15 March 2009 – An Australian architect will make the 14,000 km journey to Russia in early March to commence work on the winning design from Living Steel’s 3rd International Architecture Competition for Extreme Housing.

Peter Stutchbury Architects’ (PSA) Richard Smith will travel to the Russian town of Cherepovets with Living Steel’s Project Manager, Neill McClements, to bring to life PSA’s innovative vision for energy efficient and responsible housing design in Russia’s extreme climate.

PSA, represented by Peter Stutchbury and Richard Smith, was selected by Living Steel as the winner of the 3rd Competition in July 2008. Their design was chosen for its radically different approach to the creation of single-family, detached housing that minimises carbon emissions, and for its imaginative use of the local Russian landscape and seamless integration into the environment.

The development will provide flexible living accommodation for workers of SeverStal – Russia’s largest steelmaker – in Cherepovets and deliver a housing solution that can withstand temperatures ranging from -49 C to +34 C, yet is affordable to build and buy.

Scott Chubbs, Living Steel Programme Director, said: “We are delighted that progress is being made in Russia and that PSA’s vision will soon be a reality.

“There is a worldwide need for economical and environmentally responsible housing and at Living Steel we are committed to working with architects and the construction community to deliver solutions that will provide practical yet innovative and affordable design solutions.

“Through the success of our demonstration projects we hope to inspire architects to respond to this challenge and recognise the benefits of steel in the production of affordable and sustainable housing.”

The development of the demonstration house will take place in a new area located on a SeverStal recreation site, and serve the dual purpose of a guest house and meeting space with a floor area of 160m2.

Peter Stutchbury of Peter Stutchbury Architects, said: “Through its competitions, Living Steel is helping to stimulate innovation by inviting architects to make a departure from traditional design formats and explore new landscapes. Steel provides a plethora of design opportunities which support the necessity to deliver efficient and sustainable housing, yet create elegant homes with individual style.”

Construction of the demonstration house is programmed to begin mid year following further development of PSA’s concept proposals. Due to the extreme Russian winter conditions, the project will explore the benefits of off-site manufacturing during the winter months to allow for fast installation during the summer period.

Living Steel’s International Architecture Competitions have a total prize fund of €700,000, making them one of the largest architectural design initiatives in the world, and present architects with the opportunity to bring their vision for effective and affordable housing to life in several countries around the globe.

Further details regarding Living Steel’s 3rd International Architecture Competition for Sustainable Housing can be viewed at www.livingsteel.org/.

For more information, please contact:

Sarah King
Weber Shandwick
T: +61 2 9994 4326
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Nicole Campbell
Weber Shandwick
T: +612 9994 4396
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Editor's Notes

About Living Steel

Living Steel, a worldwide, collaborative programme designed to stimulate innovative and responsible housing design and construction was launched in February, 2005. 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.

About the Living Steel International Architecture Competitions

The Living Steel International Architecture Competitions were launched to develop innovative approaches to meet sustainable housing needs. Underpinning each competition is the need to address the economic, environmental and social implications of increasing population density and growth.

The combined competitions have a total prize fund of €700,000, making them one of the largest architectural design initiatives in the world, and present architects with the opportunity to bring their vision for effective and affordable housing to life in one of several countries around the world.

The first competition was launched in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 6, 2005, at the XXII World Congress of the International Union of Architects, with a call for expressions of interest to design sustainable housing in Kolkata, India and Warsaw, Poland. In June 2006, UK firm Piercy Conner Architects and architectenbureau cepezed from the Netherlands won the competition and were awarded contracts to complete and develop their designs for construction in India and Poland, respectively. The second competition was announced on World Architecture Day, October 2, 2006, with a call for expressions of interest to design sustainable housing in Brazil, China and the United Kingdom. From more than 1,100 expressions of interest, 18 short-listed firms were invited to submit designs for steel-based residential housing. Winners were announced in September 2007: For Brazil, Andrade Morettin Arquitetos Associados Ltda, Brazil; for China, Knafo Klimor Architects, Israel; and for the UK, Cartwright Pickard, UK. Visit www.livingsteel.org/competitions for more details.