The World Bank, Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, Airbnb and Build Academy have launched a global crowd-solving challenge for designs of Resilient Homes. The goal of this challenge is to generate designs for low-cost and sustainable small houses (under $ 10,000) for people living in vulnerable areas affected by natural disasters. The deadline for challenge submissions is November 30, 2018.
From 1970 to 2010 the world population grew by 87 percent, while the population in flood plains increased by 114 percent and in cyclone-prone coastlines by 192 percent. Global losses due to adverse natural events were estimated at $ 4.2 trillion between 1980 and 2014. During this period, such losses have increased rapidly, rising from $ 50 billion a year in the 1980s to nearly $ 200 billion a year in the last decade.
It is often the housing sector that gets hardest hit from these shocks. For example, in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria impacting the Caribbean island country of Dominica in 2017, only 11 % of the entire housing stock on the island remained intact. Around 13% of the houses were completely destroyed while 76% of the housing stock suffered major to moderate damages with full or partial roof collapse being the most prominent form of structural damage suffered.
We have the opportunity to mitigate their effects and provide solutions that can minimize the impact, save lives and help communities recover faster from these disaster events. Architects, engineers, designers and aid workers can help design resilient and sustainable homes, both for reducing risk and for rapid reconstruction following a disaster.
The challenge is to rebuild back stronger, faster and more inclusively through resilient, modular, and affordable homes that can be built quickly and easily in areas most affected.
Teams of architects, engineers, and designers from all over the world can enter the competition. There is no registration fee for participation. The challenge has been designed for three scenarios:
island countries affected by earthquakes, storms and flooding;
mountain and inland areas affected by earthquakes and landslides;
coastal areas affected by storms and flooding.
Design teams can submit designs for any or all three of the scenarios per preference.
Design teams are encouraged to look beyond “full pre-fabricated” housing designs with incorporating local building materials into their designs. Designs could be part pre-fab with a clear aim towards ease and cost of construction.
An international jury of experts will select the best projects. Winning designs will be published and winners will be invited to exhibit at the World Bank in Washington DC, USA and other select global venues. Winning designs could also eventually inform resilient housing or reconstruction work for World Bank-funded projects in places like the Caribbean, South and East Asia, etc.
To join the challenge and for more information visit:
http://www.ResilientHomesChallenge.com
Partnering organizations:
World Bank, GFDRR, Airbnb and Build Academy
Contact Person:
Ivan R. Shumkov PhD
CEO and Founder Build Academy
ivan@buildacademy.com
Saurabh Dani
Sr. Disaster Risk Management Specialist
The World Bank
sdani@worldbank.org
