Architects on a mission

Steel is being used to build innovative and eco-friendly homes that fulfil the need for environmentally friendly housing.

Architects have taken up the challenge to develop sustainable housing to help address the world's burgeoning housing shortage. Living Steel's third International Architecture Competition presents architects with the task of creating energy-efficient, single-family, detached housing that minimises climate change emissions and can withstand temperature extremes, yet is affordable to build and to buy.

Judged by some of the leading architects around the world, total prizes and honoraria are 100,000 euros (about Dh569,282), with the winning design awarded 50,000 euros
(about Dh284,641). The winning architects will use the exceptional qualities of steel to construct their design in Cherepovets, Russian Federation, where temperatures can range from -49 C to +34 C.

The homes constructed from the winning designs will be part of a community for use by employees of Russian steel maker, SeverStal JSC, headquartered in Cherepovets.

"This competition is the chance to be a positive force in the growing global need for economical, environmentally responsible housing," said Scott Chubbs, Living Steel Programme Director. "We've put together an exciting format that will allow ten teams of two architects each to present their best ideas for filling this critical need."

The third competition includes a two-part challenge each with a winner and prize.

Ten teams will be short-listed as competition finalists.The ten short-listed teams will be given the project brief and one month to put together their ideas for efficient, sustainable housing that fits the location specifications. These teams will be flown to Helsinki, Finland, where they will present their concepts to the competition's jury on June 26 and 27. The winning team will be awarded the jury prize of 50,000 euros (about Dh284,641) and the opportunity to see their design come to reality.

The competition event in Helsinki will conclude with an awards dinner on June 29 and the announcement of the winners of the Jury Prize and Architects' Prize.

"We want to give architects the opportunity to imagine their extreme ideas making an extreme impact for our world and for the people who will call their vision ‘home'," said Chubbs. "We are anticipating a great time of exploring a score of possibilities for home and community, not only to meet this competition challenge, but to offer the world viable, sustainable solutions for comfortable and affordable housing for similar regions."

The Living Steel International Architecture Competitions were launched to develop innovative approaches to meet sustainable housing needs. Underpinning each competition is the need to address the economic, environmental and social implications of increasing population density and growth.

The combined competitions have a total prize fund of 700,000 euros (about Dh3,983,807), making them one of the largest architectural design initiatives in the world, and present architects with the opportunity to bring their vision for effective and affordable housing to life in one of several countries around the world.

The first competition was launched in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 6, 2005, at the XXII World Congress of the International Union of Architects, with a call for expressions of interest to design sustainable housing in Kolkata, India and Warsaw, Poland.

In June 2006, UK firm Piercy Conner Architects and architectenbureau cepezed from the Netherlands won the competition and were awarded contracts to complete and develop their designs for construction in India and Poland, respectively. The second competition was announced on World Architecture Day, October 2, 2006, with a call for expressions of interest to design sustainable housing in Brazil, China and the United Kingdom.

From more than 1,100 expressions of interest, 18 short-listed firms were invited to submit designs for steel-based residential housing. Winners were announced in September 2007 —For Brazil, Andrade Morettin Arquitetos Associados Ltda, Brazil; for China, Knafo Klimor Architects, Israel; and for the UK, Cartwright Pickard, UK.

A jury panel of finest architects

The jury members represent some of the world's finest architects. They are all known for their passion for the environment and their application of sustainable practices in their designs.

The jurors are:

Towards a sustainable future

Living Steel, a worldwide, collaborative programme designed to stimulate innovative and responsible housing design and construction was launched in February 2005. It was developed to help address the unprecedented pressure on infrastructure, and communities stemming from growing urban populations.

Funded through the contributions of the world's leading steel manufacturers, the full members of Living Steel include ArcelorMittal, Baosteel, BlueScope Steel, CELSA Group, Corus, Erdemir, IMIDRO, Posco, Ruukki, SeverStal and Tata Steel. Becker Industrial Coatings, McDonald Steel Building Products Ltd, Realm Intermediaries (P) Ltd and Saint-Gobain Gypsum are associate members.

- Visit www.livingsteel.org/members