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Post by Nka on Jun 23, 2018 10:43:07 GMT -6
CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION (1) An individual or a design team can submit an entry to the 6th Earth Architecture Competition. In this design and build competition, each design team should not consist of more than three individuals. Each team shall identify one team member as its Point of Contact (“Point of Contact”) during the submission process. Each entry shall receive a registration number and, from then on, will only be identified by that number, in order to keep anonymity during the submission and the final election.
(2) In order to enter the design contest, you must register here on Eventbrite: goo.gl/qSFY7r On your Eventbrite ticket, you will see a 9-digit order #. This is your registration number for one design entry. If you are submitting more than one entry, each design entry requires a separate ticket. With your entry ticket number upload your design entry to the competition board: goo.gl/n3CEAi on November 2nd, 2018. If you want to pay by check, send us an e-mail at info@nkafoundation.org / www.nkafoundation.org and the following information: team name, team leader name, phone number and email address. To submit your design, place your ticket number and the title of the project (no name) on all pages of your design submission to allow the jury to select blindly.
(3) Permanence of construction materials is key; the competition disallows the use of ephemeral or temporary building materials that would perish in a year or two. The life expectancy of every material used in the construction of the classroom design must be at least 30 years.
(4) SUBMISSION FORMAT: Submission should include: (i) The design statement (200 words max) should include the meaning of the work, material description and budget in USD; and (ii) One A1 presentation board submitted as a JPG file of high resolution (1 MB). The upper right corner of the board must contain the entry ticket number. There should not be any marks or any other form of identification, less the entry is disqualified. The file must be named after the ticket number. For example, 112334567.jpg (for your presentation board). Submissions must be in English language. Submission of the design statement and the One A1 presentation board will be Online, to be uploaded to nkaprojects.boards.net and email a 15 MB version of your A1 presentation board to mudhousedesign@mail.com to the attention of the competition jury.
(5) Of the shortlisted projects (30), there will be three winning projects, according to the highest scores. Jurors will award prizes for first, second and third place consisting of a commemorative certificate and travel prizes to the winning designs as follows: 1st prize- $500 cash or construction of design in Ghana plus a trip to Ghana for a workshop to build the winning design (in case the winner does not reside in Ghana and to a maximum of 1 person); 2nd prize- construction of design plus 50% of the flight ticket or $300 cash; and 3rd prize- $200 or construction of design. Honorable mentions will be awarded by the jury but will receive no cash prize. Every design team that makes the Top 30 Entries shortlist will be offered the opportunity to build their design in Ghana in collaboration with the competition organizer. If a design team of the shortlisted entries is not able to lead the workshop, the design team or competition organizer may nominate a practitioner or an organization to lead the workshop to build the entry. Otherwise, the organizer of the contest will pass the opportunity to another team whose entry in the competition is a good fit for the project site.
(6) Judging criteria involve: (1) Form: Visual appearance through use of materials, shape, color, texture, etc; (2) Function as a sustainable classroom design; and (3) Technical issues to the degree the design addresses construction techniques, climatic factors and construction budget. Decisions of the jury will be final and binding.
(7) Q&A: Registered participants may post questions for organizer to respond to and they can share materials on the competition discussion board: nkaprojects.boards.net. The deadline for questions is September 30, 2018.
(8) Any person entering this contest shall certify and guarantee the organizer that he/she is the sole author of the project and by participating, each contestant grants their free and exclusive consent that all designs and ideas will be published and shared to inspire others. By entering the competition, all participants agree to all the conditions of participation in the competition.
(9) After, you have uploaded your entry Online, send us a note via email to mudhousedesign@mail.com / info@nkafoundation.org that includes the following information: a high resolution image (10 MB) of your design, and the entrant’s personal information including your name, registration number, profession, address, and email address.
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Post by Nka on Jun 13, 2018 8:45:47 GMT -6
ORGANIZER
Nka Foundation is an organization in USA that serves underserved communities in Africa through arts and design projects involving workshops, competitions and conferences. The works of Nka Foundation began in 2005. From 2008 through 2010, Nka Foundation organized workshops and symposia in partnerships with some institutions in Ghana and Mali to stimulate conversations and artistic interventions for solutions to the problem of tapping of the abundant local resources for sustainable development in sub-Sahara Africa. By 2009, we felt a deep need to create a model arts village at Abetenim that can be replicated in other parts of Africa, to continue to address the problem through design-build workshops, arts workshops, design competitions and outreach to the local community by means of school building projects and education enrichment.
From October 2012 to October 2013, we organized 10x10 Shelter Challenge, which was a design-build challenge based on site at Abetenim Arts Village in rural Ghana. Two architectural projects were successfully built from the design-build challenge. In 2014, Nka Foundation organized, Mud House Design 2014: Reinventing the African Mud Hut Together and seven projects have been built from that design-build competition. In 2015, we organized the 3rd Earth Architecture Competition: Designing for the Arts in Ghana. Three projects have been realized in the Abetenim area from the competition. The next one was the 4th Earth Architecture Competition: Designing a School for Ghana of which Nka Foundation has collaborated with the design teams to realized school designs involving libraries, cafeteria and classrooms. Today, Nka Foundation project sites include:
1. Abetenim Arts Village, Ejisu-Juaben District, Ashanti Region, Ghana
2. Sang Arts Village, Mion District, Northern Region, Ghana
3. Singida Arts Village, Singida Municipal, Singida Region, Tanzania
4. Kantora Arts Village, Kassi Kunda, Upper River Region, Gambia
The arts village is designed as a learning center with focus on skills development training in the vocational arts and design to provide relational spaces for creative people from the region and other countries to live, work, learn and create. Nka Foundation’s rural projects draw on asset-based approach to community development by immersing in the community and by mobilizing the existing, but often unrecognized abundant local resources to enable the underserved community drive its own development process.
