Eighteen architect firms from around the world submitted their best designs to Living Steel’s first architectural competition to explore concepts for more sustainable housing.

Out of these 18 entries, the Jury selected two designs as best representing the competition’s objectives: Kick Start, submitted by Netherlands firm architectenbureau cepezed b.v. for construction in Warsaw, Poland; and SymHouse mk1, UK firm Piercy Conner’s proposal for Kolkata, India. The announcement of the competition winners was made on 20th June at the UN-Habitat World Urban Forum III in Vancouver, Canada.

Jury chair Glen Murcutt, speaking on behalf of the Jury, said, “We are impressed by the ambition and scope of the Living Steel programme and the architectural competition and look forward to its continuing contribution to the crucial global debate on the sustainability and quality of residential environments. Many proposals, and the winning entries in particular, displayed the potential for steel construction to provide light weight, open, flexible and refined spaces responding to contemporary urban living. We’re delighted to be part of such a pioneering approach.

Mr. Carl Perry, Chairman of the Living Steel Steering Group said, “I am delighted that the Jury has unanimously selected the two winners of the competition. The designs won the Jury over by their clear demonstration of the spirit of the Living Steel ideal to promote more sustainable housing.”

Qualifying submissions were received from 18 architecture firms; 10 for Warsaw, Poland, and 8 for Kolkata, India.

Each of the two winning firms will be awarded a prize of €50,000 and be engaged to develop their designs for the construction of the buildings, which will commence in 2007. Each of the short-listed firms will be awarded an honorarium of €10,000.

The winning designs in brief

Kick Start: Winning Design for Warsaw

In designing Kick Start, winning entry for Poland, Dutch firm architectenbureau cepezed b.v., understood that the problem of providing housing in growing populations is essentially one of availability. Availability is defined by land (to build on), usability and, naturally, money. Consequently the firm’s design philosophy was to maximise the usability for the available money, creating a building system that can provide a sustainable and modern dwelling space with minimal use of materials.

SymHouse mk1: Winning Design for Kolkata

Architects at Piercy Conner, UK firm responsible for Kolkata’s selected design, recognise that contemporary housing rarely deviates from the accepted model of sealed cellular spaces, which often fails to respond to demographic and environmental conditions. So in designing for the Indian location, their self-imposed hallenge was to create an economically viable alternative that would be “expressive, joyful and responsive to the environment.”

Their solution is based on a dwelling design Piercy Conner calls SymHouse Mk1. SymHouse conceptualizes the symbiotic relationship of a sealed, conditioned contemporary living space enveloped by a permeable responsive outer skin. As the two “natures” permeate each other, the in-between spaces become an outdoor room and the internal spaces engage with the landscape.