International architecture non-profit Shelter Global has announced the winners of its second annual Dencity Competition, which highlights innovative solutions to improve living conditions for slum dwellers worldwide.
With over one billion people living in slums today, and this number expected to reach two billion by 2030, the Dencity Competition called architects and planners to “consider how design can empower communities and allow for a self-sufficient future.” Thus, the competition is a way to foster new ideas about how growing density in unplanned cities can be addressed.
The winners of the second annual Dencity Competition are:
First Place: Jai Bhadgaonkar and Ketaki Tare; Mumbai
First place was awarded to Jai Bhadgaonkar and Ketaki Tare from Mumbai. Their project, Versova Koliwada, aims to address critical issues relevant to the design of the Koliwada community. They propose incorporating floatation devices that would positively impact the mangroves and coral in that area. The base of a floating island can be created by tying the bottles into plastic nets and attaching them to wooden boards. Jury member, Katie Crepeau, states that “the proposal has a deep understanding of the not only the local community but it's wider connection to the city of Mumbai in social, economic and political contexts.”
Second Place: Lauren Brosius; Philadelpia University
Second place was awarded to Lauren Brosius, a recent graduate of Philadelphia University. Her project, Incremental Alex, focuses on the Alexandra Township in Johannesburg which is one of the poorest urban areas in the country. Her proposal revolves around the idea of refocusing RPD funding toward improving the infrastructure rather than just building homes. By providing residents with basic infrastructure it allows them a way out of the poverty cycle as well as brings growth and formality to a very informal situation. Jury member, Julia King believes the project was a “very good analysis of a deprived and peripheral neighborhood combined with a sound proposal for how to incrementally develop housing.”
Third Place: Amira Abdel-Rahman, Gabriel Muñoz Moreno, Santiago Serna Gonzalez; Harvard University
Third place was awarded to the team of Amira Abdel-Rahman, Gabriel Muñoz Moreno, Santiago Serna Gonzalez from Harvard. Their entry chooses to address the ventilation of slums. They focus on retrofitting existing slums and improving their thermal performance through a passively powered space conditioning system. Peter William’s from Archive Global notices that this project is “tackling one of the most pressing issues in informal settlements, offering a radical solution.”
Learn more about the winners, as well as six special mentions, here.
News and project descriptions via Shelter Global.
