3rd Prize

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3rd Prize

Team: WORNATTHA231996
Project by: Nattaphon Worawanitchaphong
from Thailand

DESIGN

In the south of Senegal, Sedhiou region, there is a small village called Baghere, which is the location of the Children's House project. In such villages, the quality of life is the least developed in the country, contributing to malnutrition among children. When children have no food, they get sick. Their development of physical and mental potential decreases or the heaviest is their death. The issue raised awareness of food security, leading to the objective of growing a Food Environment integrated with architecture, to keep-alive. When children are alive, they will be able to play, run or learn everything in their life. “When there are no foods, there are no humans.” Ancient humans were able to survive hunger, as they initiated to find food sources by the solution of gathering edible wild plants, hunting and developed into agricultural enlightenment, they learned to cultivate crops and raise animals for food production. Born as an Agrarian society, leading to a major change in humanity in many aspects. “When humans have food.” Another body of knowledge that humans continually develop is methods for storing and preserving food. Food from plants and animals has a non-permanent period of existence. Therefore, the role of food preservation is to prolong the storage period for consumption during food shortages. Methods for growing food sources and preserving food is the knowledge that leads to the idea in the process of creating a food environment. It started with cultivating crops that human food, Food products are stored through the preservation process, Food residues are buried in the soil around the building to become compost, The compost is returned to be food for cultivation, respectively. The result of a cyclical diet. Soil conditions get better, the building is like an oasis in the middle of the desert that slowly adjusts its context little by little. The interior space is surrounded by food environment walls, with wooden structures. The entire building will be partially surrounded by trees in the context to prevent from severe weather condition. The weather will be the main variable in growing a food environment. Sunlight, humidity, and temperature play an important role in the growth of plant crops and food preservation. The wall membrane of the building is a wooden structure that can be disassembled in the appropriate season. When the cultivation season. The building walls are filled with plants and crops. Seedlings are planted in trays or pots, vegetables in pots that are placed and hung. any plants that contribute to air bubbles and temperature regulation. When the harvest season arrives. The building walls are filled with food products ready for preservation processed by drying methods. Chopped tomatoes and vegetables are placed on the tray, carrots and corn are hung on the wall. Some of the walls are layered with stones, logs, and pottery, these materials are obtained from the context. The function inside the building is split in half. First, the floor is covered with concrete to support the treatment for children and pregnant women. Second, the gravel ground gives the feeling of a landscape inside the building, and a table that stretches along the length of the building. The area plays a role as a public area of the community, it is for organizing activities, meetings, trainings, as well as a recreation area for children, Imagine, an old man playing chess with his friends at the head of the table, In the middle a woman planting seeds in a pot, and children running around the table.

MATERIALS

The relationship between natural materials and their return to nature is the focus of the design. Wood is the main material for building construction. When time passes, the building plays a role in the formation of seedlings, that will grow into trees to bring back into the wild nature. Every part of the wood is used in a cost-effective way. The scraps of wood from the cutting are used to make wedges and dowels, some parts are made into furniture depending on the size and proportion of the wood scraps. Wood sawdust from cutting or shaving is used to make compost for cultivation, mulching the soil to reduce the moisture of the soil surface and suppress weeds. With the advent of saplings, plants and food. the materials that complement architectural integrity. When the season changes, the behavior of plants and food on the wooden wall also change.

CONSTRUCTION

The stones are gathered from the surrounding context. A traditional stone plinth foundation for a wooden structure. This traditional construction method requires delicacy and craftsmanship. This method will become wisdom for people in the community. It is also the selection of natural materials for maximum benefit. The wooden structures are joined together by the method of wedges and dowels. The wooden wall shelf can be disassembled according to its functional in the appropriate season. Sheet metal corrugated roof slopes to a 3 degrees angle. Rainwater that falls on the roof plane will flow together at the steel gutter attached to the wooden rafters, then, the water from the steel gutter will falling into the well behind the building for consumption. Architectural integrity occurs after construction is complete. When people in the community participate in bringing seedlings, plants, and food to fill the architectural walls. The result of a self-generating a Food Environment integrated with architectural space.

Team interview

1) Can you tell us more about your team?

My name is Nattaphon Worawanitchaphong, my nickname is Mon (like Doraemon). I was born in May 27th, 1996, in Bangkok, Thailand. I am a young architect in Thailand, I graduated with a bachelor's degree from the Faculty of Architecture in Bangkok. I'm passionate about classical music, natural phenomenon, poetry Architecture, phenomenon art, and little cats.

2) What was your feeling when you knew you were among the top projects of the competition?

