DESIGN COMPETITION ACCESSIBLE HOUSING 2015-2016 COMPETITION BRIEF
TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY... 3 1. COMPETITION INVITATION... 3 1.1 Competition organiser, nature and purpose of the competition... 3 1.2 Right to participate... 3 1.3 Prizes and honourable mentions... 3 1.4 Jury... 3 1.5 Competition language... 3 1.6 Competition period... 3 2. COMPETITION BRIEF... 4 2.1 What is accessible housing?... 4 2.2 About the EFL... 4 2.3 Background to the competition brief: the ageing population... 4 2.4 Purpose and goals for the competition... 4 2.5 Criteria for judging competition entries... 5 3. TECHNICAL INFORMATION ON THE COMPETITION... 6 3.1 Questions about the competition... 6 3.2 Competition decision, publication of results and display of competition entries... 6 3.3 Further action resulting from the competition... 6 3.4 Rights to competition entries... 6 3.5 Returning competition entries... 6 3.6 Insuring competition entries... 6 4. COMPETITOIN ENTRY INSTRUCTIONS... 7 4.1 Documents required... 7 4.2 Presentation... 7 4.3 Confidentiality... 7 4.4 Submission deadline... 7 Jury members: Sampo Vallius - Finland Joost Nieuwenhuijzen - Netherlands Glen Joseph - UK Kirsti Pesola - Finland Renée Floret- Scheide - France Eckhard Feddersen - Germany Theo van der Voordt - Netherlands Jeremy Porteus - UK 2 DESIGN COMPETITION ACCESSIBLE HOUSING l 2015-2016 l COMPETITION BRIEF
1. COMPETITION INVITATION EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The European Federation for Living (EFL) is hosting a design competition for architecture and design students requesting stimulating, innovative ideas in the field of new-build accessible housing for the elderly as by 2060, over half of the European population will be past retirement age. In response to this fundamental change in demography, we want to investigate ideas about how best we can house our ageing society so that people can continue being a resource for society well into the later years of their lives. This will likely require a majority of housing to be made adaptably accessible so that it can accommodate our changing needs as we age, rather than people being rehoused into elder friendly accommodation. Entrants are encouraged to think broadly about the needs of the ageing population and the issues of accessibility and to build multidisciplinary teams by involving (for example) gerontology, engineering, or social science students. A total of EUR 10,000 in prizes will be awarded to the winning entries. COMPETITION INVITATION 1.1 Competition organiser, nature and purpose of the competition This competition is organised by the European Federation for Living (EFL), an association composed of housing organisations, companies in the chain of housing development and academic institutes with an interest in housing. The competition is an international design competition intended for students. It is a concept competition where entrants are invited to submit overall concepts for accessible housing for the elderly at any scale and at a reasonable cost. The purpose is to find innovative and unexplored accessible housing solutions. The competition brief is to outline the changing needs of European housing in response to demographic shift towards an increasingly ageing society. We ask that students then design accessible residential buildings with a focus on the individual dwellings or groups of buildings, assuming a blank canvas. What is important in this brief is to identify the needs as outlined and to create a bold vision for the future. The aim is for entrants to consider the problem field of accessible housing in the future and to identify themes to explore in more detail in their design. 1.2 Right to participate The competition is open to all registered degree, master or diploma students of university-level institutions from countries with an EFL partner member. Entries may be submitted by individuals or teams. Entrants are encouraged to form multi-disciplinary teams. It is acceptable for competition entries to be supervised in teaching contexts at the student s or students place of study. 1.3 Prizes and honourable mentions EFL will award prizes amounting to EUR 10,000. These will be as follow: 1st prize 5000 2nd prize 3000 3rd prize 1000 prizes of 500 EFL may, at its discretion, decide to distribute the prize money differently, by unanimous decision. EFL will apply for tax exemption for the cash prize. The prize recipient(s) must themselves manage any impact that the prize money may have on their study grants or taxation. The prize will go only to individual student(s). 