For this reason, throughout the year and at different sites, Nka Foundation runs earth architecture workshops and arts projects that invite university students, professionals and others from around the world to immerse in the local culture and learn-by-interacting with the people through the onsite projects. Students can use the learn-by-doing opportunity for internship, thesis or personal research.
Take the design challenge! To Nka Foundation, designing is not the whole thing. The competition invites projects from individuals, school teams and organizations who find substance in what we are doing. Since 2010, we have collaborated with architecture and design practitioners from around the world to realize their projects, from design to built environment, based on site in rural Ghana, Gambia, and Tanzania.
NKA FOUNDATION … serving the underserved communities
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Post by Nka on Jun 13, 2018 8:33:24 GMT -6
JURY The body of jurors for the competition will to listed below by October 30, 2018.
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Post by Nka on Jun 13, 2018 8:16:41 GMT -6
CONSTRUCTION SITE
The design entries will be built on site at Abetenim village in the Ejisu-Juaben District (http://ejisujuaben.ghanadistricts.gov.gh) in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Abetenim is about 40 kilometres from Kumasi, which is the second largest city in Ghana. Abetenim occupies a geographical area of about 4 km by 5 km with most of the land covered by green vegetation. Abetenim was formally known as nkoa kuro (slave camp). This was because during the days of Western colonialism, people who were captured during battles were camped here and sold out as slaves. The village was later named Abetenim (village of palm trees) because of the many palm trees on the land.
Today, the population is about a thousand people, with 60% of them between the ages of 1 to 25 years. The current Paramount Chief of Abetenim is Nana Owusu II. The standard of living is rather low. The village is dotted by mud house types, built in ways that tell of abject economic poverty. The people of the village are essentially farmers with few of them producing cooking oil from the palm fruits, which they sell to traders from far and near. The local language is Twi. About 98% of the adults in the village are unable to read or write proficiently because they did not gain elementary school education. Abetenim used to have only a primary school, which is grade 1 to grade 6. Children on graduating from the primary school had to stop schooling. The main excuse was because the closest junior high school they could attend was in Juaben. Those children eager to continue schooling had to walk to Juaben to attend school. With Nka foundation coming to the village, the village now has its own junior high school which was built through the contributions made by visitors of the Foundation. The junior high school now has a total of 52 pupils and 8 teachers.
Abetenim is situated on a flat land off a laterite road from the Juaben Township. The top soil is red earth mixed with gravel, which is an ideal proportion for poured earth or cob construction. The primary means of transportation in Abetenim and the nearby villages are tro tro and taxis service. Fortunately, a taxi driver lives in Abetenim; we hire his service as needed. In Abetenim, you can access the Internet with pen drive wireless connection, which is a service provided by most regional phone companies. Power is by public electricity.
What are the lodging options and nearby facilities? In general, we provide accommodation at the Abetenim Arts Village at highly subsidized cost to our workshop participants and we provide free accommodation to our workshop leaders during the period of the workshop. There is running water and indoor toilet and bath in the 9 accommodation units in the Abetenim Arts Village. Those interested in upscale accommodation can stay at a newly built Guesthouse at Juaben Township. Juaben has a government hospital, banks, library, Courthouse, oil mill, k-12 and vocational schools. There are also many churches, running water, electric grid and other amenities typical of a growing township.
Soil Sample at Abetenim in Ghana, Mud House Building Workshop by Anna Webster, architect in the UK, 2015
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Post by Nka on Jun 13, 2018 8:11:38 GMT -6
CONSTRUCTION METHOD
What is the preferred construction method for the winning entries? Nka Foundation has experimented with vernacular cob construction, mud brick, rammed earth and poured earth method of building. We found out that cob, mud brick and rammed earth methods are labor-intensive and time consuming. We aim as we go, to simplify the building process with a focus on poured earth, which is often referred to as cast earth construction. The poured earth process is a simple and easily learned building method. It is of much lower labor costs than mud brick or rammed earth, and its compressive strength is comparable to concrete. Poured earth relies on the traditional process of shuttering and mold making. The mixing and pouring process is similar to construction by concrete formwork. The main difference is that instead of the sand and gravel used as an aggregate in concrete, poured earth uses ordinary soil, which may be red earth, black or sandy soil, and generally uses Portland cement as a binder. By adding a binder such as cement or quarried dust, most types of soil can be used for poured earth building. An aggregate such as gravel or quarried stone may be added to improve the quality of the soil, depending on the soil map.
