Challengers
It's a new year and the end of registration is fast approaching (see below). Not sure if you've noticed, but we've been getting a bit of media surrounding the Challenge - expect more now that we've surpassed 125 teams in over 40 countries, with the highest representation coming from Iran (see also below)...which makes it tricky for us, because we don't exactly speak Farsi....All right, we'll try
??? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ? ????? ??? ??? ?? ???? ????? ?? ???. ???? ????? ??? ????? ?? ???? ???? ?? ????? ?? ?? ??? ?????? ??? ??? ???. ????? ???? ?? ?? ??? 125 ??? ???? ????? ?? ??? ?? 40 ???? ???? ???? ?? ????? ?? ??????? ????? ???? ????? ?? ????? (????? ??? ???? ????? ??? ??? ?????? ??? ??? ????? ???? ?? ???? ?????.....??? ??????? ?? ?? ????!)
PROFESSORS: In most cases the Semester hasn't started yet - may we offer our services as your curriculum this Spring? We can be accommodating - feel free to write us with questions and suggestions
??????: ?? ???? ????????? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ???? – ????? ??? ??? ?? ????? ???? ?? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ???? ??????? ??? ????? ?????. ?? ?? ?????? ???? ??? ?? ????? ????????? ? ????? ??? ??? ?? ???? ?? ???????.
PHOTOGRAPHERS: Media types keep asking us for pictures, but we haven't had much time to get out of and take snaps. (It seems we can't but manage the Competition :-/.) Still, we'd love to expand our library of hi-res base images and figured you guys would know folks to help. Photographers would be credited in any media, and we'd be appreciative of course. We'd also feature the pics on our site and Facebook, in the spirit of Creative Commons, making them available to anybody. Tell your friends, family and strangers to contribute to a global catalog of military site conditions
??????: ????? ?? ?? ?? ??????? ????? ?? ????? ????? ?? ?? ???? ???????? ??? ?? ???? ?????? (???????? ???? ?? ??????? ?????? ??? ?? ?????? ?????? ????? ?????? ???? :-/). ????? ????? ????? ?? ????? ?????? ????? ????? ????? ????? ???? ? ???? ???? ?? ??? ??? ???? ?????. ?? ??????? ??? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ?????? ?? ????? ?? ?????? ???? ?? ??? ?????? ???? ?????? ??? ?? ??? ????? ????? ??? ? ?? ?? ?????? ??? ?? ??? ????? ??? ???? ?? ????. ????? ??? ????? ?? ??? ??? ??? ????? ??? ???? ????? ?? ???. ?? ???? ????? ????? ?? ?? ???? ????? ?? ??? ?????? ?? ?????? ????? ??? ??? ????? ???? ?????. ???? ?? ???????? ?????? ?? ?????. ?????? ??? ???? ???? ???? ?? ??? ??? ?? ?? ????? ???? ?????? ????
PROSPECTS & PRIZES: Get your registration on! As of January 16, we have US$5,000 in prizes to be distributed hierarchically to the top 3 finalists. The prize amounts are bound to increase, however, as they're fed by registration fees
??? ????? ? ?????: ??? ??? ?? ???? ????! ?? 15 ?????? 5000 ???? ???? ????? ??? ???? ?????? ?? ??? ?? ???????? ????? ????? ?????. ?? ???? ?? ???? ????? ?? ??? ????? ??? ??? ?? ????? ??? ???? ?? ??? ?????? ???
CHAPTER MEMBERS: If you're a chapter member of Architecture for Humanity, your registration fee will be waived! Contact us for more information: challenge@architectureforhumanity.org
Getting Social
Did you hear about the civil opposition to the potential re-siting of Futenma in Okinawa? We Facebooked it. Stay tuned to the Challenge Facebook page and @afh_challenge for relevant news and Challenge updates.