1.4 Jury The jury members so far include: Sampo Vallius, Development Architect, ARA Joost Nieuwenhuijzen, Managing Director, European Federation for Living Glen Joseph, Research Manager, Habinteg Housing Association Kirsti Pesola, Director, Accessibility Centre, Finnish Association of People with Physical Disabilities Renée Floret-Scheide, Architect, Agence Floret-Scheide Architecte Eckhard Feddersen, Founder, Feddersen Architekten Dr. D.J.M. (Theo) van der Voordt, Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Real Estate & Housing Jeremy Porteus, Director, Housing Learning and Improvement Network The jury will be chaired by Sampo Vallius. The jury will select a preparatory committee from amongst its members. The jury may also, at their discretion, invite experts to jury meetings for consultation. The secretary of the jury will be appointed later. 1.5 Competition Language The competition language is English. 1.6 Competition Period The competition period begins on October 2015. The competition deadline is 15 January 2016. The results of the competition will be published on March 2016. DESIGN COMPETITION ACCESSIBLE HOUSING l 2015-2016 l COMPETITION BRIEF 3
2. COMPETITION BRIEF 2.1 What is accessible housing? Accessibility is the degree to which a product, device, or environment is available to as many people as possible. It can be viewed as ability to access and benefit from something. Accessible housing, therefore, is housing which is comfortably usable by all people, including disabled people or people facing challenges that may have arisen as a result of ageing. Legislation governing accessible housing varies considerably between countries. It is usually the case that housing must meet certain, very welldefined requirements to be classified as accessible. There are also often multiple tiers of accessibility that a design can aspire to. Some homes may be fully wheelchair accessible, others only wheelchair adaptable, and still others not adaptable at all for wheelchair users but possibly still appropriate for those with other disabilities. Regardless, the definitions for these different levels are very much delineated by rules. For the purposes of this contest, we would like to free entrants from these legislative requirements to take a broader view on the idea of accessibility. Instead of worrying about meeting the needs of the various country s accessibility design codes, we want entries to focus on innovation and vision, while keeping the spirit of accessibility in mind. 2.2 About the EFL The European Federation for Living (EFL) is a unique cooperation association of European organisations which is active in the field of real estate development, financing and control. Furthermore EFL works in cooperation with research institutes, public bodies and the business community. It has the objective of a mutual realisation of sustainable residential and living areas in Europe and the exchange of knowhow and experiences. The first foundations of the EFL were laid in 2005 when the Dutch-German Connection (NDC) was established. The NDC was founded as a cooperative between a number of Dutch housing corporations, a developer and a building contractor, with the joint intention of promoting the exchange of knowledge between Dutch and German housing corporations and their related institutions. Its aim was to transfer experience and knowledge and, in doing so, provide added value to their own corporate activities. The basis for this was provided by the MSRE Master thesis of drs. Joost Nieuwenhuijzen MSRE, former director of the Amsterdam-based housing company Rochdale, titled De Duitse Weg (freely translated in English as the German Way ). EFL was formally established in 2007 on the initiative of Rob van der Leij, major CEO of the Van der Leij Groep BV, with Joost Nieuwenhuijzen. At present, EFL comprises of 34 members from amongst 7 European countries. 2.3 Background to the competition brief: the ageing population The European Union is facing unprecedented demographic changes. An ageing population, low birth rates and changing family structures are significantly altering the way its society looks. EU countries are looking at shrinking working age populations and a growing retired populations. Currently Europe has 3 people of working age (15-64) for every person 65 or older. By 2025, this number is anticipated to reach 2 to 1, and by 2060, over half of Europeans will likely be retirement age. The growing burden on the younger population is and will be unsustainable, and countries must therefore ensure that people can stay healthy and remain active in the community and in the labour market for as long as possible. If countries are to achieve economic growth in the future, people s active life will need to be extended. This means creating an environment where growing old does not necessarily mean becoming dependent on others. With this competition, we week to engage with this idea by prompting student designers and architects to consider the overall theme of ageing in place, focusing on individual dwellings. Assisted living centres, continuing care communities and nursing homes no longer meet the needs of the ageing population. Segregation of our retirement-aged citizens denies society access to an increasingly important labour and community resource. These solutions are also increasingly unpopular from the perspective of the elderly. The new reality is that people would rather be part of a vibrant, age-heterogeneous community as they grow older, both for the services available to them in such a setting and for the services they could offer to others. It is increasingly important, then, that homes are designed to accommodate the changing needs of residents as they age. In this competition, we are not only seeking designs that can house the elderly entrants should also consider designs that can be adapted and allow people to grow old in them. We can also imagine using technology for ambient assisted living. 