Structurally, a best mixture for poured earth is 60% laterite (red earth), 40% quarried stone, and water; or 80% laterite (red earth), 8% cement, 12% gravel or stones, and water. It will be just right, if the wall is cast at 14 to 18 inches thick. The consistency of the mixture should be same as the local masons mix concrete, ask the local mason for guidance. In the project, poured earth and cast earth are interchangeable terms; the two terms are used herein to mean the same thing. Plastering or painting the cast wall is not necessary, if metal formwork is used in pouring the wall because the surface of cast wall is smooth. Yelp, you may use quarry dust (crushed stone) in place of cement. Once the formworks are in place, casting the corner walls for a classroom may take just two days to realize. The Nka Foundation manual for poured earth construction is available to the competition participants.
Formwork Designs for Poured Earth Construction
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Post by Nka on Jun 13, 2018 7:48:06 GMT -6
HOW TO DESIGN WHAT IS BUILDABLE Throughout the year and in different countries in Africa, Nka Foundation runs earth architecture workshops and arts projects that invite professionals, students, and others from around the world to immerse in the local culture and learn-by-interaction with the local community through the onsite projects. Students can use the opportunity for internship, thesis or personal research. Specifically, our program involves immersion in the design-build process based on site in a village in Africa in response to the design education question: How do you learn to design what is buildable? The answer is this: it is by designing and building your design! Nka Foundation has come to know that by immersing the young designers in the full circle of designing and building their own design, at the completion of the design-build process, the emerging professionals will learn to design what is buildable to make a well-rounded graduate. For the professional, you will find the hands-on construction experience a pause from your office work to rediscover the rudiments of design and nuances that can refresh your practice.
Simply stated, the construction of the top design entries in the competition is a priority for two reasons: (1) The building workshop serves for cultural exchange to enable your design team to learn by immersion in the rural environment to interact with the local lifestyle as you build your unit of the school with the rural youth trainees and local artisans; and (2) it is self evident that one way for a young designer to learn to design what is buildable is by immersion in the full cycle of designing and building own design on site in a village in Africa, where they are given some autonomy. Thus, from May 2019 to November 2021, we will be collaborating with some of the design teams in the competition to organize construction workshops to build their design entries based on site at Abetenim village in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.
The competition promotes open source design, which implies that the submitted designs will be available for all to appreciate, use, or improve them to generate more practical and contemporary design solutions for the region. In light of this, the competition entry needs to be a type that can be replicated in another village in tropical Africa such as Gambia, Ghana or Tanzania. Our long-term goal is to enable the rural population and lots of other places, to overcome the stigma that earth architecture is architecture for the very poor.
Mud Cafeteria, Shortlisted Design in 4th Earth Architecture Competition. Architects and Builders: Jaap Willemsen and Anna Schweiger from Austria.
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Post by Nka on Jun 13, 2018 7:29:55 GMT -6
WHAT CAN YOU WIN? A Travel Prize to Build Your Design in Ghana!
The design team of every shortlisted and winning entry will receive a commemorative certificate and an opportunity to build their design in Ghana or Gambia in collaboration with Nka Foundation. The selection jury consists of administrators of architecture institutions and architects, some of who have led building workshops with Nka Foundation. The jurors will use judging criteria involving functionality, aesthetics and technical matter to select three prize-winning designs. Because the construction of best design entries is our priority, jurors will award travel prizes for first, second and third place consisting of a trip to Ghana to build the design. Specifically, the 1st prize involves cash prize of $500 or flight ticket for 1 member of the design team (in case the winner does not reside in Ghana), and accommodation for up to 3 months for all members of the design team to build their design in Ghana. The second prize involves cash prize of $300 or the opportunity to build your design in Ghana, which covers 50% of the flight ticket for 1 member of the design team and accommodation for up to 3 months for all members of the design team to build their design in Ghana. And the third prize is $200 or the opportunity to build your design in Ghana or Gambia, which covers accommodation for up to 3 months for all members of the design team to build their design. Honorable mentions may be awarded at the discretion of the jury but will receive no cash prize.
The registration fee per entry is $40 for individual and $60 for a team. Here is where to register: goo.gl/qSFY7r and registered teams will be provided with a link to submit their design Online at least one week before the submission deadline. For additional information, see the competition discussion board: nkaprojects.boards.net.
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Post by Nka on Jun 13, 2018 7:14:25 GMT -6
DESIGN RESPONSE
To generate answers to the question of building with local earth to stand the test of time, Nka Foundation is issuing a challenge to practitioners and advanced students of architecture, design and engineering from around the world. Your design entry should be one of the following classroom types:
(1) Multi-purpose room: a large classroom is also called an assembly hall or lecture hall, which may be incrementally built in two or more workshops; (2) a general classroom of 48 sq metres per 30 students; or (3) a special classroom of the subject-specific type of 80 sq metres for about 60 students, such as Chemistry Classroom, Biology, Physics and Geography classroom. Roof design should involve metal roof involving corrugated zinc or aluminum roofing sheets, which are the conventional roofing material in the region. The roof should be designed in a way that will withstand the region’s torrential rain storms. The classroom type may have some or all of the following features: storage space for school supplies, office for the teacher, chalkboard, and an outdoor social space for reading. The desks for the teacher and the students will be supplied by the local district government because the school by name is Abetenim High School, which is a public secondary school.
Keep in mind that you are designing for the tropical climate. And spatial devices such as cross ventilation, setting the house foundation at two feet above the ground level, and designing the roof to overhang by at least four feet will therefore be in order. The land for the construction is of a slight slope, it slopes northward; and the ground is of red earth. Yelp, the design entry is to emphasize the principles of designing a classroom for the tropical climate and cost-efficient construction by fully integrating the poured earth construction method and passive solar design.
