Cambodian Sustainable Housing Competition Results Announced:

Emerging Melbourne transdisciplinary practice, Visionary Design Development Pty Ltd, announced as co-winner of international sustainable housing design competition. The competition brings new life to housing design and delivery for low income families living in Cambodia. All winning projects will be built later this year. Run by three non-government organisations, the competition had over 600 registered entrants from architectural practices around the world. The other two winners were British and US architects. Once constructed Visionary Design Development’s ‘WET + DRY HOUSE’ will be home to a widowed mother of 5 wanting to open a shop to provide for her family. The design of her new house will easily allow her to do accomplish this.

Winning entries were selected by a jury made up of representatives from Building Trust International, Habitat for Humanity Cambodia, Karuna Cambodia, MIT, Collective Studio, members of the Cambodian Society of Architects and most importantly the families that are going to live in the houses once they are built. The design competition asked for designs of a $2000 house that can withstand flooding and offer a safe and secure home for low income families in Cambodia.

Visionary Design Development’s expertise in disaster reconstruction has been previously recognised as joint winners of an Emergency Shelter design competition – on display in Federation Square from 01/05/13 to 05/05/13. Prior to this, in 2010, the firm were co-winners of the Victorian Government’s Bushfire-Resistant Affordable House Design, built for the surprisingly low cost of $150,000 in Marysville, Victoria.

Quotes:

David Cole, founding partner, Building Trust International

“ The competition builds on the fantastic work that Habitat for Humanity Cambodia are already doing in the region and we are glad to be able to encourage international and local architects to get involved with helping those most in need with the basic human right to shelter.”

Sokphal Kchao, Karuna Cambodia

'Karuna Cambodia would like to extend congratulation to team Australia (‘Wet + Dry House’ by Mary Ann Jackson, Ralph Green, Muhammad Kamil and Nick Shearman from Australian firm Visionary Design Development Pty Ltd.), winner of the Cambodian Sustainable Housing International Design Competition. Your contribution will change not only the physical landscape of Cambodia but the aspiration of Cambodians like [name deleted for privacy] widow and mother of 5, who wants to open a shop to provide for her family. On behalf of Cambodian people, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your generosity.'

Visionary Design Development, Managing Director, Mary Ann Jackson

“Visionary Design Development Pty Ltd is honoured to be adjudged co-winners of this important, international competition. We hope to make a modest contribution, to the life of a Cambodian family. Many thanks to the organisers and their partners, and especially to Muhammad Kamil (Kamil), our Asia Pacific specialist for taking the Lead on this submission.”

Visionary Design Development, Lead Project Designer, Muhammad Kamil

“Our approach to this challenge is to understand the problem from a communal viewpoint - if we do it together, we will go a long way. Social architecture, beyond shelter - a place of nurture. …. Positivity, at the end, is our attitude when faced with constraints: environmental, site, budget. We work with what is available and utilise them to their fullest potential.”