AMD Open Architecture Challenge

Three sites. Three continents. Hundreds of innovative designs.
One connected world.

Imagining a world without the Internet is nearly impossible. Despite the Internet’s global significance, less than 20 percent of the world’s 6 billion people currently have access to the educational, social and economic opportunities it can create. You can change that.

Enter the AMD Open Architecture Challenge and help enable affordable Internet access to 50 percent of the world by 2015.

The AMD Open Architecture Challenge is an open, international design competition. Its aim is to develop not one but many solutions for building sustainable, multi-purpose, low-cost technology facilities for those who need them most. Three community partners have been selected to participate in this year’s Challenge. Each site poses a unique set of design constraints and opportunities. While the needs of each client are unique, the hurdles they face in embracing technology to offer access to education, healthcare and the global marketplace are shared by millions of people in communities all over the world.

You do not have to be trained architect to participate. Anyone can enter. Entrants are invited to develop a design for one, two or all three sites.

Each design entered into the competition will be published and shared on the Open Architecture Network so that any community looking for similar design solutions will have access to them.

Proceeds from the competition entry fees will be awarded to the top entry for each site. One winning solution will be built with funding from AMD as part of its 50x15 Initiative to connect 50 percent of the world to the Internet by 2015. Centers will be constructed for the other two sites and replicated for additional community partners as funding becomes available.

By entering the competition you will have not only the opportunity to work one-on-one with a community to realize your design and bring connectivity and computing power to those who need it most but also a chance to share your ideas for a more connected future with the world.

In fact, just by entering you are helping people connect with design in ways never before possible.

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Challenge - South America

Connect a cooperative of indigenous chocolate producers and artisans in the Ecuadorian Amazon with the global marketplace by building a chocolate factory and fair trade exchange and off-site satellite technology hubs.  Read More

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Challenge - Africa

Empower the youth of Mukuru Kwa Njenga, an informal slum settlement of 250,000, to connect with other youth and create positive change in their community by building a technology media lab and library.  Read More

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Challenge - Asia

Enable families in a remote rural area of Nepal where there is only one doctor for a population of 250,000 to access to health care from top physicians and medical professionals all over the world by building a telemedicine center.  Read More

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Challenge Timeline

• Friday July 20, 2007: Deadline for Community Partner Proposals - completed
• Wednesday September 5, 2007: Sites Announced
• Wednesday September 12, 2007: Registration Begins
• Tuesday January 15, 2008: Submission Deadline
• February 2008: Jury
• Tuesday March 25, 2008: Finalists for Each Site Announced
• April 2008: Winners Announced

Open To: All. Design professionals and non-professionals alike are invited to compete to develop the winning technology center design. Student entries welcomed.

Entry Fee: $25 per site before 12/15/2007; $30 after 12/16/2007; $0 for entries from developing nations. Group rates available for faculty and students.

Site Awards: Proceeds of the competition entry fees will be awarded to the top entry for each site.

Challenge Award: The winning design team will have the opportunity to work on site directly with the community partner and Architecture for Humanity to build their design.

Contact:
AMD Open Architecture Challenge
415 332 6273 ext. 320
[email protected]