INTERNATIONAL NON-PROFIT TAPS DESIGNING YOUNG MINDS TO CHART THE FUTURE OF SANITATION AND CLEAN WATER COMBINING SOCIAL NEED WITH GOOD DESIGN

Wherever the Need USA Sponsors Design Competition of Eco Sanitation Units Turning Waste Into Resource, Raising Awareness and Bringing Dignity and Independence To The Poorest In The World. Read More

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LOS ANGELES, March 15th, 2010 -- Wherever The Need (WTN) www.wherevertheneed.org, a leading non-governmental, non-profit organization targeting the crises of sanitation worldwide, in conjunction with World Water Day has sponsored the “Eco San and Sustainable Design Competition,” to advance the state of the art in ecologically conscious sanitation and emergency relief systems.

The competition, created by architect Ron Goldman (FAIA) of Goldman, Firth and Rossi was open to students of SCI-Arc, OTIS, and USC. A+D, the Architecture and Design Museum (www.aplusd.org) will host an exhibition of entries drawn from the competition opening April 6th. The announcement was made today by Wherever the Need USA director Beverly Visty-Doman.

“Delivering sanitation and water where it is most needed is our goal. Given the world-wide spotlight on the disasters in Haiti and Chile, never has the global crisis of poor sanitation and polluted water been more visible.” said Visty-Doman. “Sanitation and clean water are the first steps to ensuring health, dignity and sustainable livelihoods.

An "eco san" is a cost-effective, self-contained unit.  It is a waste composting system that provides numerous powerful benefits to the communities in which it is deployed:  It does not use water, and it turns waste into a resource (compost).  Liquid output from the system can be mixed with water and used as a fertilizer to increase yields in crops such as banana, corn and tomato. We’re excited about the response from professors such as Erik Mar of USC, Eric Owen Moss and Heather Flood of SCI-Arc, and Linda Pollari and Matias Creimer of OTIS School of Design among others who have guided their architectural students in this competition.”

“The goal of the competition was to inspire and to tap the creativity of young, up-and-coming members of the design community.  The competition leveraged their design know-how toward solutions to improve the social and economic conditions of a large portion of our third world population. The students were tasked with creating something that is not drab and utilitarian but brings a sense of design in solving a basic need and urgency of the world’s population” said Ron Goldman.

The “eco san” design puzzle poses numerous unique challenges including the proviso that entries be designed to use locally available building materials. The local payoff of a successful, practical design is limitless though. In combining social need with good design these projects can elevate the spirit and bring a sense of dignity and pride to the previously impoverished. 

Designs were judged by a panel that brings a background of design excellence and social responsibility at the highest level:

Awarded were:

Single designs

Sci-ARC - HONOR AWARD

Jeffrey Kuruvilla
Kainoa Westermark
Ruben Alejandre

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OTIS – MERIT AWARD

Base completion
a) Rachel Fausto - cocoon
b) Krystal Scott - folding frame
c) Cristina Luna - up-hut
d) Maihoua Vang - bamboo strings
e) Erin Gollocks Murray - pooj hut
f) Esther Lee - garage can

Multiple designs

USC - CITATION

Yuan Yu Chang

USC - CITATION
Bernice Ngo

USC - HONOR AWARD
Ming Ngar Lo

USC - CITATION
Leon Wood

Community designs

Sci-ARC - CITATION
Nanao Shimizu
Dohnbi Kim

Sci-ARC - HONOR AWARD
Michael He
Nina Handelman

Sci-ARC - CITATION
Hector R. Campagna Oliveros

Sci-ARC - MERIT AWARD
Anna Androsova
Janica Ley
Melody Nazareno

 

About Wherever the Need

Founded in the UK in 1997 Wherever the Need’s (www.wherevertheneed.org) focus is to empower women, families, schools and villages in developing countries to take control of their lives and work their own way out of poverty. Together we do this through several key steps: constructing eco-sanitation units; providing clean water; implementing hygiene programs and local sustainable methods of earning a living. Thereby giving individuals the ability to be healthy, attend school, nurture their families and hold down a job. Creating the necessary infrastructure to ensure long term growth rather than receive continual and long-lasting subsidies.

 

Wherever possible, the organization works on projects that are naturally sustainable, and implements them in environmentally-friendly ways using materials that will not damage the planet.

 

This approach has been successful in saving the lives of thousands of children under the age of five. Poor or non-existent water and sanitation facilities can be directly linked to the deaths of 1.6 million children annually.

We support independence, not dependence.

 

 

Media Contact:

For information about the A & D show, donations, opportunities, interviews and competition design photos.

Wherever The Need (www.wherevertheneed.org) Lis Perry, lis@wherevertheneed.org (310) 216-7895 office