Bee Breeders has announced the winners of the recent Sydney Affordable Housing Challenge. The international architecture competition asked entrants to address the growing affordable housing crisis in Sydney. The challenge aimed at "garnering global attention to the important issue of housing in Sydney, Australia, where the economy is strong but the residential market is among the least affordable, according to surveys of major metropolitan markets."
First Prize
Bridging Affordable Housing: Tae Jung, Pauline Sipin, Hazel Ventura, Diana Lopez
The winning proposal is comprised of "a simple module: a structural bridge pier with decking that contains prefabricated housing units topped by a green roof." The design takes the traditional approach of stacked housing, and instead weaves the homes through the urban fabric raised above the street. Parks are formed on top of the units, creating a system of green bridges throughout the city.
Second Prize + BB Student Award
Newborn in the Crevice: Xu Jiatong, Gao Xinyuan, Shi Ying, Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts
Designed to fit inbetween the existing density of Sydney's urban center, this vertical arrangement of units provides a combination of housing units and common spaces. The overall simple form is offset by "colorful openings of various sizes" within the underlying structural grid.
Third Prize
TOD and Waterfront Housing: Olga Filipowska, Tomasz Twaróg, Podhale State College of Applied Sciences in Nowy Targ
This submission features "stacked prefabricated units floating within the bays of Sydney." Transit-oriented development (TOD) on an urban scale transforms waterfront industrial sites into housing and commercial spaces just outside the density of the city along a rail system as a means to decrease the use of cars.
BB Green Award
Water Smart Home Sydney: Kevin Pham, Alex Hoang
This entry incorporates a complex environmental system into the building design to create a community that boasts an independent water system. Through active and passive sustainable systems, the building harnesses energy via multiple different sources while also incorporating modular construction.
News via: Bee Breeders.
