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An Eco-Friendly Traveller's Hotel. April 2000
Supported by
The competition was judged on the 6th April 2000 at the Wellington
University School of Architecture. The jury was chaired by
Peter Davey, editor of the Architectural Review, with Dr Ken
Yeang of TR Hamzah and Yeang, Malaysia and Ian Athfield of
Athfield Architects, New Zealand.
CAA extends its thanks to the Wellington school for their
excellent administration of the receiving of entries and the
judging process, in particular the School Head, Werner Osterhaus
and his PA Patricia Mclean.
Citation of Results
Response to the 5th Commonwealth Association of Architects student
competition, for a travellers' hotel which would 'touch the
earth lightly' was higher than ever before, with 147 entries
from places as distant as northern Canada and New Zealand, Scotland
and South Africa, Hong Kong and the Rann of Kutch.
Many new ideas were evolved for rethinking the hotel type, and
for making tourism more economical and environmentally friendly.
The best projects, far from helping to destroy the very things
that attract people to an area and homogenise the world (as
most tourist developments do), made positive contributions to
their localities and promised to help understanding of particular
cultures and environments.
As the choice of site was left to the entrants, a wide variety
of imaginative approaches emerged in response to climates ranging
from the Arctic to the tropics, and to contexts as different
as decayed inner cities and idyllic small islands. Broadly,
two overall strategies were apparent. Urban schemes tended to
stress connection of torn civic tissue, adaptive re-use and
high density (in both tall buildings and low-rise high density
planning). Rural projects were often contemporary reflections
on the vernacular, both in use of materials and techniques,
and in exploitation of site potential for thermal capacitance
and insulation.
Many tactics were common, irrespective of climate. Almost all
proposals stressed the importance of natural lighting and ventilation,
and there were many thoughtful ideas about the use of convection
and cross ventilation. Manipulable and climate responsive outer
skins were usually balanced by carefully integrated thermal
mass. Vegetation was often creatively used as part of shading
systems. Solar power for heating water and electricity generation
was usually (sometimes optimistically) a key component of energy
strategy. Many schemes called for use of local materials and
labour, and some urged the use of recyclable materials. There
was a commendable concern for water conservation in many projects.
Prizes
The jury unanimously awarded first, second and third prizes,
and picked out a further eleven schemes for commendation. And
we decided to mention a further eight projects because they
showed important individual ideas which could be important generally.
First prize (£1200)
NO 009. Connie Lam, University of Hong Kong
The necklace of boats off one of Hong Kong's most picturesque
islands will undoubtedly be most attractive to both old and
young tourists. The strategy adapts an age-old pattern of
living in the area, and makes it environmentally appropriate
in our times, with carefully thought out tactics for energy
control and its collection from the sun, waste disposal and
resource use. The natural cooling effects of water and sea
breezes are thoughtfully exploited. Clearly, the proposal
is capable of adaptation according to demand and season, as
the scheme expands in summer and contracts for warmth in winter.
It is an excellent example of how to learn from tradition,
without being enslaved by it.
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Second prize (£ 500)
NO 069. Lauren Campbell, University of Cape
Town, South Africa
We were all impressed with the careful studies of context
and site which generated this most successful urban scheme.
Particularly noteworthy are the handling of internal and external
spaces, and the thoughtful manipulation of layered wall filters
and natural ventilation devices to achieve climate control.
A positive response to tradition, but without any hint of
kitsch.
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Third prize (£ 300)
NO 142 Tsui Chung Man, Chinese University of
Hong Kong
One of the world's most remote cities, Lhasa is under threat
from thoughtless development and ill-considered planning.
This passive low-tech proposal, which draws appropriately
on local materials and techniques, and re-considers traditional
spatial configurations is intended to reinforce the city rather
than destroy it; it completes the urban tissue and enhances
the processional route. We were particularly impressed by
the use of hollow slab floors to form a sort of natural hypocaust.
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NO 095 Musau Kimeu, Shweta Manchanda,
Supinda BunYavanich, Tharinee Ramasoot,
Cambridge University, England
We were impressed with the thorough and very careful
analysis of the climatic conditions of the site and the projected
performance of the building. We welcomed the simplicity of
the project and its involvement with indigenous elements of
architecture. But much more needed to be done to develop the
forms and spaces from diagrammatic level.
NO 144 Debmalya Guha, Kalyan Chakraborty,
Arindam Ghosh,
Jadavpur University, Calcutta, India
This project has some excellent fundamental ideas,
particularly the layered façade with its double skin
and the connected plan in which separate elements are drawn
together into the whole composition. But the expression is
heavy and clumsy and requires development.
