The Global Challenge 2021 is an initiative by founders Changfang Luo and Rob Breed of Architecture-in-Development. The platform is an attempt to connect local community initiatives with a global network of socially-engaged architecture professionals, organisations and companies.
The ModSkool was a response to repeated forced evictions of informal settlements in Delhi, India. After a school was demolished in a farming community on the floodplains of the river Yamuna, due to its 'illegal' status, the community approached Social Design Collaborative to help design a temporary modular school.
In collaboration with the school staff, Social Design Collaborative designed the structure as a steel frame that could easily be erected and dismantled. Walls, doors and windows were made from materials typically used by farmers in the area like bamboo, reused wood and dried grass.
As part of the Global Challenge in 2016, the project received global support from the Architecture-in-Development network as one of the finalists. In less then three weeks in the summer of 2017 the school was built hands-on by the students, staff, parents and around 50 volunteers who heard about the project on social media.
After providing a safe educational space for 200 students for a year, the school had to be dismantled due to a land ownership dispute. As the design anticipated this, the school was easily relocated further south of the river at a new location in 2018. This time using the local craft of 'charpai' - traditional cot weaving found commonly in the area.
Architecture-in-Development has just launched the Global Challenge 2021, the second edition, following the great success of the 2016 pilot. The Global Challenge aims to give the most urgent architectural initiatives the boost that they deserve. Winning proposals will gain access to expertise, network and funding resources, offered by their global partners including the Hilti Foundation, LaFargeHolcim Foundation, Aga Khan Development Network, CoHabitat, BaseHabitat and more.
Apply with your local initiative before July 25th here.