#OAC11 #OAC11 #OAC11
Cheers,
The Challenge Team
Upcoming dates
*April 15 - Registration Ends*
May 01 - Submission Deadline
June 01 - Semi-Finalists Announced
June 29 - Winner + Finalists Announced
Fall - Exhibition of Entries
National representation
US: CA (3), DC, FL, IL (2), MA, NJ, OR, WA, WY
Int'l: Argentina, Bangladesh (2), Brazil (4), Canada, Chile, China (2), Colombia (4), Ecuador, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India (12), Indonesia (4), Iran (17), Italy (5), Kenya, Kosovo, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico (6), Mozambique, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Serbia (4), South Africa (2), South Korea, Spain (2), Switzerland, Syria, Thailand, Turkey (3), Ukraine (2), UK (5), Venezuela (4), Vietnam, unspecified (9)
From the Control Center of the 2011 Open Architecture Challenge, [UN]RESTRICTED ACCESS, we know a lot of things.
We know that the Challenge is picking up more steam all the time. Our new friends at FPIF have recently helped spread word to other blogs and policy fans and we're certainly tickled by that. We know that to date 86 teams from 33 countries and 6 states (CA, FL, IL, OR, WA, WY) of America have ALREADY registered for the competition.
And we couldn't help but notice some rather US-based voids among the teams registered. Just six states? C'mon... New York: what gives? Cali's got like six teams already. Don't think the boroughs are lacking their own stock (and no, you don't have to use Governor's Island). In fact, All of New England has yet to submit a team; the Midwest is solely represented by Chicago; the South repped only by Florida. America: we've got some catching up to do.
And Canada, oh, Canada. You can't squirm away from this one. Not with all those options out there.
A note to architecture professors everywhere: Having trouble thinking of next semester's design project? We got you covered. What better way to explore the Issues of the Day than by joining an interpretive use competition alongside hundreds of international entrants? Have we mentioned our pre-researched sample sites? Ever wanted to visit Cuba?
We know you want to join. In a lot of cases, registering will set your team back US$50 ($10 a head if you con some friends into helping - $5 if you're REALLY good). And if you know you want to, why not register today? Solstice resolution. Happens all the time. (Might we add that [UN]RESTRICTED ACCESS is more interactive than that X-Box military game?)
If you're on the fence about this whole thing, think of how you can pay your design chops forward to an entire community that's looking for answers to that big, awkward old base in their backyard. Talk about gifts that keep giving…
Cheers
The Challenge Team
In former West Berlin, an artificial hill known as Devil’s Mountain rises 375 feet above the Brandenburg plain. Constructed by the Allies after World War II, the hill contains an estimated 12 million cubic meters of debris gathered from the post-war Berlin wreckage. Beneath the rubble, Albert Speer’s Nazi military-technical college lies buried and forgotten, part of Hitler’s plan to create a new Berlin. Atop the hill sits a former U.S. and British spy station, its white tower surrounded and topped by a series of matching geodesic domes. During the Cold War the NSA Field Station Teufelsberg intercepted East German and Soviet radio communication. Since 1991, it has remained abandoned.
A new battle over this site has emerged. A private developer purchased the land after the Berlin real estate boom of the 1990s, but the saturated market made construction unprofitable. Meanwhile, veterans groups that served at Teufelsberg are petitioning the U.S. Congress to create a Cold War monument. During this battle, however, the structure has descended from historic preservation through mismanaged redevelopment plans to vandalism and informal urban touring
For some, sites like Teufelsberg are eyesores of a long military presence. For others, they are a place of mysterious history and forbidden exploration. For Architecture for Humanity, an international design advocacy nonprofit based in San Francisco, these sites represent a world of creative opportunity waiting to be released.
Every other year, Architecture for Humanity’s Open Architecture Challenge brings international attention to issues in the built environment affecting the health, prosperity, and well-being of under-served communities. This year’s Open Architecture Challenge targets abandoned, closed, and decommissioned military sites and asks how they can be repurposed to publicly serve the communities surrounding them.
Unrestricted Access
The 2011 Open Architecture Challenge: [UN] RESTRICTED ACCESS challenges architects and designers to partner with community groups across the world and develop innovative solutions to re-envision closed, abandoned, and decommissioned military sites. The six-month competition requires designers to work with the communities surrounding these former places of conflict to transform oftentimes hostile locations into civic spaces built for the public good.
