Laka Competition '16: Architecture that Reacts

Laka Competition ‘16—Architecture that Reacts

Laka Architektura invites designers from around the world to submit their ideas of architecture that reacts. That means architecture which is able to respond and adjust dynamically to the current needs and circumstances. These circumstances are often unpredictable, but their consequences can be crucial. The architecture that reacts is the architecture that lives as a living organism, since it responds to the external stimuli and it develops because of it—to react is to live.

Can architecture react to social needs?
The subject of the competition is a conceptual project of architecture that is socially engaged and is capable of reacting to unpredictable conditions and environmental, natural and social risks. Proposed solutions should constitute an ideological interpre­tation of modern technological solutions which take into consideration social and economic determinants. Architectural study should focus on architecture as a key field heading towards social revitalisation and increased safety and freedom of its users. Proposed solutions should involve a thorough analysis of the problem, for example, starting from outlining global factors and indicating key directions for modern ar­chitectural solutions. Accuracy of this analysis and po­tential of proposed solutions are going to be the main components of projects’ assessment.

Jury 2016:
Qun Dang (Architect, Principal Partner at MAD Architects)
Ana María Gutiérrez (Architect, Co-founder of Fundación Organizmo, Ashoka Fellow)
Peter Kuczia (IARP and BAK Architect, author of CO2 Saver House)
Julien De Smedt (Architect, Founder of JDS Architects)
Arturo Vittori (Architect, Co-founder of Warka Water NGO, Director of A&V)
Nathalie de Vries (Architect, Urban Planner, Co-founder of MVRDV)
Tobias Wallisser (Architect, Co-Founder of LAVA Laboratory For Visionary Architecture)

Judging Criteria:
Participants are free to decide about the location of the project, its scale, size and the program.
Listed below are 3 highlighted issues that the jury will pay attention to during judging:

1) a properly indicated architectural, social or environmental issue to solve
2) an accurate analysis of the selected issue
3) a properly chosen architectural solution that “reacts” and solves the indicated issue

Listed below are some issues that explain the concept of “Architecture that Reacts”:
an ability to response for social, economic, environmental changes |a level of social and environmental engagement of the design | a relation with a specific social, natural and built context | a level of flexibility and adaptability of the design |an innovative use of technology and sustainable systems |a level of self-sufficiency of the design.

Awards:
5000 USD will be distributed among winners:
1st PRIZE: 2500 USD
2nd PRIZE: 1500 USD
3rd PRIZE: 1000 USD

In addition: 10 honourable mentions will be selected. Winners and laureates of special mentions will be published in several international online magazines, and at the Laka Competitions website. The best proposals will be selected by the international panel of judges.

Selected designs will be considered to receive support of Acceleration Partners through a process of qualification which will be separate from the process of awarding the main prizes. Acceleration Program is an international network of Partners, whose role is to offer opportunities of investigation and implementation for the best designs submitted to Laka Competition by providing professional consulting, mentorship, international press coverage and support of sponsors and funders https://lakareacts.com/competition/partners/

Schedule:
Registration opens in April, 2016
Early Registration: 50 USD until June 1, 2016
Regular Registration: 75 USD until October 1, 2016
Late Registration: 100 USD until November 1, 2016
Project submission deadline: November 1, 2016
Jury deliberation: November, 2016
Winners’ announcement: December 1, 2016
UTC time zone for all dates

Website of the competition: https://lakareacts.com/competition/