Hasta La Ideas

Dezeen Wire: the winners have been announced for this year’s Open Architecture Challenge, hosted by non-profit organisation Architecture for Humanity, with the top award going to a Ugandan proposal to build community hubs in a former refugee camp.

The Founders’ Award went to Paicho Huts (above), a proposal to transform a former IDP (internally displaced people’s) camp in Gulu, Uganda into community hubs for local people. The Challenge Winner was an Ocean & Coastline Observatory (below) on the site of the Trafaria defence batteries outside Lisbon in Portugal.

Other proposals include a food co-operative for a former air raid shelter in Berlin and a brass foundry to recycle spent ammunition shells in Pretoria, South Africa. See all of the winning projects on the Open Architecture Challenge website.

Over 500 teams submitted work to be judged on five criteria: community impact, contextual appropriateness, ecological footprint, economic viability and design quality.

T. Luke Young, who coordinated the competition at Architecture for Humanity, said the turnout had been “incredible”, adding: “This is the most geographically diverse response we’ve had to an Open Architecture Challenge, a fact made more interesting considering the complexity of the project.”

See all our stories about Architecture for Humanity »

Here’s the press release from Architecture for Humanity:

August 1, 2012: [UN]RESTRICTED Winners

Winners have been announced for the Open Architecture Challenge: [UN]RESTRICTED ACCESS hosted by Architecture for Humanity. The Founders’ Award goes to Paicho Huts, a Ugandan proposal to transform a former IDP camp to benefit rural countrymen. The Winner of the Challenge, OCO – Ocean & Coastline Observatory, is a Portuguese proposal to reassign the Trafaria defense batteries outside Lisbon.

Challenge Winner – Ocean & Coastline Observatory, near Lisbon, Portugal

Founders’ Award – Paicho Huts, near Gulu, Uganda

Finalists arranged by jury-determined categories:

Environmental Impact
First Place: Humboldthain Food Cooperative, Berlin, Germany
Second Place: Ecological Processing Zone (EPZ), Oakland, United States
Third Place: REGENERATE FT. CARROLL: a gateway ecological park, Baltimore, United States

Political Response
First Place: ALTER YOUR NATIVE BELFAST//ALTERNATIVE BELFAST, Belfast, United Kingdom
Second Place: Kikotemal’ Rik K’aslem Memorial, Guatemala City, Guatemala
Third Place: Healing a Nation: Healing the Wounded, Tripoli, Libya

Economic Development
First Place: Magazine Hill: a weathered continuum, Pretoria, South Africa
Second Place: [ARCH]itecture for Comm[UNITY], Anniston, Alabama, United States
Third Place: The Store – Pillbox Conversion, Napier, New Zealand

Small-scale Intervention
First Place: PLUG-In HEBRON – People Liberated Urban Gaps In Hebron, Old City Hebron, Israeli Occupied Palestinian West Bank
Second Place: B-Tower (TM), various sites, Netherlands
Third Place: Paicho Huts, outside Gulu, Uganda (recipient: Founders’ Award)

By the Numbers:
510 teams registered for the challenge
74 countries responsed to the Challenge
174 entries qualified for Round 1 jury
24 semifinalists qualified for Round 2 jury
13 finalists received awards and a feature at the 2012 Venice Biennale
10 countries on 6 continents contain award-winning design proposals

These proposals highlight the results of a Challenge that had engaged 510 teams from 71 countries in re-imagining former military spaces. The nature of the resulting standings reflect the extreme difficulty with which the interdisciplinary jury of 33 professionals evaluated the entries.

From five judging criteria – community impact, contextual appropriateness, ecological footprint, economic viability, and design quality – four further projects showing incredible strength were named equal First Place winners, behind the First Place and Founder’s Award, and seven additional teams identified as Runners-Up. Back-to-back rounds of judging narrowed nearly 200 qualifying proposals to 24 semifinalists, and then the winners.

“The turnout and production for this Challenge were incredible,” remarks T. Luke Young, who coordinated the competition at Architecture for Humanity. “This is the most geographically diverse response we’ve had to an Open Architecture Challenge, a fact made more interesting considering the complexity of the project.” Young recognised the effort made by the jury to provide each entrant with a thorough evaluation.

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Dezeen Wire: the ArcelorMittal Orbit tower and other areas of the Olympic Park in Stratford are now likely to be kept open to paying visitors after the end of the Paralympic Games, reports The Independent.

The Orbit had been due to close for 18 months as the entire Olympic Park undergoes redevelopment, but Daniel Moylan, chair of the London Legacy Development Corporation, said it would be “tremendously advantageous” to invite people into the grounds in the meantime.

“They’d see that there really is activity behind the hoardings,” he explained. “What we might lose is some of that Olympic afterglow, and we’d like to do everything we can to keep it”.

Last week we reported on the unveiling of legacy plans for the Olympic Park, announced by Mayor of London Boris Johnson, which include the transformation of the press building into a technology, design and research centre, and the creation of up to 8000 new homes in addition to the athletes’ village.