This year marks a milestone: in the United States alone more than 235 military sites are scheduled for closure or realignment. The U.S. military was under orders to downsize 5 percent of its entire infrastructure on or before September 15, 2011 in accordance with the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) ruling. The ruling will force the relocation of more than 125,000 military personnel and their families.
It’s not just inside the United States. Dotting the global landscape, decommissioned military installations leave their mark. They are symbols of triumph, pride, pain, and the unforeseen consequences of military aggression. These abandoned structures and ghost towns can disrupt neighborhoods and split entire communities.
Whatever the politics of decommissioning, base closure results in dislocation for the local population, the loss of jobs, and a reduction in business revenues. The rapid removal of the military creates a hole in the economy that must be filled promptly. In addition, these base closures leave sites with years of environmental remediation work, including toxic leaks into the soil and contaminated structures. All of these become an immense obstacle for redevelopment and for the regeneration of the community.
What will happen when Futenma Air Station closes on Okinawa? Will a plan be in place to clean up contamination and patch the hole left by decades of U.S. military presence? Or will redevelopment efforts stall, with Futenma coming to resemble the deserted Soviet airfields of Northern Asia?
The design competition will be judged by an international, inter-disciplinary panel of experts in various fields, such as base realignment processing, real estate and building professionals, former world leaders, and members of communities that have experienced a base closure or demilitarized site.
Through this process, Architecture for Humanity is compiling hundreds of innovative ideas and designs to inspire and guide other communities in similar situations. At the close of the competition, the designs will be accessible to all on the open-source design solutions network Worldchanging. Prize money for finalists will be commensurate with the size of the field of entrants. Finalists will be featured in a planned physical and online Challenge exhibit and publication, and the designs will have a platform to tremendously influence a conversation of increasing pertinence.
Repurposing - A Good Thing
On the east bank of the Mississippi, an unoccupied naval reserve complex known as Naval Support Activity (NSA) New Orleans sits among the Katrina reconstruction. The three massive structures consist of 1.5 million square feet, six floors each, of offices and structured parking. When the facility closed on September 15, the New Orleans Advisory Task Force (NOATF) jumped in early to develop a nine-point plan for redeveloping the site, including creating a reuse unique to New Orleans while generating jobs and economic stability in the recovering city. NOATF has proposed a command center for disaster relief planning and emergency action. This center will attract the growing disaster research and training industries that have grown out of recent global disasters and give them access to a particularly vulnerable region of the world. The site will also double as a shelter in times of crisis. Architecture for Humanity hopes to generate several solutions to this cause by highlighting NSA New Orleans in the competition.
Although these sites are often laid to waste, Architecture for Humanity sees them as tremendous opportunities. The United State alone will spend billions of dollars of taxpayer funds to do environmental remediation on the 12 million square feet of U.S. military space scheduled to close this year. Can we use this opportunity to bring economic stability to areas deserted by closed bases?
Repurposing these closed and abandoned bases not only helps clean up the contamination left behind but also brings opportunities for investment and redevelopment. Whether designers propose to refurbish the abandoned flak towers in Vienna or to master-plan the enormous blimp hangars at the Tustin air base in Orange County, California, these reuse plans address socioeconomic imbalances caused by their initial closures. Repurposing these vacant lots creates jobs, attracts investment, improves the health and living of residents, spurs community participation, preserves history, and helps shift attitudes toward healing and positive reconstruction. The redevelopment is often greener as well by reusing existing infrastructure and keeping built structures in good repair.
"This is an incredible opportunity to transform places of defense into spaces of public good," notes Cameron Sinclair, co-founder of Architecture for Humanity. "Through this competition we have the opportunity to create strong anchors in communities that will generate thousands of jobs and bring economic stability to those who surround these sites."
Outcomes
Globally we see opportunity at every site. Can we re-envision the more than 750,000 abandoned bunkers that pepper the Albanian landscape? Is there a second life for the recently bombed Libyan military strongholds? Can we use environmental diplomacy to re-imagine Guantánamo Bay Detention Center? Is there a way to turn vacated bases in Afghanistan into places of learning?
