THE URBAN ADAPTATION COMPETITION challenges architects and students from around the world to find a way to create multi-purpose buildings that can adapt to the changing needs of urban communities. During the life cycle of a building, requirements can change dramatically due to changes in demography, culture or politics. A community might need less office space and more kindergartens instead. Or vice versa. In addition to adaptability, urban construction needs to become more efficient and environmentally friendly. Construction produces over 30% of the global CO2 emissions, but wood does the opposite, it stores carbon. Engineered wood is cost competitive because it enables fast construction with prefabricated elements and modules. These elements are flexible and allow designs which are adaptable.
“A wooden structure is easy to adapt to various situations. Wood is adaptable: it is easy to build with, but also dismantle and rebuild according to changing needs,” says Rahel Belatchew, a Swedish architect and a competition jury member.
The competition
The competition is organised by Metsä Group, Aalto University and the Ministry of the Environment of Finland. The entrants are asked to select a centrally-located empty plot in a city area and develop an innovative modular wood design for a public building or a building system that easily adapts to the changing needs of the community. In addition to visual and functional criteria, the designs need to show (1.) adaptability, (2.) modularity and (3.) sustainability.
The deadline for competition entries is on 31 December 2020 at 24:00 CET. No preregistration needed.
The first prize of the competition is €15,000 and the second prize is €5,000.
The jury
The jury members are Andrew Scott, a Professor of Architecture and Urbanism at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Rahel Belatchew, Chief architect and founder of Belatchew Arkitekter, Sweden and Minna Riska, Architect and partner at MDH Arkitekter, Norway.
The winners will be announced in February 2021.
“Engineered wood enables construction which is both efficient and environmentally friendly. I am looking forward to new innovative designs which take into account the entire life cycle,” says Ilkka Hämälä, President and CEO of Metsä Group.
We need to find a way to create multi-purpose buildings which can adapt to the changing needs of the community.
We need urban adaptation.
