with working on a distance and at the same time claiming architecture’s own goals, resulting in a very convincing amphitheatre form.

 

Himmerland Housing Association, department 19 & 22 by C.F. Møller Architects Danmark A/S, DNK

The renovation of the Himmerland housing association’s department sections 19 and 22) with more than 406 rented social housing units is a comprehensive transformation of the most deprived area of Aalborg.

The renovation has transformed this anonymous residential area into a vibrant, socially sustainably district, in which landscape elements make it easy to find your way and open front gardens create individual identity for this location.

The landscaping is part of the sustainability and accessibility strategy, replacing most stairs with ramps and introducing the use of sustainable urban drainage systems.

 

The jury´s motivation:

For a convincing example, one of few actually, of the renewal of late modern urbanism of the “million programme” type. In a deprived area in Aalborg, Denmark, the ordinary is remade into something extraordinary and inviting human interaction. This is a type of task that will be very important in the years to come and which the jury 2013 actually had asked for.

 

Honorary mentions:

 

Reconstruction of Riga School of Design and Art by Zaigas Gailes birojs, LVA

A reconstruction project where the main idea was to restore the architectonic presence of the early 19th century wooden building as close to the original as possible and at the same time make it correspond with the demands of the 21:th century.

 

The jury’s motivation:

For its reconstruction of a 200 years old wooden school building in Riga for modern use. The spatial structure has been recovered, the materiality of the log house exposed and new additions shown. Heating is by traditional woodstoves.

 

500k – How civil actors can create more homes in the garden city by Kod Arkitekter AB, SWE

The project is formed as a civil home-sharing-movement, where the residents have the possibility for share their homes, houses and gardens with others according to their dreams and needs. In this way some 500000 new homes can be created in the garden cities of the future.

 

The jury’s motivation:

For what is so far only an idea, but a very interesting one, on how to solve the difficult and important problem of a piecemeal densification of large areas with one-family houses on the outskirts of Swedish cities, thus improving both ecological and social sustainability.

 

Inyanga Bridge Housing by Greg Gordge, ZAF

The site is an existing freeway onramp, which was abandoned mid-construction. Although a dynamic trading hub during the day, the bridge is abandoned at night creating obvious security risks to the area. Furthermore this circumstance presents immediate logistical issues relating to traders needing to secure their merchandise during these redundant timeframes, and acquire transportation to and from temporary residences throughout the city. The provision of an integrative housing component incorporating trading zones will facilitate a multifunctional, continual and efficient utilisation of this space throughout a 24hour cycle.

 

The jury’s motivation:

For its strategy to change an existing herb-trading market on an abandoned freeway ramp in Durban, South Africa. With an addition of low-dense, low-cost housing security at night is improved through “usage over time”, transport needs diminished, existing infrastructure better used and a district with a clear identity created.

 

Towards a Quiet Urbanism by Anna Sundman, Karin Kjellson & Magnus Björkman, SWE

Quiet Urbanism aims to shift the perception of urban professionals, to create new conceptions of periphery and center, and to find new connections and narratives. The new practice helps architects to propose spaces and structures that can benefit local stakeholders, or to help stakeholders with conflicting desires through spatial/structural interpretation. Interact with civil society and civil building practices; to take a mediating role in between local social movements and overall societal goals of equity and sustainability.

 

The jury’s motivation:

For its diligent work with an interactive, process oriented approach to the renewal of a Swedish million programme area. It is not a spectacular architecture but this is actually the point in this case.

 

Refuge II, Mental accessibility by Wim Goes Architektuur, BEL

The project was to adapt a house for a person diagnosed with ALS with an eye on the future, and there was no time to loose … The existing concrete carport was chosen for the project as a result of the limitation in adaptability of the existing house. Of course a barrier-free door plan was a major concern, but what came to me as being even more important was mental accessibility. There is a need for a universal hope, helping each other, involvement. How can we make architecture convey that?

 

The jury’s motivation:

For its deeply humanistic approach to building a temporary house for an ALS patient in Belgium. There was no hope to heal but there was universal hope for engagement and friendship. More than 100 friends and family built with straw and sand, most of which will be recycled. “Mental accessibility” meant a change of focus from sickness to future.