2.4 Purpose and goals for the competition What? An EFL funded, accessible housing building with a focus on individual dwellings. How? Reasonably priced, accessible, adaptable, innovative and comfortable. Why? The population is ageing; there will be a great need for accessible housing. The competition brief is to outline the changing needs of European housing in response to demographic shift towards an increasingly ageing 4 DESIGN COMPETITION ACCESSIBLE HOUSING l 2015-2016 l COMPETITION BRIEF
The competition brief is to outline the changing needs of European housing in response to demographic shift towards an increasingly ageing society. We ask that students then design accessible residential building with a focus on the individual dwellings, assuming a blank canvas upon which to design. The competition is a conceptual ideas competition where solutions are sought at any scale from a single building to an entire district. What is important in this brief is to identify the need for accessible housing as outlined and to create a bold vision for the future. The aim is for entrants to consider the problem field of accessible housing in the future and to identify themes to explore in more detail in their design. The description text of the entry must demonstrate what the entrant s vision is of accessible housing in the future and its principal themes. The themes to be highlighted and explored may have to do with health, community, new forms of work, new housing service concepts, construction, technology, etc. There are no limitations to this. However, there are three primary themes we would like to see addressed: accessibility, health, and affordability. Residential buildings of the future should be accessible. How will the concepts of accessibility manifest themselves in architecture? Submissions should at least be obstacle-free, with unhindered access both indoors and outdoors. Some of the additional themes we would like to see explored are: Flexibility and adaptation to residents needs at various stages of their lives Adjustable spatial solutions Integrated ICT technologies Modular components which allows for transferability to existing housing stocks Inclusive (or universal) design. Given the ageing nature of the European population, housing will also need to be designed with health in mind. How can building design be used to encourage healthy living in residents of all ages and abilities/disabilities? Whether consisting of one or more residential buildings, the competition entry must include homes for several households. The type of building is not determined, but it is required that all submissions be designs for newly constructed buildings, not adaptations of existing structures. The accessible home may be a skyscraper, a highrise building, a small apartment house, a row house, a city low-rise building, a hybrid, or something completely different. The type of housing assumed is housing in the affordable rental sector. The room schedule of the entry must be based on the type of building designed and the themes explored. The building(s) designed may include common rooms, commercial space and workshops in addition to homes. Parking must be taken into account in the entry, however, it may be outlined in relation to what the transport system may or may not be in place. The quality of and linkages to the environment should also be addressed in the entries. Designing and presenting the immediate environment of the building is part of the competition brief. The aim is to create an accessible and obstacle-free, visually pleasant and highly functional urban space that is comfortable for its residents. 2.5 Criteria for judging competition entries The principal criterion for judging the competition is how the entrants identify with the challenges of accessible housing and how boldly they envision future developments. Entrants are encouraged to let their fancy fly and not to be too bound up with matterof-fact realism. A successful entry will clearly outline the themes explored and offer innovative and daring solutions. Judging will also focus on how designs contribute to the health of residents, reasonability of price, ecological sustainability, and the quality of the environment and of the housing. Because the competition is not set in a particular location or timeframe, it is not required that entries actually be capable of being implemented in practice today. Innovation is more important than flawless detail. Dwellings must be affordable for housing organisations to build. Although the means for achieving reasonable cost may vary, this aspect must be taken into account in the competition entries. Costs per resident may be reduced for instance by investing in high-quality common rooms, new methods of construction, or any other number of approaches entrants might take. DESIGN COMPETITION ACCESSIBLE HOUSING l 2015-2016 l COMPETITION BRIEF 5