The 2011 Open Architecture Challenge seeks to provide...
The 2011 Open Architecture Challenge seeks to provide solutions to these unanswered questions. This is an open call to action – the first of its kind. Architecture for Humanity is asking the global design and construction community to identify retired military installations in their own backyard, to collaborate with local stakeholders, and to reclaim these spaces for positive social, economic, and environmental change. The competition is calling for international cooperation, raising awareness of the need for collaboration.
We hope to spark a global dialogue geared toward successful transitions in the built environment. The competition will draw attention to the impact that these bases have on surrounding communities and the importance of planning their closures. In the end, the competition will inspire designers in cities around the world, launching the transformation of thousands of abandoned sites like Teufelsberg from something onerous into something spectacular.
For more information, to register for the competition, or to get involved in other ways, visit the competition website.
The National Endowment for the Arts recently announced the award of $20,000 to Architecture for Humanity to support the 2011 Open Architecture Challenge: [UN]RESTRICTED ACCESS - transforming military space into civic space.
[UN]RESTRICTED ACCESS is an open invite to the global design and construction community to identify retired military installations in their own backyard, to collaborate with local stakeholders, and to reclaim these spaces for social, economic, and environmental good. The Challenge launched in October, with registrants being accepted through March and submissions due May 1.
The Challenge this year is a departure from what we're used to, in that it is a pre-development competition. We encourage entrants to engage a decommissioned (or decommissioning–see the rules for more details) military site in their neighborhood that they'd like to see transformed into a virtuous space for the community. The 2011 Challenge is awarding the best concepts for addressing an increasingly topical, and somewhat controversial, issue. Entries will be judged by leading military and civilian authorities, and finalists becoming powerful voices in a global, transformative effort.
The Challenge was this week featured on Foreign Policy in Focus – check the article out for some more context on why it is we're doing what we're doing.
We're seeking like-minded financial supporters to help garner the best solutions for decommissioning military spaces–if you're interested in supporting [UN]RESTRICTED ACCESS and its pursuit of a more harmonious world, send a message to challenge@architectureforhumanity.org.
So far over 80 teams from 32 countries have enlisted...is YOUR homeland on the map?
Image of WWII Mokulele bunkers, Maui, by Maria Williford for Architecture for Humanity
The 2011 Open Architecture Challenge : http://bit.ly/oac2011
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 24, 2011 -- Architecture for Humanity has launched the 2011 Open Architecture Challenge: [UN] RESTRICTED ACCESS, asking architects and designers to partner with community groups across the world and develop innovative solutions to re-envision closed, abandoned and decommissioning military sites. The six-month competition requires designers to work with the communities surrounding these former places of conflict to transform hostile and oftentimes painful locations, into civic spaces built for the public good.
Dotting the global landscape, decommissioned military installations leave their mark. They are symbols of triumph, pride, pain and the unforeseen consequences of military aggression. These abandoned structures and ghost towns disrupt neighborhoods and split entire communities.
While these sites are often laid to waste, Architecture for Humanity sees these as an opportunity of global proportion. In the US alone we will spend billions of dollars of taxpayers funds to do environmental remediation on the 12 millions square feet of US military space scheduled to close this year. Can we use this opportunity to bring economic stability to areas deserted by closed bases.
Globally we see opportunity at every site. Can we re-envision the 750,000+ abandoned bunkers that pepper the Albanian landscape? Is there a second life for the recently bombed Libyan military strongholds? Can we use environmental diplomacy to use re-imagined Guantanamo Bay Detention Center? Is there a way to turn abandoned bases in Afghanistan into places of learning?
The 2011 Open Architecture Challenge will seek to provide solutions to these unanswered questions and will re-envision the future of decommissioned military space. This is an open call to action – and the first of its kind. Architecture for Humanity will ask the global design and construction community to identify retired military installations in their own backyard, to collaborate with local stakeholders, and to reclaim these spaces for social, economic, and environmental good.
If a team does not live near a decommissioned site we have selected sites in Afghanistan, Cuba, Libya and the United States.