The classroom type should be designed for construction by maximum use of earth and local labor. Total costs of constructing the design entry must not exceed $13,000 (USD) for materials and local skilled labor. The project is community architecture; by this, the local community will supply unskilled local labor for the construction and land value is also excluded from this price point. Because the construction of best design entires is a priority, each team of a shortlisted entry gets an opportunity to build their design at Abetenim in Ghana. Be a part of this! Let’s create social change where it is most needed.
InsideOut School, 2nd Prize Winner in the 4th Earth Architecture Competition. Architects and Builders: Andrea Tabocchini and Francesca Vittorini from Italy.
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Post by Nka on Jun 13, 2018 7:09:25 GMT -6
DESIGN PROBLEM
The cause has been this: In the traditional areas of West Africa, the recurrent problem with local buildings made of earth is sustainability, structurally. The local perception in Ghana is that mud buildings are only for the very poor. However, their opinion is not ungrounded. Mud houses in the rural areas are poorly constructed; wall cracks and water damage due to poor construction are commonplace. The Abetenim rural area has many examples of cob constructions which have eroded over time due to poor construction and water damage. Hence, the local stigma associated with earth architecture persists. We reason that the design-build workshops can help generate alternatives to resolve the problem. Together with past international architecture workshop leaders, Nka Foundation has experimented with vernacular cob construction known as atakpame, mud brick method, poured earth and rammed earth walls with successful results. Many structures are in place on our project sites in Ghana, Tanzania and Gambia.
Nka Foundation has come to know that, on the international front, some stereotypes also exist about contemporary sustainable architecture. From building the winning designs in our past earth architecture competitions, sustainable architecture that involves the use of ephemeral materials such as grass, bamboo, palm leaves and mud wall exposed to the elements, do not stand the test of time. The 6th Earth Architecture Competition is therefore a design and build competition. The challenge is to come up with a design option in response to the question: What should a classroom designed and built in rural Africa look like to stand the test of time? Join us! Make your name known, as a sustainable designer.
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Post by Nka on Jun 13, 2018 7:02:59 GMT -6
6th Earth Architecture Competition
DESIGNING A CLASSROOM OF THE FUTURE
IMPORTANT DATES REGISTRATION: September 1 – October 30, 2018 SUBMISSION: November 2, 2018 JUDGING: November 12 - 21, 2018 WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT: December 4, 2018 Building Workshops to Realize the Top 40 Design Entries: May 2019 to November 2021
Nka Foundation announces a call for entries for its 6th Earth Architecture Competition: Designing a Classroom of the Future, an international design competition open to practitioners and advanced students of architecture, design and engineering from around the world who think that earth architecture can be designed to stand the test of time. This is the design problem: What should a classroom designed and built in rural Africa look like to stand the test of time? The shortlisted entries will be built as units of the Abetenim High School for students of ages 12 to 18 years in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Besides travel prize for the three winning designs, the competition offers construction opportunity for all shortlisted designs. Total costs of constructing the design entry must not exceed $13,000 (USD) for materials and local labor. The entry fee is $40 for individual entry and $60 for team entry. In order to enter the competition, you must register at goo.gl/qSFY7r before October 30, 2018 and submit your design entry at nkaprojects.boards.net on November 2, 2018.
Join us! Make your name known. Show the world how to reinvent the African mud house!
Contact organizer at info@nkafoundation.org / www.nkafoundation.org if you have any question or concern.
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Post by Nka on Mar 3, 2018 12:55:43 GMT -6
Be a Part of this...
EARTH ARCHITECTURE INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP
LED BY A SHELTERING ROOF
DATE : August 6, 2018 - December 02, 2018
WHERE: Kantora Arts Village, Kassi Kunda, Upper River Region, Gambia
WORKSHOP LEADERS: A SHELTERING ROOF who are Marie GILLIARD (Master student in Architecture at ENSA Toulouse), and Floran MARTINEAU (Architect HMONP) in France
COST: 400€ Participation fee + 80€/w for food and accommodation
For more informations, to contact us:
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Post by Nka on Nov 12, 2017 18:48:46 GMT -6
June 20th to September 20th 2018
Construction workshop to build the 2nd prize winning design, HYGIENE SPACE by Jérôme Gruwé, an architect in FranceAnnouncement Upcoming
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Post by Nka on Nov 12, 2017 17:49:44 GMT -6
WORKSHOP LOCATION
Diakounda Arts Village, Bounkiling, Sediou Region, Casamance, Senegal
To Nka, designing is not the whole thing. The design education question is: How do you learn to design what is buildable? It is by designing and building a project!
Thus, from February 2018 to July 2020, Nka Foundation is collaborating with some of the design teams of the Top 40 Designs in the competition to organize construction workshops to build their designs based on site at Diakunda in Bounkiling at the Casamance area of Senegal. Each workshop will run for 12 weeks or more according to the design. To do this, we have begun to compile strategies and gather a community of supporters around the rural vocational arts school project. We approach the school design and construction project as a development-aid with a direct impact on the rural communities in Bounkiling in the Sediou Region of the Casamance. It is a community development project. By this, the design proposals will be built on a land donated to Nka Foundation by the community. Through an open call for participation, each workshop will bring together participants from different countries to come together to collaborate on the building project for cross fertilization of skills and knowledge.
