2009 Open Architecture Challenge
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Modular School Issues
Health Concerns: Modular construction employs more pressed wood, adhesives, and carpeting than traditional classrooms, emitting larger amounts of harmful toxins into the learning environment. A 2003 EPA study of portable classrooms in California found formaldehyde levels well above exposure levels set by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment for an eight-hour period. Students complain of headaches, nausea, and increased asthma attacks linked to exposure to formaldehyde. These health concerns are compounded by poor ventilation, lighting, and acoustics, significantly higher energy consumption and loud HVAC systems. All of these impede learning. Performance Issues: The Modular Building Institute reports lack of visual appeal. Perceived inferior building quality. Amenities stripped for the sake of economy. Poor site planning. Poor long term planning. Poor maintenance due to the nature of temporary structures. (In the state of Florida the age of portable classrooms in public schools average 20 years, whilst some are 50 years old.) |
The Challenge: Each year Architecture for Humanity’s Open Architecture Challenge design competition brings public attention to inequities in the built environment affecting the health, prosperity and well being of under-served communities. In 2009 the Open Architecture Challenge will focus on the issue of portable classrooms. The Open Architecture Challenge will tackle the health, environmental and performance concerns associated with today’s portable schools. New classroom design solutions will be implemented across the nation. Students and teachers understand best what makes a learning space work. The 2009 Open Architecture Challenge will invite them to partner with architects in their community to design better, greener classrooms for their schools. Entrants will be required to develop a design for an existing student body and demonstrate student participation throughout the design process. The competition will be promoted throughout the global design community and timed to coincide with the academic calendar to encourage student involvement. A curriculum package will be developed in tandem with the competition. The curriculum will be distributed by mail and delivered digitally to schools across the country through partnerships with educational organizations. An inter-disciplinary team of architects, educators and others will jury the entries. The winning design will be built with funds raised as a result of the competition. All of the designs entered into the competition will be displayed in classrooms across the country, and made available for download on the Open Architecture Network. By sharing the designs-including CAD files-freely, we aim to give school systems access to hundreds of sustainable alternatives to portable classrooms and to impact decision-making where it matters most-at the local level. Goals: The 2009 Open Architecture Challenge aims to use architecture and design as a vehicle for strengthening communities by: Offering innovative and viable alternatives to traditional portable classrooms, introducing K-12 students to architecture, spatial planning and 3D modeling, teaching students, faculty and parents about how buildings impact the environment, and advocating for greener, healthier, more conducive learning environments. Teachers and Students know what makes a classroom work. Lets let them design the classroom of the future.
Competition Schedule: |
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