Houses of Steel, the latest publication from Living Steel, captures the quality and inventiveness of entrants into the prestigious Living Steel International Architecture Competition that has run internationally over the last three years. The Competition aims to stimulate the use of steel in sustainable housing, through inspiring architects to address the urgent need for sustainable urban housing. Houses of Steel is now on sale worldwide.

Documenting the only architecture competition of its kind, Houses of Steel is a comprehensive collection of the winners and finalists of all the global competitions: India and Poland, 2006; Brazil, China and United Kingdom, 2007 and Cherepovets, Russia, 2008. Over 2000 architecture practices worldwide entered the competitions, representing all continents. A significant jury of senior figures in architecture was chaired by Pritzker Architecture Prize-winner Glenn Murcutt (2006,2008) and founding partner of PCKO Architects Andrew Ogorzalek (2007).

Houses of Steel details each of the finalists’ entries with quality images and drawings of the projects, which gives a valuable insight in to the many ways that architects approach the same challenge. The book is an exceptionally high quality record of the equally top level creative work by some of the world’s most innovative architecture practices.

Each competition brief, while similar in the demand for innovation, sustainability and use of steel, was different in its specifics. 2006 called for a five-storey residential building in Rajarhat, India, where the extreme tropical climate called for innovative use of cooling techniques. UK practice Piercy Conner won, with their design for ‘SymHouse’. The growing middle classes in Warsaw was the focus for the 2006 competition in Poland, where practices were invited to submit proposals to house young professional families, which Netherlands practice architectenbureau cepezed won with their ‘Kick Start’ system.

Brazil was one of the focal countries for 2007, where optimisation of housing density was the issue. Andrade Morettin Arquitetos of Brazil won, with their site-specific entry ‘Essential Architecture’ that used extensive cross-ventilation. Also in 2007, the brief for China was to design high quality affordable housing in the sub-tropical Wuhan, which Israeli practice Knafo Kilmor won with ‘Agro-Housing’, while in the UK, British architects Cartwright Pickard won the competition to design a flexible housing system in London for diverse demographic groups.

The most recent competition in 2008 was to design an energy-efficient single-family home in Cherepovets, Russia, a rapidly expanding city subject to extreme climate conditions. Australian practice Peter Stutchbury Architects won the competition with their sculptural form. RVTR of Canada and BVN Architecture of Australia also received an honorable mentions for their entries. The International Architecture Competition is set to continue in 2010.

Living Steel Director Scott Chubbs said, “The quality of all the entrants into the Living Steel International Architecture Competition has been unparalleled, and is a testament both to the need for global housing and the architects’ innovative responses to this worldwide issue. Houses of Steel is the ultimate record of this creativity and ingenuity. We are proud that the global steel industry can offer a way to help address the global housing issue through the World Steel Association’s Living Steel programme, and that in turn we can help provide opportunities for the architectural profession through our competitions.”

Living Steel, launched by the World Steel Association, is a five-year worldwide collaborative programme designed to stimulate innovative and responsible housing design and construction, and to help address the unprecedented pressure on infrastructure, communities and the quality of people’s lives, stemming from growing urban populations.

Houses of Steel is available internationally via www.imagespublishing.com

Read more about the competition entries www.livingsteel.org/competitions.

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Availability of Houses of Steel: Houses of Steel is published by Images Publishing and available in all major architecture and design bookstores globally, ISBN 978 1 86470 366 5. Houses of Steel is distributed in China, Japan, Taiwan and Korea by Azur Corporation; in Australia by The Scribo Group and in North America and globally by ACC Distribution.

Full Jury List: Glenn Murcutt (Chair 2006, 2008; Jury member 2007), Andrew Orgorzalek (Chair 2007), James Berry (2006, 2007), Charles Correa (2006), Cui Kai (2007), Jaime Lerner (2006,2007), Kimmo Lintula (2008), Roberto Loeb (2007), Mark Middleton (2008), Nicholas de Monchaux 92006, 2007), Patricia Patkau (2008), Sergey Skuratov (2008), Alexei Venediktov (2008).

Architectural practices featured: 3L Architects and Industrial Designers, Alison Brooks Architects Ltd., Anderson Anderson Architecture, Andrade Morettin Arquitetos, architectenbureau cepezed, Architecture Paradigm Pvt Ltd., Architekt Andrzej Glab Studio, Atenastudio, Avery Associates Architects, Barthélémy-Griño Architectes, Brasil Arquitetura, Bruno Stagno Arquitecto, BVN Architecture, Cartwright Pickard Architects, China Southwest Architectural Design & Research Institute (CSWADI), Cityförster, Collins and Turner Architects, Dubosc & Landowski Architectes, ECD Architects, Eight Inc., Feilden Clegg Bradley Architects LLP, Forte, Gimenes & Marcondes, Ferraz Arquitetos (FGMF), Helin & Co Architects, Hideto Horiike and Urtopia Inc., Huttenen-Lipasti-Pakkanen Architects (H-L-P), Hugh Broughton Architects, Ian Moore Architects, IAUS, School of Architecture, Tsinghua University, ICESA Architects S.A., Institute of Tropical Architecture, Knafo Klimor Architects and Town Planners, Laboratory of Contemporary Architecture (LCA), Mei Architecten en Stedenbouwers BV, modostudio, Moxon Architects, nARCHITECTS, Nitsche Arquitetos, Perkins + Will, Peter Stutchbury Architecture, Philippe Samyn and Partners Architects & Engineers, Piercy Conner Architects, Rocaatelier Associati, RVTR, Schulitz + Partner Architekten, Sebastian Irarrazaval Architects, Southern California Sustainability Cooperative, Stutchbury and Pape Architecture, Troppo Architects.

About Living Steel Living Steel is, a worldwide, collaborative programme designed to stimulate innovative and responsible housing design and construction was launched in February, 2005 by the World Steel Association. The programme was developed to help address the unprecedented pressure on infrastructure, communities and the quality of people’s lives stemming from growing urban populations.

Funded through the contributions of the world’s leading steel manufacturers, the Full Members of Living Steel include ArcelorMittal, Baosteel, BlueScope Steel, CELSA Group, Corus, Erdemir, IMIDRO, Posco, Ruukki, SeverStal and Tata Steel.

Visit www.livingsteel.org/members to learn more about our membership.

For images, interviews and all further background information please contact Hannah Cox at Caro communications This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
T: + 44 20 73368488.