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NO 065 Deborah Mesher, Alex Lukachko
Waterloo University, Canada
A most thoughtful response to a waterside site with an elegant
timber building. Walls can change in permeability according
to season, and accommodation is flexible. This is one of the
few schemes to suggest the use of wind power.
NO 090 Tim Rodgers
Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
Clearly intended to be provocative, with for instance its
claim that the United Nations is a 'manipulative tourist',
the proposal was resolved with rigour, but the underlying
purpose (and the function) of the mobile hotel was not explained
clearly enough.
NO 053 David Adams, Walid El Turki, Marco
Neskovic
Brighton University, England.
We were intrigued by the proposal to use thermo-photovoltaics
powered by methane from waste to generate electricity and,
while the system might not work exactly as proposed, it is
certainly worth exploring further. But the building itself
seemed to make worse the lack of human scale in a sad part
of an otherwise delicate English country town.
NO 074 Nimesh A. Asher, Mitesh N. Punjani,
Hiren B. Parmar
Gujerat University, India
The analysis of traditional forms, spaces and performance
of local architecture was most sensitive and thoughtful, and
clearly was capable of leading to a most sophisticated and
environmentally responsive project. While elements of the
analysis bore fruit in the design proposal, it needs work
to make it less suburban in planning.
No 003 Tarek Merlin
University College, London, England
A high-tech autonomous solution which ingeniously re-uses
the strange mass concrete defensive devices of the south coast
of England. A wildly romantic proposal which would be far
too expensive for the relatively poor travellers for whom
the competition is intended.
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NO 054 Joseph and Alvin Huang
University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Re-interpretation of a Victorian market building allows the
original structure to be retained and to speak, while accommodating
new uses. An ingenious section makes the building much more
effective than it was as a passive energy conservation and
collection device.
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NO 021 Tan Kar Un, Ho Weng Hin
National University of Singapore
Responds to the scale of the traditional city and re-evokes
the benefits of the shop house type and the five-foot way
without the disadvantages of either. In a sense a rather too
literal re-interpretation.
No 48 Chan Yuk-shing Brian, Poon Ho-Sing
Ben, Poon Ho-Lun Allen, Woo Ka-Fai
Chinese University of Hong Kong.
An attempt to tame a horrible urban building type, the multi-storey
car park, this scheme has much potential for further development,
but its mixture of sleeping accommodation and car parking,
as proposed at present, could be extremely unpleasant, noisy
and polluted for people staying in the hotel.
NO 013 David Lau Tai Wai
Hong Kong University
A commendable attempt to form a building and urban plan as
an eco-system, this scheme responds well to its site, but
we were worried about the hotel on its gabion dam being poised
over what will in effect be a reservoir of polluted water.
NO 097 Nigel Lee Castle
De Montfort University, England
An impressive analysis of internal climate, but a clumsy building
which needs much more work.
NO 005 Anthony Kiplimo Mutai
Jomo Kenyata University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya
Sensibly planned, with sleeping accommodation partly dug into
the site to make use of the thermal mass of the earth, this
project needs development to avoid it toppling over into kitsch.
NO 41 Anna I.B. Wachtmeister
Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff
The idea of the folding tower made of timber and fabric is ingenious,
but we felt that it was designed for the wrong climate and the
wrong place.
NO 044 Khoo Sey Keat
National University of Singapore
An inventive design for buildings as rain-water catchers on
islands with very low rainfall. Structurally and constructionally
well conceived, but rather lacking human detail.
NO 049 Tan Chee Yong, Chia Hwee Boon
National University of Singapore.
Another welcome attempt to re-interpret the shop house and the
five-foot way, this scheme, like that of Tan and Ho, tends to
be too literal.
NO 64 Paul Mattewwiste
University of Manitoba, Canada.
This proposal certainly touches the permanently frozen earth
of the Arctic delicately, but its spatial divisions are arbitrary
and would be very difficult to live in.
NO 011 Wong Ming Tak Matthew
University of Hong Kong
An ingenious façade combines solar collectors with various
climate filtering devices to make an eco-wall. Construction,
partly of bamboo, could be appropriate but the scheme needs
further development if its full potential is to be realised.
016 Lee Shu Zhen
National University of Singapore
A well planned infill scheme, which explores creatively the
use of the site and existing buildings, the project was hampered
by needlessly chaotic and obscure presentation.
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