Design Challenge

[scroll below to see photos of the award ceremony]

Buildings account for about 40% of the world’s CO2 emissions. With the rising costs and depleting stocks of fossil fuels, Renewable Energy (RE) technologies are becoming more innovative, efficient, and cheaper. The challenge is how to transform the built environment using climate responsive planning, sustainable engineering, and novel techniques for buildings design and construction.

The design of a house plays a vital role in the sustainability and affordability and the residents’ quality of life. Climate responsive, adaptive, and active/passive design strategies coupled with innovative technological solutions are fundamental to a sustainable and resilient home. The object of this competition is to prepare emerging professionals especially the students and young graduates to envision and design a climate adaptive, resilient, inclusive, sustainable, and innovative house that is affordable to own, operate and maintain by the standards of middle-income level households. Housing designs must enhance the quality of life and well-being of residents, as well as adapt to climate change, and respond to its projected impacts.

For the purpose of this competition, a Zero Energy House combines energy efficiency and renewable energy generation to consume only as much energy as can be produced through renewable resources over a specified period of time. This can be done either fully relying on the onsite renewable energy source/s or by offsetting the use of on-grid energy equally through net-metering or other techniques using renewable energy sources.

Programme:

Expression of Interest (EOI): 20 April 2022

Workshop 1: Introduction, background and Q&A (22 April 2022)

Workshop 2: User-centred design approach (29 April 2022)

Workshop 3: Energy modelling calculations (6 May 2022)

Workshop 4: Electrical systems, Part I – Energy Conservation (14 May 2022)

Workshop 4: Electrical systems, Part II – Renewable Energy (28 May 2022)

Workshop 5: Prototype designs (21 May 2022)

Registration for Competition: 23 May 2022

Submission Date: 8 July 2022

Announcement of winners: 31 August 2022

FAQs

Question : Are we supposed to prepare Bill Of Quantities (BOQ) for all the materials and resources that are involved in the construction process or do we just need to provide a rough estimate?

Answer : You need to give an estimate BOQ but make sure they do have all the basic elements mentioned

Question : The overall construction cost (US$220/sqm) is mentioned in the guidelines, does this cost includes the cost of renewable energy system (e.g. solar panels) we’re providing in our house?

Answer: Yes, it includes all costs including any technologies which you are proposing for your site

Question : According to the guidelines, the construction cost is limited to US$220 per sqm…for a 120 sqm house, the cost would be 220*120= US$ 26400…and since our house has a first floor as well, therefore, the total construction cost of a G+1 house would be 2* 26400 = USD$ 52800?

Answer : Out of 120 sqm, only 80sqm is allowed for construction, so only that would be for 220/sqm but the other 40sqm not part of covered area would have half the price that is 110sqm, as per normal practice.