Laka Competition Reveals 2020 Results of "Architecture that Reacts"

Written by Christele Harrouk
Published on February 04, 2020

Laka released the results of its competition that gathered over 200 entries. Aiming to diversify the outcomes, the theme focuses on architectural, urban, technological, or product design “capable of dynamic interaction with its social, natural, or built surroundings”. In fact, the subject revolves around interdisciplinary “solutions developed through a process of changes and adjustments”.

An international panel of judges went through the projects of 350 participants from 40 countries, and selected the proposals that “took advantages from disciplines such as robotics, mechanics, digital fabrication, biodesign and biofabrication, computational design, materials science, bioarchitecture, social sciences, industrial design, mobility, and more”. Read on for the complete list of winners.

+ 14

Winner

THE ARK/ Safia Dziri, Megan Stenftenagel, Matt Turlock and, Emiel Cockx

Rising ocean levels and the near-ubiquitous response across design fields to solve this issue with an intervention to the urban fabric introduces a unique and topical design space. Should architecture combat or greet rising waters? Is flooding a disaster or source of beauty? Is waterfront property abandoned, or clad in durable materials? Ark proposes a reactive architecture that attempts to preserve urban fabrics at risk of flooding while simultaneously expanding and exciting existing spaces.

Gold Prize

GLACIER METAMORPHOSIS/ Aasish Janardhanan

Though the earth is always changing, the current speed of change is unprecedented and problematic. The drastic shreds of evidence in the high-altitude areas especially in the Alps give a clear definition of climate change and its impacts. Reduction in snow cover at lower altitudes, receding glaciers, melting permafrost extreme change in temperature and precipitation are the ways by which Alps proves the impact.

Silver Prize

CHURCH OF THE OTAKUS/ Zhiyi Chen

Based on Post-secularism, the project intends to raise awareness of the ongoing social phenomenon and its reflection upon architectural discipline. It foresees a future scenario in which religion and the banal world are synthetically combined, and actively involves public interaction in the physical space.

Bronze Prize

The Desalination Generation/ Joseph Shenton

(...)Due to the inaction of developed global communities, those most vulnerable will likely have to accept this sea-level rise and have to adapt to the oncoming changes to farmland and coastal urban communities. The majority of land under threat is located throughout developing countries across Asia, where chronic flooding is set to affect areas that contain 10% of their populations. Without adapting, these communities will likely become climate refugees.

Honorable mentions

The Rebirth of Karez: Oasis Plan/ Yuxuan Cai, Zehua Bian, Yuxuan Dai

Breaking the 4th Wall/ Ahmad Hafez, Nezar Abualhalaweh, Hamzeh Al-Thweib

PROTOCELL/ Monika Kalinowska, Denys Karandiuk

Two Pieces and a Rubber Band/ Santiago Diaz Giral

Worm Space/ Zi Kang Lim

Mycokarst/ Anna Budnikova

ADAPTATION in AUGMENTATION/ Md. Shariful Alam Anik

Climatree/ Raymond McGreal

Regen Pods: A multifaceted design approach for tomorrow/ Deo Alrashid Trevecedo Alam, Franz Christopher Berania Diaz, Matthew Geo Navarro Ravago, Amador Jr Rosales Belgica, Theodore Andre Ramos Guttierez, Kiezl Legaspi Salvador, Denise Rose Dy Chang