See all our stories about the London 2012 Olympics »

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Dezeen Wire: Thai shoe brand Rayfish says animal rights activists have broken into its stingray breeding facility, two months after its claims to have developed bio-engineered stingray skin for making customised trainers were met with outrage and and scepticism (+ movie).

The first movie shows a video statement from the company’s CEO Raymond Ong, in which he asks consumers to question the provenance of their belongings, while the second was apparently posted on Youtube by the activists.

Rayfish announced in June that it had pioneered a process of “bio-customisation” that allowed customers to design patterns to be grown on genetically modified stingrays – read reactions to the claims in our earlier story.

Here’s the release from Rayfish:

Animal Rights Activists Break into Rayfish Footwear Headquarters, Steal Dozens of Stingrays

CEO Raymond Ong promises that company will return “stronger than ever” after setback

This Sunday, August 12, activists broke into the headquarters of Rayfish Footwear, destroying lab equipment and sneakers, and stealing numerous living stingrays. A video on YouTube depicts masked activists removing stingrays from the Rayfish aquaculture facility and releasing the animals into the nearby ocean.

In a video statement, CEO Raymond Ong expressed deep regret over the loss: “Not only is this crime a terrible setback for my company and employees, it is also a personal tragedy.” Ong acknowledged the conflicted public response to Rayfish’s bio-customization technique, but emphasized the company’s commitment to excellent working conditions for its staff and to the humane treatment of its stingrays. “Rest assured that I fully understand that radical technological advances often make us uneasy,” Ong said, adding, “We need to get over our unwillingness to change. We need to learn love the future again.” Ong also noted his concern that the genetically modified stingrays may interbreed with wild populations.

Rayfish Footwear is currently working with local authorities to identify the culprits. A reward of 40,000 THB has been offered to area fishermen for the return of any of the released rays. Despite the damage, Rayfish officials anticipate that the October date for commercial production should be pushed back by no more than two months. The company is suspending its Grow Your Sneaker design contest until further notice, although the online contest page will remain open for entries.

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Dezeen Wire: the British coalition government’s new stimulus package to encourage house building includes complex plans to lower the proportion of affordable housing that private developers must include in large projects, reports CNBC via the Financial Times.

At present, the rules typically force builders to set aside 20 to 45 per cent of new builds as affordable homes, but it is likely that local authorities will now be allowed relax those requirements.

The government may also offer to underwrite bonds issued by housing associations in order to reduce their borrowing costs and encourage them to build.

The plan has been drawn up by Oliver Letwin, the prime minister’s head of policy, along with housing minister Grant Shapps and chief secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander.

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Dezeen Wire: plans to develop the London 2012 Olympic Park after the Games end in September were unveiled by mayor of London Boris Johnson yesterday, including the transformation of the press centre into a technology, design and research centre, and the creation of up to 8000 new homes in addition to the athletes’ village (+ movie).

The area will be renamed Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the first phase, the North Park, is set to open on 27 July 2013, exactly one year after the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.

The second phase, South Plaza, will open in spring 2014 and include the main stadium and Aquatics Centre, which will open for public swimming.

Five new neighbourhoods are planned for the next 20 years, including schools, health centres, playgrounds and 102 hectares of open space.

Read more on the project website, see a 360 degree tour here or the Olympic Park Legacy Company’s brochure here.

See our interactive aerial photo of the Olympic Park here and see all our stories about the London 2012 Olympics here.

Here’s some more information from the Mayor of London’s office:

“A golden Games to be followed by an incredible legacy” says Mayor

After delivering what are expected to be the best Olympic Games ever London is now set to deliver an incredible legacy that will set the benchmark for future host cities to follow, the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said today.

Even before the world had witnessed London’s incredible opening ceremony, followed by impressive organisation of the competitions, it had hit all its milestones on the road to the 2012 Games on time and budget. It had also secured the future of six out of the eight venues on the Olympic Park – something that had never been achieved before, with serious and credible plans on the table for the Olympic Stadium and the Press and Broadcast Centre.

Speaking at his London 2012 Legacy Press Conference he was joined by some of the major investors inspired by the opportunities the Games and the regeneration of east London are providing. This includes ICity who outlined their proposals for transforming the Park’s media centre into a technology, design and research centre with the potential to generate more than 4,000 jobs. This will build on the 10,000 jobs being delivered by Westfield Stratford City whose owners brought forward their investment plans for east London by at least 15 years after seeing the potential of the area from staging the 2012 Games.

What was once an industrial wasteland is also seeing private money from around the world transforming it into a brand new district of thriving communities with 10,000 new homes planned over the next 20 years served by new schools and medical facilities. Developers Taylor Wimpey and London & Quadrant explained how it will be building nearly 8000 new homes mainly for families as well as the brand new educational academy at Chobham Manor.

