Winning projects 2011 in North America

This socio-architectural project to create an Arctic Food Network (AFN) in Canada’s high arctic territory of Nunavut is a model to overcome the dependence of the Inuit community on expensive processed food products imported from the south. These foods have compromised the traditional diet centered on hunting and gathering of food provided by nature across a yearly cycle. The project responds to thorough research on the poor living conditions and health of the Inuit.

The public school project is designed as a prototype to be built on multiple campuses throughout Los Angeles. Its aim is an economical, flexible and yet, in its spatial concept, ambitious design that can be adjusted to different pedagogical models and learning styles. The 2-level building can accommodate up to 500 students, may be reconfigured for other communal functions, and its sustainability concept intends to reach a zero net energy building standard & achieve LEED Platinum rating.

This project has an explicit function as a border control station on the US frontier to Canada, thus needing to meet a range of stringent regulations for safety, operation and durability and yet provide a welcoming appearance to visitors. Efficiency demands an enhanced capacity for visual surveillance to enable as few as two officers to operate the station. Harsh weather conditions during winter require a strong canopy roof to provide shelter for exterior control operations.

Energy efficient university building, Lawrence, KS, United States. Exterior rendering of south and west façades.

Interior rendering.

Situated on a former production site in a historic industrial region outside Chicago and once the largest steel producing region in the United States, the center’s location was primarily chosen because of its position as important resting stop for migratory birds. The Ford Calumet Environmental Center serves bird watchers and as educational facility, teaching about the regions environmental past, present, and future.

The Integrated Living Community pilot project for an army base in Missouri is a case study for a 20-year master plan to change the planning of all 280 American military installations to a state of net positive energy, net zero water, and net zero waste. The project reflects the specific requirement of the military in relation to sustainability, with an additional motivation for independent systems to withstand disasters.

This project addresses a strategy to strengthen mangrove forests along coastlines to reinforce the natural protection of the coastal communities against the threat of tsunamis. This issue with global relevance is taken up with Miami as a case study. The project shows the high capacity of the plant structure to break down the wave’s energy in comparison to vertical walls.

This small construction project explores the reintroduction of the ancient phenomenon of “Sukkahs”, temporary structures, biblical in origin, ostensibly used for one week as a dwelling during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. The basic principles of the small structure as an ephemeral, translucent and not fully enclosing hut are taken up in the Shim Sukkah as a wooden structure relying on one material and construction element – prefabricated stacks of cedar shims.

This material science project studies the building properties of foam concrete and the potential for wider use of the material in architecture and construction. The project raises some fundamental questions regarding concrete, yet seeks realistic solutions for practical application. It is driven by the general advantage of foam concrete to reduce the consumption of material and other resources (principally cement and energy).