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• Architects

  Building Trust international, Weston Williamson + Partners

• Location

  Unnamed Road, ជីបាល, Cambodia

• Area

  440.0 m2

• Project Year

  2017

• Photographs

  Lucas Veuve

In a 12-day workshop, Building Trust International and Terraepaglia joined the Ciuffelli Agricultural Technical Institute in Todi, Italy, with the aim of exploring a series of construction techniques with raw soil. In addition to producing earth bricks and rammed earth structures -in collaboration with experts such as Eliana Baglioni and Pouya Khazaeli-, a curved wall was erected with a wooden structure and a cane framework, on which a massive layer of earth and straw was spread.

The activity generated a series of internal spaces as a kind of laboratory, to show the construction methods and the materials in situ.

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Patrick McLoughlin and Chad Johnson are the founders of Build Abroad, a volunteer organization that offers architectural and construction services to developing nations. McLoughlin also sits on the board of Architecture for Humanity in Chicago. In this article they share 3 new ways architects can get involved through volunteering.

In the architectural industry’s current climate, pro bono work is met with a certain stigma. Many architects believe giving time free of charge has a negative impact on the profession and devalues architects everywhere. While this is true in most cases, there is one scenario in which architects should give a small portion of their time to the greater good: humanitarian volunteering. Architecture is certainly a powerful tool, and often much needed in developing areas of the world --- so the next time the words ‘pro bono’ come up, think about helping those who wouldn’t be able to afford architectural services otherwise.

A team from Bristol-based firm PLACE By Design has been selected as the winner of Building Trust International’s Cool School Design Competition, beating out 475 other entrants. Located in Khovd, Mongolia, the project presents an innovative educational space that integrates existing facilities and is capable of withstanding the region’s extreme weather patterns.

Inspired to update the substandard conditions of an existing school at the base of the Mongol Altai Mountains, the team was faced with several challenges. The current Tsast Altai School is the oldest in the region, serving 500 children in eight dark, confined, and decaying classrooms. To counter these issues and create an environment more suitable for learning, the competition challenged participants to not only consider the building's durability in the harsh weather, but also “lighting, ventilation, materials, space, comfort, accessibility, adaptability and aesthetics.”

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The sixth international competition by Building Trust International, this year’s “Cool School” design competition is in its final stage. Participants were challenged with the task of designing a school addition for 100 students responsive to the extreme climatic conditions of Mongolia, emphasizing adaptability, aesthetics, and comfort. Of over 180 submissions, one winner and nine honorable mentions will be selected by a jury and announced on May 1, 2015.

In celebration of the creative designs, Building Trust International has created a Facebook gallery of all the competition entries. Check out 12 selected designs after the break.

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Building Trust International, in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity and Karuna Cambodia, has realized three winning designs from the 2013 Future of Sustainable Housing in Cambodia competition. 

Built on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, the constructed designs sought to provide impoverished Cambodians with new options for safe and secure homes under $2000 that are capable of withstanding flood and able to be expanded in phases. 

Check out the three completed designs, after the break...

Responding to the demand for healthcare services in rural Southeast Asia, Building Trust International launched an international competition - Moved to Care - to envision flexible and relocatable healthcare facilities. Over 200 entrants participated; one professional winner, a multi-disciplinary team from the USA, and one student winner were honored. Check out their winning proposals, after the break...

"People tend to forget that play is serious." - David Hockney

PLAYscapes, an international design competition launched earlier this year asking people to "submit a plan or proposal to turn a neglected forgotten part of your city into a playscape," has announced their winning entries. Set up by Building Trust International, the competition called for "professional and student architects and designers from cities around the world to propose ideas which encouraged public interaction and turned redundant city spaces into fun creative places."

Find out more about the winning professional entry from the City of Cape Town, entitled Cape Town Gardens Skatepark, along with the winning student entry from the Lusiada University of Lisbon, entitled Bring a Pal and Have Fun, after the break...