All building workshops to realize the design entries are listed below. PLEASE SCROLL DOWN and take a look! If interested in participating in any of the workshops, contact us via info@nkafoundation.org (or the workshop leader at the email listed below). DEADLINE: Volunteers will be accepted until spots are filled. Spots limited to 30 international participants. WHO CAN PARTICIPATE: Volunteers worldwide such as university students, recent graduates, and professionals who know how architecture is localized, uses the means and the materials available on the site to create a friendly building to the environment. COSTS: Food and accommodation €100/$120 per week and project contribution is €400/$450. Airfare, visa and vaccination are on your behalf. Accommodation is by guest house and homestay in Diakunda. There is running water, and electricity by the public grid. At the site, you may access the Internet with pendrive wireless connection. There is a local cook to prepare meals for your workshop team.
FREE TIME ACTIVITIES: It's not all works! Immerse in the local culture and lifestyle. Live and work among the local people. Take part in some of the social events in the everyday life of the community to gain new skills. There will be short breaks from the construction project to participate in field trips to experience any of the regional historic attractions, lush forest hikes or guided tours to explore the nearby villages and townships.
UNSURE OF WHAT TO EXPECT? Here are links to workshops from some of our past earth architecture competitions: www.archdaily.com/882665/insideout-school-andrea-tabocchini-and-francesca-vittorini, mudcafeteria.org, www.facebook.com/eskaapi, www.facebook.com/handmadeschoolghana, www.facebook.com/matemasieclassrooms, www.facebook.com/handmadehouseghana.co.uk, www.facebook.com/Bioconstrucción-Ghana-1305212966201157, www.facebook.com/threetwomudhouse, raumgeschichten.blogspot.de, tanzaniagoesmud.wordpress.com, ghanamud.wordpress.com, architeach.org/index.html
Here is the snapshot of programme for the workshop: PART ONE (Week 1-4): Introduction to designing and building with local earth involving site analysis, hands-on experience from site preparation to the foundation level. Includes formwork design and construction. Field trips. PART TWO (week 5-9): Wall construction in tandem with window and door construction. A field trip. PART THREE (10-12): Roofing, fittings and landscaping of the completed unit to blend with the local landscape.
To ensure success, we have a Community Coordinator at the site to help coordinate your workshop by helping in souring materials, language translation, coordinating the various activities, and other local administrative help you would need to ensure workshop completion. And don’t worry, at Diakunda the local masons have experience in building with earth in such methods as mud brick and cob construction. We will furnish your team with our construction manuals for other earth building methods.
The building workshops to realize the design entries are listed below. PLEASE SCROLL DOWN to take a look or to sign up!
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Post by Nka on Nov 1, 2017 13:15:55 GMT -6
EARTH ARCHITECTURE WORKSHOP with STAMPING GROUND in THE GAMBIA
JUL 22 - OCT 21, 2018
Join this Stamping Ground Workshop, supported by the Nka Foundation, for the opportunity to collaborate in the construction of a classroom unit for a vocational skills center in The Gambia. Construction will be undertaken alongside local young people, professionals and volunteers from around the globe - providing the chance to share knowledge, skills and cultures, in an immersive environment. Participate at any time during the workshop for a minimum of 2 weeks, and take part in a variety of stages - from design finalisation and site analysis, to earth and thatch construction.
PROJECT SITE: Kantora Arts Village, Kassa Kunda, The Gambia.
WHO ARE WE ? : Jennie Schneider & Daniel Wilson, graduating Masters students at Aarhus School of Architecture in Denmark.
WHO ARE YOU ? : Graduates or students of architecture, design and engineering, or someone enthusiastic to gain hands-on construction experience and cultural exchange.
PRACTICALITIES: Participation fee: 400€ Food + accommodation: 80€/week (Airfare, visa and vaccination are not included)
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Email: stampinggroundarch@gmail.com Blog: stampingground.tumblr.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/StampGroundGambia/
ORGANIZER: www.nkafoundation.org / info@nkafoundation.org
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Post by Nka on Nov 1, 2017 13:04:09 GMT -6
EARTH ARCHITECTURE WORKSHOP
DORMITORIES FOR LOCAL STUDENTS
October 1st, 2018 > July 31st, 2019 Led by Miguel P. Amado, an architect and urban planner at the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
PROJECT SITE: Kantora Arts Village, Kasrsi Kunda village in the Kantora District, Upper River Region, Gambia
WHO: Project is open to international volunteers, you can learn more about earth construction while contributing to community development in rural Gambia. Everyone is welcome to join. Students of architecture, design and engineering can use the opportunity for internship, thesis work or personal research.
COST: Participation fee: 400€; food and accommodation: 80€/week (Airfare, visa and vaccination are on your behalf). Financial help is possible, contact us!
PROJECT LEADER: Miguel Pires Amado, a Portuguese architect and urban planner and a professor at Instituto Superior Tecnico at Universidade de Lisboa, where he teaches architecture.
