Culture & education ·
Report dated 27 June 2010.
SourcePress release, June 2010.
Design project takes shape as volunteers land in Umbissa to build school
Today a group of volunteers from the AUD International Aid (AIA) and Open Source Arc, two local humanitarian organizations, left for the North West Province of Cameroon, to build a local school designed for the community by UAE based architectural students.
The design was created during a workshop and competition organized by Open Source Arc and held at Shelter Gallery in Dubai during the last weekend in May.
During the three day workshop 40 architectural students from the American Universality of Sharjah, American University in Dubai, Canadian University in Dubai and Sharjah University were split into groups and asked to design four classrooms. The designs had to directly address the social and economic needs of Umbissa as well as the environmental and functional requirements in a region of limited resources. The judges advised that the winning proposal, should consider intelligent methods of design and construction techniques and materials.
George Katodrytis from Open Source Arc described the event as The competition has been an opportunity for students of the UAE to collaboratively work together and use their knowledge and skills to design for children in a deprived region of our planet. The participants challenged their consciousness and ethical values. A large group of practicing architects joined this effort as well with equal enthusiasm. The dynamics and outcome of this event were beyond our expectations.
The judges finally chose the winning scheme in recognition of its more straightforward construction, consisting of a series of learning spaces arranged along a wall with staccato breaks in its structure. The team conceived of the walls as being a space from which knowledge and information can leak into the classrooms extending from it. Aezad Muzaffar, a member of the winning team said that "The experience of designing for the welfare of a wider global community was a unique opportunity. Coming from an academic background that focuses on innovative sustainable design, this project helped us apply our knowledge to resolve real-life challenges." Petra Matar, another member of the winning team noted that it takes such a simple project to prove that the challenge in architecture is not making fancy structures but making something that is simple and beautiful.
The winning team was invited by the judges from Atkins local office to bring their project into the design studio for a few weeks, where theyll be given the full support of a talented multi-disciplinary team in completing the design and detailing. At the same time, Hopkins Architects is adopting scheme two, helping its creators develop architectural forms and a construction system that would seem to offer outstanding potential for both practical construction in remote areas and scintillating architectural expression. The design team has been working with architects and engineers from the local office of Atkins and RMJM to turn their design into working drawings. The winning project has been expanded to include systems for clean water and solar power by Design Director Shaun Killa from Atkins. This is incredible for a building in a location of no electricity or fresh water supply.
Tony Archibold, Associate Director at RMJM, helping the team to move their original design to construction standards said: It has been a privilege to work on this project, to watch inspiring young minds exploring and collaborating to design a school that directly assists and improves the lives of a real community. The immediacy of this challenge provided the students and facilitators with a significant impetus to the quest for efficient design that takes into consideration the environment; available materials and construction techniques; but which above all creates an appropriate, stimulating and safe environment in which to learn.
Shaun Killa, design director at Atkins said: After judging the competition, we offered to have our architects, structural and MEP engineers assist the winning student group in compiling a full set of engineered working drawings fit for community builders and suitable for locally procured materials. Being committed to sustainability, I drew up an ambitious zero energy, water and waste solution for the school that we kicked off at our first meeting with the group. The scheme will be mostly dependent on supplier donations; however, if fully materialized, it would be a perfect solution for other projects without potable water or electricity. Open Source Arc and the enthusiastic volunteers from both American University of Dubai and American University of Sharjah have, with very little means, turned an idea into a future school for 240 children.
Asked why Open Source Arc chose AIAs Cameroon school project for OSAs first design competition, George Katodrytis said, This project sets the ideal challenge for Open Source Arc: it is real and deals with an existing site and its people who are socially and economically deprived. AIA has done great work in preparing the project and in fundraising. We have worked with AIA, as a catalyst, to bring in students, academics and professional designers to make the project physical. We have also assisted in raising the profile of the project and creating awareness, through architecture and design alone. This is a significant goal of Open Source Arc. Right now, teams of students, professional architects and engineers from the three most high profile firms in Dubai are working on the design and build of a small school in Cameroon. Imagine this! As they say, a butterflys movement can cause a hurricane. There is intelligence, knowledge, innovation, expertise and energy and an uncompromising desire to build the project in Cameroon.
Sareh Ameri-Mills, president of AIA and construction team leader in Cameroon said To have come from the early planning stages, to watching all participants working incredibly hard over the course the 48 hour workshop to produce some exceptional and unique designs, and now to be going to Cameroon to make these plans a reality is tremendously exciting. Watching this collaborative effort, among the students and the architects and engineers from Open Source Arc, has been very inspiring. The team spirit, all working toward the goal of improving the lives of these Cameroonian children, is, for me, a highlight. I believe that it is initiatives such as this that hold the best promise of changing the world. Small groups of dedicated people are working together, putting aside their institutional loyalties, to make a positive change in the world. And I look forward to showing you all the end result.
Alia Javed, Open Source Arc co-founder, senior architect at Atkins, and RIBA Gulf event organiser, believes that The RIBA Gulf Chapter aims to bring quality and conscientious design dialogue to the Architectural arena and Open Source was initiated to reinforce and focus this approach. There is a strong need for innovative thinking in the direction of simple standards of living that are our human rights. This kind of event will serve to raise awareness for responsible architectural design, through the collaboration of professionals, academics and students, to not only build a future for a community but also to enhance the perspective of our profession. The architectural profession is in a transitional stage, coming to terms with the challenges posed by an economic downturn. This is a perfect opportunity to reflect on a matter where alternative thinking in design is truly needed and divert our attention to a worthy cause.
The Open Source Arc team, with direction from the many professionals and supports back here in Dubai, will spend the next two months in Cameroon, constructing the school. But this is just the start, in the future Open Source Arc hope to coordinate similar efforts for projects in Specific areas that we are currently looking to are in Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Nepal, India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Africa, Iran and, believe it or not, the UAE.
All the participants, students and consultants of the school in Cameroon project are volunteers. The project has been initiated by AUD International Aid (AIA), organized by Open Source Arc, supported by RIBA Gulf Chapter and the Shelter in Dubai and is sponsored by the American University in Dubai, Shiffa Dubai and Gemaco Interiors.