Winners Announced For “The Dwelling 2023 Architecture Competition”

 

Winners Announced For “The Dwelling 2023 Architecture Competition”

First Place - Timber Tales by Ooi Yong Rong (Malaysia)

In response to the escalating trend of urban redevelopment and the consequent displacement of long-time residents, the concept involves the construction of timber low-rise dwellings atop an abandoned Wisma building. This forward-thinking endeavor aims to provide enhanced housing options for 100 individuals, granting them an opportunity to remain in proximity to their cherished roots and observe the transformation of their beloved town.

The project seeks to infuse new vitality into the heart of George Town, a city renowned for its rich history and cultural heritage. Drawing inspiration from the emblematic George Town Chinese street opera stage, the design pays homage to this symbol of vibrant local culture and community. In this reinterpretation, the dwellings situated atop the Wisma structure symbolize the very essence of the stage itself, with each home assuming the role of a script in the collective narrative of life in George Town. These dwellings, intended not solely as places of residence but also as platforms for individual expression, empower their occupants to actively participate in shaping the ongoing story of the city. The project offers a unique opportunity for these individuals to maintain their ties to their hometown while enjoying upgraded living conditions. 

Second Place - Vitalizing Watertanks by Kevin Chellakudam (Switzerland)

Due to the lack of proper infrastructure and water, the slums in Ernakulam – India, located close to the water sources. Given the fact that most building on water canal banks open their toilet outlets in to the canals, improper sanitation facilities, they not only pollute the water source, but also disease outbreaks here are ubiquitous. With the city facing increased threat of waterlogging, Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC) is expediting the implementation to revive the water canals, forcing the slums to shift location. Most residents are either a tenant or homeless, so the project asks how do we ensure land ownership for the people?

Vitalizing Watertanks is an alternative solution offered to the government to create social dwellings. Located in Kaloor, India. It aims to inhabit the empty part of the structure that supports a working water tank, while encouraging construction in dialogue with the community, bringing them closer and reducing labour costs. The goal is to design self-sustained modular pods with a variety of compositions, while still respecting local dynamics and culture. 

In Detroit, an illegible archipelago of households and single family houses is continually being produced due to the de-densification, which disintegrates the notion of community, and being challenging especially for smaller households including single-parent and single households. While the site is a child care desert as well as a deserts of animal shelters, this project focuses on providing a dwelling community that links vulnerable households, where children, single parents, single people, and cats accompany and care for each other, in an informal intimate relationship.