TO APPLY/INFO: designbuildchallengegambia@gmail.com / info@nkafoundation.org
ORGANIZER: www.nkafoundation.org / info@nkafoundation.org
MEDIA
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Post by Nka on Oct 31, 2017 16:41:14 GMT -6
Pesu Ghana
LAND ART WORKSHOP
By Spackman Mossop Michaels, an Australian Landscape Architecture firm DATE: July 3rd - 31st, 2018
WHERE: Abetenim Arts Village near Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, Ghana
The Land Art Workshop is designed as a group residency to bring together creative people from around the world to immerse in the local Ashanti culture and help construct the Project ‘Pesu Ghana. Workshop is organized in partnership with Spackman Mossop Michaels, an Australian Landscape Architecture firm and Nka Foundation.
We are looking for: landscape architects, artists, designers, architects, urban planners, structural engineers, art critics and art researchers and university students from around the world. Students can use the opportunity for internship, personal research or thesis.
TO APPLY/INFO: projectpesu@gmail.com / info@nkafoundation.org
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Post by Nka on Oct 16, 2017 10:16:43 GMT -6
ENTRY # 681832348
SHELTER DESIGN STATEMENT
SHELTER IS HOME FOR ARTISTS, LOCAL CRAFTSMEN, VOLUNTEER, WORKSHOP ATTENDANTS AND WORKERS. SHELTER HAS SIX 15 SQUARE METER ROOMS WITH ENOUGH SPACE FOR ONE DOUBLE BED OR TWO SINGLE BEDS OR BUNKS.
SHELTER IS COOL. NATURAL VENTILATION TAKES COOL AIR FROM GUTTER WHERE WATER IS GATHERED FROM ROOF. OPENINGS ARE IN FLOORLEVEL AND NEAR THE ROOF FOR AIR FLOW. ALL OPENINGS ARE SECURED WITH NET TO PREVENT SMALL ANIMALS FROM COMING IN.
SHELTER IS MADE FROM COMPRESSED EARTH BLOCKS AND ROOF STRUCTURE FROM BAMBOO WITH THATCHED ROOF. FOUNDATION IS MADE OF CONCRETE AND STONES AND FLOOR IS MADE OF CONCRETE.
BUDGET LABOUR 10 PERSON 3 MONTHS 3 300 USD CONCRETE 3 000 USD COMPRESSED EARTH BLOCKS 1500 USD BAMBOO 200 USD THATCHED ROOF 2000 USD
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Post by Nka on Oct 16, 2017 9:33:46 GMT -6
DESIGN ENTRY # 682601453
DESIGN STATEMENT Terra cooling units takes advantage of simple, natural phenomenon of cooling via evaporation. It corresponds to human needs: with no focused coldness that may cause disease, air exchange is natural and also sound of filling water and cool feel of its surface all contribute with the sense of refreshing coolness. The whole system inspired by Senegal and in general African continent use of clay and evaporation cooling system. The module can be use in any form and context. It can be operate as an office, school and etc.
Modulus will be made of clay. They have manageable size to be carried around. There is a huge gap between nature, human and technology. Adaptation is the missing line between them. Terra Cooling units and their cooling system is reliable answer that operates harmony with environment. Terra Cooling units are out of clay and they are filled with water. Through evaporation process the surface and surrounding is getting cold, which is suitable for the hot and dry season of year.
Using clay and local material reduces the cost of construction, which will be defiantly less than $10,000 (USD). Ancient energy technology that have been used many years ago in Africa continent can be studied and bring back to the modern architecture. By the use of ancient method people are able to live and work in comfort without considering modern technology expenses. “ In Northern Nigeria, earthenware pots have been used since ancient times as cooking and water storage vessels.” The aim of the project is to be place in a most untouched nature and to evolve within nature and also be adaptive ecology.
This project is an architectural way of representing the co existence of human and nature, tradition and technology. Terra cooling units are composed of hundreds of energy-conserving and environmental friendly clay pipes.
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Post by Nka on Oct 16, 2017 9:02:20 GMT -6
ENTRY # 677241301
DESIGN STATEMENT Life is not lived compartmentalized. Life is lived en masse; all at once. The purpose of these dorms is to create a variety of spaces in which a special kind of interaction can be formed between its inhabitants and the architecture itself.
Heavy masonry walls allow for a seemingly permanent separation between the users of the dorms while the architecture continues to connect each room through its structures. The wooden monopitch truss hovers over each room to creates a continuous flow of ventilation through the clear story. Also, the privacy of each room can be manipulated with a wooden louver system that covers 1/3 of the wooden accent wall located within each dwelling; inviting more sunlight and wind into their space
A series of breezeways strike through the private spaces to guide each group of students to their personal amphitheaters. Here the only structure exposed is the gentle lattice that provides shelter over their heads as to focus on the terraced land filled with ideal soil for starting a small group garden.
On the other end of the breezeway is the common grounds. Two bridges block off the general flow of traffic and creates a general space for larger gathering and a comfortable study space for everyone within the village to utilize.
BUDGET Foundation – $2,600 Walling – $5,000 Roofing – $1,700 Finishing and Miscellaneous - $700
GRAND TOTAL - $10,000
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Post by Nka on Oct 16, 2017 8:47:28 GMT -6
ENTRY #682798395
DESIGN STATEMENT Services are reasonably considered as merely functional spaces. This project’s aim is to investigate the possibilities to bring quality to such ordinary spaces, exploiting the resources and the features of the site’s climate and building technology.
