The first competition's  innovative winning designs are in the process of being finalised and prepared for contruction in Kolkata, India, and Warsaw, Poland.  With the 2nd International Architecture Competition approaching the jury meeting in São Paolo, Brazil, it's time to take a look at the environmental features of these winning designs, as well as designs submitted by other short-listed firms. 

They inspire and yet bring into sharp focus the need for building efficient and effective housing that will fill the world's housing shortage but keep the earth's delicate eco-system safe. 

Piercy Conner's SymHouse Mk1, competition winner for the Kolkata location, uses a combination of a second skin and environmental systems for a "lean, clean, green" sustainable strategy. Folding screens create this "second skin" that maximise ventilation and increase daylight to the interior. In the summer months, a closed loop ground source heat pump ejects heat via a heat exchanger to geothermal pipes which in turn transfer heat to the ground. In the winter, the system is reversed for heating. Carbon emissions are greatly reduced by introduction of solar-thermal water generation, CHP generators, heat pumps and introduction of roof-top photovoltaic panels.

Architectenbureau Cepezed's Kick Start, winning entry for Poland, takes advantage of the light weight nature of the building, facilitated through its steel construction, to reduce heat energy consumption. The light weight steel design enables quick and efficient heating in the morning and use of solar heat that is immediately effective since it can permeate the structure quickly. Kick Start's light weight construction also enables the efficient use of operational heat--heat generated by lighting, appliances and people-a principle well-known by igloo users. These factors cover most of the building's heating requirements.

Rainwater Capturing Systems

Many of the competition entries feature energy and resource-reducing design elements. Most all of the designs featured green roofs, vegetation-dense roof tops that provide added thermal mass to an area of high solar exposure. Bruno Stagno Arquitecto y Asociados's (Costa Rica) entry for India topped their green roof with a unique leaf-like floating plane that serves as a covered terrace and rainwater collection device. Rainwater runs down level by level through individual apartment spaces, each featuring its own reflecting pool, until it reaches a ground level "wateryard" for evaporation and passive cooling of air. The cooled air ventilates back up into the dwelling spaces.

Nearly every design submitted to the competition incorporated rainwater capturing devices in its scheme, coupled with a water filtration system, to reduce reliance on city water supplies. 3L Architects (Germany) proposed a rainwater collection system that would provide 96% of the water needed for the water closet, cleaning and washing. The 3L Architects' design incorporates the roof top water collection system into a dynamic design element, allowing the water to cascade from the roof to the entrance lobby in a dramatic waterfall.

Other Heating and Cooling Ideas

Heating and cooling were effected in many of the designs through energy efficient systems that combined geothermal or heat pump energy with solar or photovoltaic roof-top systems. Architekt Andrzej Glab Studio's (Poland) design for Poland included an Energy Recycling System (ERS) that combines "active walls" with ventilation and heating systems. This "active walls" concept incorporates bionic science: A ventilated air void between the gas permeable interior and solid exterior walls provide space for controlled air circulation. Cellulose insulation protects from heat loss, similar to a layer of thermoactive clothing material, and allows penetration of water vapour without risk of condensing dampness. Heat caused by the removal of water vapour is recycled to heat the building.

Recycled Steel

Of chief importance in every design was the use of steel, benefiting from its recycled content and ease of recyclability. Most of the entries submitted boasted a high recyclability rate at end of the buildings' useful lives, facilitated mainly by the steel infrastructure. Many of the designs used a prefabricated or modular steel structure approach to construction that can be simply dismantled and the individual parts reused or recycled.

You can review all of the designs submitted for the first competition at Competitions.