At first, I'm immensely thankful and honored with the result. I leaped for delight and hurriedly shared the good news with my family and close friends, Everyone, including myself, appeared startled. Earlier, there were so many things going on in my life, that I was on the verge of abandoning this competition. Thus when the results were revealed, I am deeply glad that I didn't miss this opportunity. Finally, I would really like to express my gratitude to myself and to everyone who supported me all this time.

3) Can you briefly explain the concept of your project and which is the relationship between it and the child nutrition?

“When there are no foods, there are no humans.”, more essential than anything else is the truth that we are being alive. If the children are able to survive the hunger, it will be the beginning of a new life for them to continue to grow and learn in the future. I presented the objective of growing a food environment integrated into the architecture. The weather in context will be the primary variable in growing food, which leads to the result of a cyclical diet, to keep them alive.

4) Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?

The initiative is to understand the essence of the content, to the possibilities that produce architectural results. When I searched for articles, images, videos, and other media, it brought me closer to them. Such datasets are more than the material for the design, For me, there is a new body of knowledge that inspires things in my life, like human perception, cultural distinctions, aesthetics, and many other things.

5) How did the material choice affect your design?

The relationship between natural materials and their return to nature is the focus of the design. Wood is the primary material for building construction. When time passes, the architectural wall plays a role in the formation of seedlings, that will grow into trees and be returned to the wild nature. After construction is completed, saplings, plants, and food are materials that will be used to complement architectural integrity with the participation of people in the community.

6) Has your project been inspired by anything-in particular, by some project in developing countries or past projects of Kaira Looro?

I found a video on YouTube that describes the story of the shortage and underdeveloped quality of life in Senegal. The woman in the video said “When I had my first child, I was 17 years old. I have 8 children, but only 4 are living” For me, this sentence was extremely depressing. This issue initially made me want to consider about the solution: how can I help to keep them alive? 7) How your idea of architecture can reduce child malnutrition in developing countries, and how the local community concerned could perceive this architecture?

The idea has been focused on growing and preserving the food environment. when children have enough food, they are alive, and they will be able to play, run or learn everything in their life. In which, I presented how to create a food source that circulates on the architectural wall. Everyone in the community contributes to the formation of a food environment. The food's walls are clearly depicted, and there are social interactions both directly and indirectly when they come inside or are passed around.

8) From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of architects in dealing with complex issues such as children rights or architectures in developing countries?

Architecture plays a role as a medium of communication and expresses the possibilities of solutions. In my personal opinion, when dealing with complex and sensitive issues, It is difficult to solve problems solely through architecture. The collaboration of all sectors is the heart of solving complex problems that architects may have to think about.

9) The aim of the competition was also to improve the research on the topics of sustainable architecture with natural and recycled materials. How do you feel that contemporary architecture is approaching these topics?

For thousands of years, the advent of architecture, communities, and cities have been operating on natural sites. The humanity is constantly evolving, and becoming more civilized. On the other hand, the consequences of excessive borrowing of natural resources have also resulted in severe natural phenomena. It is clearly seen from the areas in the competition that are clearly affected by global warming, ground-covered salt, and the desert engulfing their country. Personally, I explored the conditions of material that led to the emergence of architecture, not only the material choice of natural or recycled material but also including the process of material formation and how that material is brought to construction.

10) The competition registration fee, was devolved to the non profit organization Balouo Salo that helps people in disadvantage area of Senegal. How it has affected you approach to the competition?

It's a pleasure to I know that a portion of the money has contributed to helping fellow human beings. I would like to utilize this area to encourage humans who are struggling. and I sincerely hope that they will get the same quality of life as everyone else .

11) Your prize is an internship at SBGA | Blengini Ghirardelli, one of the most prestigious architecture studios in the jury. Can you express your feelings about it?

I'm grateful and honored to have been given the chance to intern at the international architecture studios. Greatly beyond my expectations. I consider it to be one of the best opportunities of my life. I'm thrilled to encounter new experiences, places, and atmospheres where there will an exchange of cultural and architectural perspectives. I genuinely appreciate the chance the competition has given me.

12) The aim of the competition is also to give professional opportunities to young architects with internship prize and visibility at international level, and we wish your team the best achievements for your career. How do you think you will be in next 10 years? According to you, can this award affect your future?

Today is Yesterday’s Tomorrow. After July 11, 2022, everything changed, that was when I received the announcement. So today I can smile after my life has encountered a heavy storm. I have the strength to move forward. This is just the result that affects my short-term future, I can't predict the distant future for sure, but I think this will be a beautiful and exciting beginning for me. However, if I had to predict what would happen in ten years, whether or not I'm still working in the architecture profession, I want myself to do what I'm happy with, got a job that I'm passionate about, and live a joyful life, This is enough for the next 10 years.

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