Designers were given six months to develop schemes for a fully equipped, mobile medical unit and HIV/AIDS treatment center that could not only be used for testing, prevention and treatment of the disease but also for disseminating information regarding the virus and providing basic health care services.
In submitting designs, entrants were asked to consider a number of criteria, including:
- ease of deployment and maintenance by a small team of medical professionals
- community acceptance
- cost
Discussions revolved around issues of mobility, storage, security and community involvement. For example, the jury believed that semi-articulated trucks would not be able to cover the regionfs difficult terrain, particularly during inclement weather. Designs dependent on a specific vehicle type would require maintenance and spare parts unavailable in many areas, a number of jurors agreed, while designs that could be deployed using a range of transportation modes offered greater mobility. Adequate and flexible storage, as well as the need to secure equipment and supplies both during transport and at night, also presented significant concerns. Creating ownership within the community, the jury felt, was another important goal. Recognizing the diversity of the region both in terms of geography and culture, the group favored designs that could be glocalized rather than Africanized.
The winning designs have been exhibited at shows around the world and can also be viewed on the Architecture Humanity Web site.
Humanitarian Projects
- Help For Katrina Victims ->
- Rebuilding After the Earthquake in Bam, Iraq ->
- Creating Transitional Housing in War-Torn Kosovo ->
- Tsunami Reconstruction->