But the London 2012 legacy doesn’t end at the boundaries of the Olympic Park as the Mayor is continuing to promote the incredible investment opportunities across the capital including The Royal Docks, Silvertown Quays, Vauxhaull and Nine Elms as well as in riot-affected Tottenham and Croydon where the Mayor is investing £70 million from his regeneration fund. All these areas are benefitting directly and indirectly from the £6.5 billion upgrade of the capital’s transport network as it prepared to stage the Games and with the arrival of Crossrail in 2017 London will be the best connected city for business in the world.

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “The doom and gloom merchants who said our great city would implode as we tried to stage the greatest show on earth have been proved wrong. And they will be proved wrong again as we use the catalyst of the games to attract investment into the wealth of opportunities arising in London now and in the coming years. Put simply there is no other place on the planet where investors will see greater returns.”

Daniel Moylan, Chairman of the London Legacy Development Corporation said: “Central London is moving east. Bringing the Games to east London has accelerated investment in an already growing area and now the world’s attention is focused on this fantastic part of the city.

“The Legacy Corporation, working with partners, will harness the momentum of the London Games to create a new piece of the city, bringing together the best of east London and the Olympic spirit to provide jobs, homes, schools, sports and entertainment opportunities to local residents, Londoners and visitors.”

Gavin Poole CEO iCity said: “We are really excited about the opportunity to transform the Press and Broadcast Centres into a world-class centre of technological innovation and enterprise. iCITY will create thousands of jobs, provide investment and highly advanced infrastructure for East London’s flourishing creative industries, and deliver a sustainable legacy for the local community, London and the UK.

Peter Redfern CEO Taylor Wimpey who were recently appointed to construct the first of five new neighbourhoods in the Olympic Park said: “We are delighted to have been chosen to deliver the first phase of new housing in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Taylor Wimpey are already one of the biggest contributors to new housing in London and our plans for Chobham Manor provide a unique opportunity to develop an exciting new residential quarter in one of the key growth areas of the UK.

Chobham Manor was designed with families in mind and will provide East London with much needed spacious homes designed by a team of signature architects. The exemplar design and sustainability credentials combined with the unprecedented transport connections and lifestyle amenities will provide a new residential address of the highest quality.

Speaking on behalf of Qatari Diar Delancey, appointed to transform the athletes village, Stuart Corbyn said “East Village will be a place for everybody to enjoy the best of city living; new homes will be joined by first class education, outstanding sports and leisure facilities, local shops, cafes and restaurants, and unrivalled connections to the rest of the capital. This will be one of the most exciting places to live in London.

East Village provides much needed homes, investment and jobs in East London, and reconfirms our long term commitment alongside Triathlon Homes to the local community, quality, partnership and sustainability.”

Transforming the Park

After the Games, the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) will begin a £300m construction project to transform the Olympic site into the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. This will involve removing temporary venues, transforming permanent venues into everyday use, building new roads and bridges and the first neighbourhood.

» The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will be an exciting new visitor destination. Iconic venues and attractions will sit alongside new homes, schools and businesses, amongst open green spaces and pieces of art in the heart of London’s East End.

» The new Park will open in phases from 27th July 2013, exactly one year after the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Games. The LLDC was set up three years before the Games in 2009.

» The Park will be 560 acres (226 hectares) in size, equivalent to Hyde Park or 357 football pitches.

Venues and Sport

» The future of six of the eight permanent venues has already been secured (Aquatics Centre, Orbit, Multi-Use Arena, Olympic Village, Velodrome, Eton Manor).

» We are in advanced stages of work to complete the remaining two (Stadium and the Press and Broadcast Centre).

» The Park offer sporting programmes for everything from grass roots community use to high performance competitions.

» Price pledge: the cost of a swimming in the Aquatics Centre or court hire in the Multi-use Arena will be the same as that of a local leisure centre.

Employment

» Up to 8,000 permanent jobs on the park by 2030 plus 2,500 temporary construction jobs

» Training and apprenticeships with a focus on opportunities for local people

» Venues such as the Press and Broadcast Centres have been developed so they can be adapted for commercial use after Games.

New Neighbourhoods

» Five new neighbourhoods developed over 20 years

» Up to 8,000 new homes in addition to the 2,800 in the athletes’ village

» A target of 35% affordable housing

» 3 schools

» 9 nurseries

» 3 health centres

» 29 playgrounds

Transport

» Best connected most accessible place in Europe.

» Direct connections to a third of London’s rail and underground stations.

» There are nine public transport lines feeding into Stratford station; after the Games this will increase to ten. This means that a train could arrive at the station every 15 seconds.

» By 2016, it’˙s estimated that the number of passengers using Stratford station each morning will reach 83,000.

Visitor Attraction

» Expected to become one of London’s Top 10 visitor destinations by 2020 attracting local, regional, national and international visitors.

» The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park could attract more than 9million visitors per year from across London, the UK and abroad from 2016.

Green Space

» Over 22 miles of interlinking pathways, waterways and cycle paths.

» 252 acres (102 hectares) of open space.

» 6.5 kms of rivers and canals running through the Park

» 111 acres (45 hectares) of biodiverse wildlife habitat on the Olympic Park, including reedbeds, grasslands, ponds and woodlands, with 525 bird boxes and 150 bat boxes.

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