"This is an incredible opportunity to transform places of defense into spaces of public good", noted Cameron Sinclair, co-founder of Architecture for Humanity "Through this competition we have the opportunity to create strong anchors in communities that will generate thousands of jobs and bring economic stability to those who surround these sites."
In partnership with Google SketchUp and Google Earth, designers are able to present their ideas in the most impressive form no matter their location or economic capacity.
The design competition will be judged by an international, inter-disciplinary panel of experts in various fields, such as experts in base realignment processing, real estate and building professionals, former world leaders, and members of communities that have experienced a base closure or demilitarized site.
The resulting entries will be available and accessible to all on the Open Architecture Network (www.openarchitecturenetwork.org).
About The Open Architecture Challenge
The Challenge is hosted once every two years on the Open Architecture Network, an open-source community developed by Architecture for Humanity. To date more than 1,200 design teams from 64 countries have competed in these challenges. Support from sponsors and implementing partners funds the construction of selected designs. All of the designs are shared freely via the Open Architecture Network and made available for future use.
For more information or to register, please visit: http://openarchitecturenetwork.org/competitions/unrestrictedaccess
Competition Details
Registration Begins October 24, 2011
Registration Ends March 31, 2012
Submission Deadline May 01, 2012
Semi-Finalists Announced June 01, 2012
Winners Announced June 29, 2012
Exhibitions Fall 2012
Who Can Enter
Open to all. Design Professionals, students and non-professionals
How To Enter
http://bit.ly/oac2011
Entry Fee
$50 Professionals
$25 Students
$00 Entries from Developing Nations
Competition Partners
Architecture For Humanity is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that seeks architectural solutions to humanitarian crisis and brings design services to communities in need.
RELATED LINKS: http://www.architectureforhumanity.org
Architecture for Humanity is pleased to announce the 2011 Open Architecture Challenge: [un]restricted access – a design competition that will re-envision the future of decommissioned military space. This is an open invitation to the global design and construction community to identify retired military installations in their own backyard, to collaborate with local stakeholders, and to reclaim these spaces for social, economic, and environmental good.
Military bases have been identified in more than 100 countries and territories worldwide. Even Antarctica is home to at least three military installations. While built in the service of public protection, when these spaces become inactive and no longer serve their intended use, how can they be re-enlisted for civilian purposes? As there are few places on earth devoid of defense infrastructure, decommissioned military sites have tremendous potential if impediments to access can be overcome.
The [un]restricted access competition will be hosted on the Open Architecture Network from Fall 2011 to Summer 2012. See here for more competition details: Open Architecture Challenge 2011
We're happy to announce that Egyptian graphic designer Habi Girgis has been selected to develop the logo for the 2011 Open Architecture Challenge: [UN]RESTRICTED ACCESS.
We would also like to recognize two honorable mentions:
Balázs Surján's proposal
Joseph Gabriel's proposal
Habi has been awarded a contract for $500 and one pair of night vision goggles. Fortunately, Habi has a brother in the Bay Area to collect the physical prizes - we deemed it imprudent to ship night vision goggles to Egypt at the moment.
Please see the Identity RFP Page for more information.
Hey designers!
We are architects so here you go...a question mark is the best we could come up with for the identity of our next challenge.
Where you come in: your mission- should you choose to accept it- is not top secret but of global importance. We’re an international humanitarian-based network of architects who are about to launch a design competition to re-purpose former military installations... but we haven’t figured out how to graphically embody that aim.
It’s about access and we need your creative talent to help us figure out how to best capture its spirit and brand it. Join our campaign, check this RFP link, and submit your work by August 31st and who knows, you just may end up with your own pair of night vision goggles and, oh yeah, $500.
Four months into running a design competition, you run into some pretty interesting queries from people. The questions we get can be very eager, very confused, and some clarify cultural oversights halfway round the world. We'd like to take a moment now and re-present some of the more intriguing questions coming in. It's worth your while...especially if you're on the fence about joining, or if you think we're all jerks for even daring to pull this kind of stunt.
