Arquitectum has selected "The Global House 2005" as the theme for its First International Contest. They hope to collect the best ideas about what contemporary houses ought to be like, incorporating aesthetic, plastic, functional, technological and social patterns. The "Global House" is a house that, though it could be anywhere in the world, represents only one. A globalized house is a new way of living that can be anywhere — Mexico, Paris, London, Buenos Aires but is more closely related to virtual space than to real space in cities. The Global House develops in a virtual society, in real time communication, in a constant flow of information, and the globalization of capital. Each region’s, country’s or city’s special features (urban structure, use of space, customs, traditions or weather) are what define our way of "appropriating" said "globalization". A Global House can be anything from a Japanese tatami to a New York townhouse, not in "form" but in "substance," given that what defines a Global House is it capacity to propose a new kind of use, of corporal interrelation with space and society. These are the changes (those referring to the different parts of the space interacting with technology and the bodies within a determined space) that best define a house "within" its village and within the global village. The Global House will have a basic layout that will occupy a built area no larger than 600 square metres.
This competition is open to students and graduates up to age 28. Awards are $2,000 for first place, $1,000 for second place, and $500 for third place. Ten honourable mentions will be awarded by region. The jury includes David Eduardo Serna of Colombia, Richard Cavenecia of the USA, and Javier Artadi of Peru.
The deadline for questions is August 15, 2005, and the registration deadline is September 30, 2005. October 15, 2005 is the submission deadline.
For more information, please visit www.arquitectum.com or contact [email protected]