3. TECHNICAL INFORMATION 3.1 Questions about the competition Entrants are entitled to submit clarifying questions about the competition to the jury. Questions must be sent by e-mail to the EFL office to be reached under svanbalen@ef-l.eu and info@ef-l.eu until 30 November 2015 at the latest. The subject line of the message must be: EFL Design Competition question. Questions received later than this will be disregarded. The competition secretary will collect all received questions and make them anonymous. The questions will all be answered on the same date, regardless of the reception date. Questions received and the jury s answers will be shared among competitors and published on the competition website at www.ef-l.eu/ourprojects/ design-competition on 11 December 2015. purposes of the publication referred to above in section 2.2. Any use of competition entries other than detailed above shall be separately agreed upon with the author(s) of the entry or entries. 3.5 Returning competition entries The competition entries will not be returned. 3.6 Insuring competition entries EFL will not insure the competition entries. 3.2 Competition decision, publication of results and display of competition entries The aim of the competition to have a final decision on the competition by March 2016. Entrants who are awarded prizes or honourable mentions will be contacted immediately once the competition has been decided. The results of the competition will be published and the prizes given out on April 2016. The best competition entries will be put on public display at the EFL General Assembly in Helsinki on April 2016. The jury minutes will also be on display. Competition entries will also be presented on the EFL website and in the media in May 2016. 3.3 Further action resulting from the competition The purpose of the competition is to find innovative accessible housing ideas for the future, not to implement any of the entries as such. However, competition entries awarded prizes or honourable mentions may be used as a basis for further development and planning. 3.4 Rights to competition entries The competition entries awarded prizes and honourable mentions will remain the property of the competition organisers, while the entrants will retain copyright. EFL shall be entitled to draw on the competition entries awarded prizes or honourable mentions for further development at no further compensation. EFL shall be entitled to use the competition entries awarded prizes or honourable mentions in their own publishing, marketing and research activities, at no further compensation. Additionally, EFL shall be entitled to use all competition entries for the 6 DESIGN COMPETITION ACCESSIBLE HOUSING l 2015-2016 l COMPETITION BRIEF
4. COMPETITION ENTRY INSTRUCTIONS 4.1 Documents required Competition entries must include the following: Site plan 1:200 Garden plan 1:200 (this can be presented in site plan) Floor plans 1:100 or 1:50, at the entrant s discretion Environment plan 1:500 or 1:1000, at the entrant s discretion Description of the overall concept, presentation at the entrant s discretion Elevations and sufficient cross-sections 1:100 or 1:50, at the entrant s discretion At least one indoor perspective drawing and one outdoor perspective drawing from a location chosen by the entrant A description text no more than two A4 sheets long, covering at least the following points: o Entrant s vision of what the challenges in accessible housing will be in the future o How the competition entry addresses these challenges o The principal architectural features of the entry o Floor area and distribution of apartments Any other material considered necessary (for example drawings of furniture or equipment, graphics, text, pictures) 4.2 Presentation All materials submitted must be of publication quality and should be submitted electronically in PDF format (at 150 dpi) and a maximum size of 10MB. Submissions are limited to three panels or less (A0), with supplemental descriptive texts submitted in a separate document, if necessary. 4.3 Confidentiality The competition is anonymous. The competition secretary will anonymise all submission once received. Participants should use pseudonyms on all competition materials. 4.4 Submission deadline The competition deadline is 15 January 2016. Competition entries must be submitted electronically to svanbalen@ef-l.eu and info@efl.eu no later than 16.00h CET on the deadline date given above. Entries received after the deadline will be disqualified. DESIGN COMPETITION ACCESSIBLE HOUSING l 2015-2016 l COMPETITION BRIEF 7