The design develops two elements: the toilets and the roof. The toilets’ walls are made of rammed earth brick and act as partition elements. The roof instead is supported by wooden pillars and beams, covered by aluminium sheet. The clear distinction of the two elements is aimed at increasing the climatic comfort inside the building: in fact, the roof section, according to the wind directions, is designed to provide natural ventilation.
The raised deck provides an easier management of the plumbing which is designed following the local system. Overall the design meets the budget requirements.
The plan layout features the main common distribution dividing the women’s from the men’s restrooms and leading to a common area, where sinks are placed. On the back of the eastern wall, the roof defines a space that is used as showers for people working in the didactical farm nearby and for whoever might need it.
As a tent, the roof defines the space underneath, making it comfortably usable.
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Post by Nka on Oct 16, 2017 7:59:16 GMT -6
ENTRY # 682716196
DESIGN STATEMENT
Concept The main idea of the project was based on the necessity of two different spaces: a closed one, for theoretical study, and another (l’Autre), open but covered, ideal to fit the motto “learning by doing”, to be used as a laboratory and a storage of produced materials. Another objective was to use the porticos as dynamic spaces; and to create an interaction with the external area.
Materials and elements The project is focused on the use of local and sustainable materials. The building, made of earth bricks with a main wood structure, lays on a cement basement. For rotating doors and windows has been used local bamboo and wood. For the roof, corrugated aluminium sheets.
Budget Regarding the manpower we believe it will be important to organize a workshop, for both local and foreign students. Foreign students will pay at least the sum 200 USD each to cover construction materials. Thus, we will need to hire only a local site manager (10x100=1000USD) and 2 unskilled laborers (100x2x7=1400 USD) for the approximated period of 4 months.
Foundation = small aggregated 320 USD + sand 360 USD + cement aprox. 1000 USD + Other 400 USD
Walling = aprox. 20000 bricks 4000 USD + sand 180 USD
Roofing = wooden structure 1100 USD
Fittings and landscaping 300 USD
Grand Total = 9960 USD
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Post by Nka on Oct 16, 2017 7:12:33 GMT -6
ENTRY # 659099172SUB-SAHARA INTERSTICE
A HOUSING PROPOSAL FOR DIAKOUNDA ARTS VILLAGE
DESIGN STATEMENT Being the second largest Continent on earth, Africa faces many challenges, primarily, its infrastructure. In retrospect, Africa is a cluster of many villages with many cultures/tribes that are sporadically situated in many site conditions. Some larger than others due to trade and later becoming cities. However, with the advent of computing, environmentally safe materials, and advanced construction techniques for building; one is left to ask, the future of mud architecture, and where the next urban sprawl begin. Sub-Sahara interstice, is a prototype that seeks to generate a pragmatic and scalable village/urban condition. At the core of this urban condition are a series of interconnected programs, materials and site conditions. These being, the orientation of each massing block in relation to the trajectory of the sun, solar heat gain, flow of rain precipitation, local source material (laterite), and courtyards. The first phase of the project is to orient the housing block in the trajectory of the sun reducing solar heat that affects the units. Furthermore, to create larger shade zones by extending the roof and redirect rain fall towards the shaded areas by sloping the roof. In doing so, additional courtyards are generated that are independent from the internal courtyards that are found in the housing modules in the first phase. It is here that the interstice occurs, in phase two. This interstice, is a catalyst that generates many courtyards that are equidistant from the modular housing units. The expansion of this sprawl becomes the village, town, and city. Sub-Sahara Interstice is a site-specific condition, that generates an urban topology that is modular, scalable and responsive to the site.
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Post by Nka on Sept 29, 2017 10:46:19 GMT -6
QUESTION Dear NKA, can you please provide us with more information about the required facilities for the toilet and bathroom? what do you mean with the two typologies? thank you for your reply, kind regards.
ANSWER WATER FLUSH TOILET DESIGNS:
What is it? A water flush toilet relies on cistern water to flush urine and fecal material from a toilet bowl either directly into a pit or through a pipe to a pit, septic tank or sewer. All conventional designs include a trap which forms a water seal. The water seal prevents flies and smells from entering the house through the waste pipe. The water may be provided from a cistern or poured from a bucket or other hand-held receptacle. There are two types of flush toilets common to both urban and rural areas in West Africa, namely flush toilet cistern and pour flush toilets.
Specifically, a flush toilet cistern is about the same as in developed countries, it relies on the use of flush toilet cistern to flush urine and fecal material from a toilet bowl. When a flush lever on cistern is pulled, a plug will open, allowing water to flow out to fill the flush toilet bowl. The flush goes either directly into the public sewage system or through a pipe to a septic tank dug outside the building on the plot. By pour flush toilet, we mean you manually pour water from a bucket to flush the toilet. The pour flush toilet is common in rural ares in Africa.
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Post by Nka on Sept 23, 2017 8:26:55 GMT -6
REPLIES TO QUESTIONS from melimartu
1. Is there any risk of thunderstorms, strong winds or any natural disaster (hurricane, earthquake)? When it rains, how strong are the winds? Hurricanes and earthquakes are not common to the area, but design the building to withstand natural disasters such as thunderstorms.
