Home After Crisis

 

Housing for Displaced Refugees in Nigeria

 

Sponsors: Young Architects Competitions (YAC) and UN Migration Agency
Type: International, student, one-stage
Language(s): English, Italian
Fees and timeline: 
5 August 2023 – Early Bird registration ends ($25/team)
August 6-September 9 – Standard Registration ($75/team)
12 September 2023 – Materials Submission deadline
Awards:
1st Prize – €5,000
2nd Prize – €3,000
3rd Prize – €2,000
Gold Mentions (4) €500
Jurors: 

  • Alejandro Aravena
    ELEMENTAL
  • Robert Piper
    UNITED NATIONS
  • Raul Pantaleo
    TAMASSOCIATI
  • Tosin Oshinowo
    CMDESIGN ATELIER
  • Anna Heringer
    ANNA HERINGER ARCHITECT
  • Anupama Kundoo
    ANUPAMA KUNDOO ARCHITECTS
  • Carolina Cordero-Scales
    IOM
  • Filiep Decorte
    UN-HABITAT
  • Ugochi Daniels

    IOM
  • Abdu Usman
    NIA
  • Ruqayyatu Bashir Tukur
    NIA

Background and Challenge:

Since 2015, the North-East of Nigeria has witnessed an increase of violence, causing an unprecedented housing emergency. As of 2023, an estimated 3.5 million people lost their homes or lives in precarious conditions. This scenario, combined with one of the most sustained population growths in the world and a country-wide housing deficit, requires immediate response to provide sustainable, long-term solutions. This is the context of “Nigeria: Home After Crisis”, the competition promoted by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN Migration Agency and funded by the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund (NHF). The goal is to design a low-cost, incremental, modular and upgradable housing solution for populations disrupted by violence in rural areas of North-East Nigeria.  

 

Which places will millions of people be able to call home again? How to recreate identity, affections, happy memories through architectural design? In one of the key contexts of the contemporary housing emergency, young designers are called upon to design a place that can alleviate suffering and offer a welcoming environment where they can feel safe and start their lives over. A place they can call “home”.  

 

This competition has significant social impacts and aims to consolidate the role of architecture as a discipline fostering rights and social equity, meeting fundamental human needs not just in terms of efficiency but also ensuring quality ideas and aesthetic ambition. Indeed, humans, in all conditions and contexts, deserve dignity and beauty.

To access the competition brief and enter, go to:
https://www.youngarchitectscompetitions.com/open-competitions/home-after-crisis