· INTRODUCTION ·
The social catastrophe in Latin America has its epicenter in informal settlements.
Latin America, the most urbanized and unequal region in the world, is home to 104 million people living in informal settlements. Here, one in four urban residents lives in a slum, shantytown, favela, or encampment, in conditions of poverty. While not invisible, these populations are often rendered invisible, forced to survive on their own terms while facing constant rights violations and the exhausting test of their resilience.
· THE NGO ·
For this competition, Archstorming is partnering with TECHO Mexico. TECHO is a youth-led non-profit organization present throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
TECHO’s current emergency housing is a temporary solution to the vulnerability of communities living in poverty. It is based on an 18-square-meter modular design that is demountable and transportable, structurally composed of wood and clad in fiber cement.
Archstorming invites participants to submit proposals to redesign TECHO’s current emergency housing model. The winning proposal will serve as a seed model and will be constructed across the country.
· THE CHALLENGE ·
The primary objective of this competition is to redesign the emergency housing model currently used by TECHO.
The main objectives of this competition are:
• Reduce construction times and the logistical challenges of the current model.
• Decrease assembly complexity starting from the manufacturing process.
• Increase the lifespan of foundations and structures and improve thermal insulation, which is currently almost non-existent.
• Facilitate the future expansion of the (modular) housing unit.
• Increase flexibility in the placement of doors and windows.
• Enable the addition of extra modules (bathroom, kitchen, or others).
• Utilize sustainable and easily accessible materials.
• Create a more habitable living space.