About rains, the design brief says: The climate is tropical, hot and humid with a rainy season from May to November and a dry season from December to April.
2. What does "RAI 19.75" mean? (wrote down in the masterplan). It is land measurement.
3. Can you tell us de prices of pipes and water tanks? I can find out (the price for a Polytank, 500 gallons is about $500) . Here is the rubric: For an estimate for industrial products such as pipes and water tank, find out the standard price for them in the West and deduct 10% from it. If you are in a developing country, use same market price.
4. What type of stove and oven do they use? Do they use firewood for this? Is there firewood nearby? Mostly firewoods for the low income families and bottled gas for the middle income families. But for the school design, you have the freedom to come up an appropriate stove and oven for school.
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Post by Nka on Sept 23, 2017 8:04:31 GMT -6
QUESTION:
For toilet type can you tell me what are the standards we should follow? Can you provide us with the number of toilet required?
ANSWER
The design is up to you. Here is our suggestion, for the community toilet design: You can design the Male section to be 6 toilets and 2 bathrooms and the for Female section to be 4 toilets and 1 bathroom. There needs to be 1 storage room for toilet cleaning tools.
For more suggestions, see the answer to questions from frolund on Aug 9, 2017 at 3:28am and download attached document about designing toilets for that region.
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Post by Nka on Sept 13, 2017 13:23:57 GMT -6
ETERNITY GROUND
by Karolina Porada, a landscape architect in Poland
Join us from 1 month to 2 months as a workshop participant to help build Eternity Ground, a design entry in Nka Foundation’s 2017 Land Art Competition by Karolina Porada at Cracow University of Technology in Poland.
WHAT: Eternity Ground - a land art installation
DATE: April 4th – May 23rd, 2018
WHERE: Abetenim Arts Village near Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, Ghana
WHO: Open to landscape architects, artists, designers, architects, urban planners, structural engineers, art critics and art researchers and university students from around the world. Students can use the opportunity for internship, personal research or thesis.
COST: Food and accommodation 90€($100)/week and project contribution 400€ ($450). Airfare, visa and vaccination are on your behalf.
WORKSHOP LEADER: Karolina Porada, a polish landscape architect. Karolina is a graduate assistant at Cracow University of Technology in Poland, currently working on her phd degree which topic is the connection between land art and landscape architecture.
Join us during the construction of the land art installation and become a member of our team! Together we will create a unique place of rest and recreation in the heart of the Abetenim Arts Village in Ghana. It will be an unforgettable experience for you and an opportunity to get acquainted with local culture. You’ll learn new skills and make new friends. Join us and see how an arts village begins to function as a PLACE!
TO APPLY/INFO: karoporada@gmail.com / info@nkafoundation.org
ORGANIZER: www.nkafoundation.org / info@nkafoundation.org
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Post by Nka on Sept 13, 2017 8:28:45 GMT -6
QUESTION From zed: What should be the approximate size of the Library? For how many People the library has to be designed? And what should be the Basic functions incorporated in the Library?
ANSWER: Community Library Architecture Aim to design a Rural Community Library to be built as a learning center to promote access to information and knowledge through educational, life skills development and recreational programs. The library can be designed to also preserve the culture of the community and nation by collecting and displaying artifacts as special collection.
By Community Library we mean that the library will be open to everyone in the community, including the students in the school, the local youths and the adult members of the community. The library is to serve at least 100 users at a time. Specifically, the library may consist of: - Shelves with books on diverse subjects, audio-visual materials, cultural artifacts, etc. - Computer lab with Internet access - A separate multipurpose (large) room with a projector for e-presentations, meetings, workshops and trainings on reading and writing among the local k-12 students and for conducting different types of adult education services on rural fields of study. - Some reading areas (indoors and outdoors) - Handwashing facility - Etc
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Post by Nka on Sept 11, 2017 8:52:40 GMT -6
QUESTION
From ritesh9330: HELLO , WANT TO KNOW ABOUT WIND DIRECTION OF DIAKOUNDA VILLAGE
ANSWER The general direction of wind in the area is from West to East.
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Post by Nka on Aug 7, 2017 9:26:11 GMT -6
FREE ENERGY SYSTEMS
How to make Mendocino Motor:
Japan and electricity free goodbye to Maossat electricity:
DIY Wind Turbine | How to Make Tutorial:
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Post by Nka on Aug 5, 2017 7:26:51 GMT -6
From Honourarc
QUESTION: “Hi nka. Based on the site plan presented, are the identified buildings already existing on the site? If they are already, at what location within the site plan do we situate our proposed designs? The information on the site plan begs for further clarification. Secondly, the minimum number of people each type unit should accommodate wasn't mentioned, if it was, I may have missed it. Please provide further details.
Thanks”
There are no buildings already existing on the site. The existing site plan is not the final one, we will generate the Masterplan from the designs for construction. For now, situate your design within the site plan according to the function of your design. For example, if you are designing a classroom/workshop space, situate it near the highway, but if you are designing a student dormitory, situate it in the other side of the plot of land.
You are saying that the minimum number of people that each unit should accommodate was not mentioned. The design brief states some of them, such as 4 dormitory buildings for 25 students per dorm, cafeteria with eating area for 100 people, and the dome (performing arts space that sits 500 people. The rest is up to your design concept in view of that fact that you are designing for 100 students who will live in the campus.
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