#4 (confounder's award):
we can make tug boat that you need - Our company can make tug boat for your needed and we can make long term contract like 50 tug boats.... The time frame of our making tug boat is normal 8 months so for example if you order us 50 tug boat still we can make it in 8 months.
We've yet to craft a response to this one.
#3 (people's choice):
Do I live in a Developing Nation as defined by the World Bank?
We refer to the World Bank, which has two categories - "low-income" and "lower-middle-income" - for nations with a Gross National Index per capita less than $3975. 91 countries qualify (pdf). (Of course, if teams are able to pay the registration fee, they should - registration funds go into a kitty for the winning teams. But also no one will be turned away for lack of funds, regardless of national origin.)
#2 (the tough call):
I was wondering If I can choose the Evin Prison as my site project. Evin prison is called "Evin University" due to the number of the intellectuals that the prison housed. It was told that the government had programmed to allocate this site to the Shahid Beheshti University before the green movement in Iran; however, apparently this alteration in the usage of this site has not happened yet and it is currently running as before.
It looks as though the prison is still in use, which unfortunately disqualifies it from being a viable site for the competition. If you can demonstrate that the prison is scheduled to close, then you'll be okay. Otherwise it wouldn't satisfy competition requirements as being a realizable proposal. Perhaps another prison site can symbolically adopt the message of reform - if all else fails, use ours.
#1 (unintended obstruction):
I work in heritage conservation for a state government in Australia and we often have to deal with ex-military sites that are being sold off by the Australian government. We consider it critical that a heritage assessment be made of each site so that the [significant] aspects of the site...can be conserved for the benefit of the community's understanding of its own history.... This is the approach to heritage...outlined in the Australia ICOMOS Burra Charter, which has been used around the world.
Military sites are invariably sites of the exercise of power and they are, almost always, of significance to the local, regional and sometimes national community in many different ways: historic, social even aesthetic. The significance doesn't have to be nice to be worth keeping; often it is important to keep reminders of unpleasant things (like Auschwitz or the Hiroshima Dome, both World Heritage listed). It seems that your competition doesn't include this critical phase - considering how to assess and retain such significance - in its conceptual underpinning.
Although it may not be emphasized, our Challenge Guidelines stipulate Contextual Appropriateness:
"Understands and responds to the global context of the Challenge and is at the same time relevant to the local context. A place-specific proposal with concern for identity creation and respect for the existing site, physical characteristics, local cultural and socioeconomic characteristics."
We feel this guideline ultimately discounts any abusive or insensitive interpretations of a site. That said, we agree not all military sites are created equal. Some are incredibly charged. Others however present incredible opportunities to improve or heal a community that's been negatively affected by the presence of military sites. There are many examples of successful projects that have taken this course of action, and we want to make the discussion more public and create an international dialogue like this one.
Perhaps we can highlight the preservation/restoration aspects of working on military sites as how Australia approaches them through the Burra Charter. We were wondering why no teams form Australia seemed to be joining our competition yet, even though our organization has a healthy representation Down Under (is that/has that ever been a real nickname for Australia?). I'll take some notes back to the team. There's a good chance we can post an update to the guidelines and discuss the integrity of preservation. We will certainly link to the Burra Charter as a reference.
Weapons arsenal turned concert hall and exhibition gallery. the realization of this structure was the subject of an international design competition. named one of the 20 most beautiful concert halls in the world, this distinction qualifies the arsenal as an acoustic diamond. we can hear the Erudite music playing now...Download PDF
Army base turned contemporary art museum. Donald Judd, established New York based artist, was initially drawn to Marfa for its natural beauty. it has since become one of the most important locations for permanent large scale installations done by a limited number of artists. Download PDF
Formerly used to house the RI National Guard, this armory has proudly and prominently served the state since inception. having held inaugural balls, political rallies and even circuses, it is asserted that returning the armory to functional use is critical to the continued revitalization of its surrounding community. Download PDF
Anti-aircraft military launch facility turned marine mammal rescue center. have rescued and treated 16,000+ marine mammals since inception in 1975. with the recent renovation, the center has been able to teach nearly 30,000 students and adults every year about ocean conservation in first class facilities. Download PDF
More than this