Don’t win and still get a big prize. The student team from the Alfa College in Hoogeveen did just that during the final of the SmartCirculair architectural design challenge on Wednesday. Their project ‘Cocoon House Ghana’ is so impressive that they are allowed to carry it out by the clients.
At the ROC Midden-Nederland in Amersfoort, 15 teams from all over the Netherlands came together for the final of this national design competition between MBO student teams. The assignment: create the most CO2-friendly, high-profile, innovative and circular design.
Cocoon home in Ghana
The houses each consist of eleven so-called sandwich panels that are made of reusable steel. A kind of Ikea kit. Gauze has been placed at the top of the houses, so that the house is well ventilated because it is warm in Ghana. 3 to 4 homes fit in a sea container. It is not yet known how many homes will be built by the Alfa College in Ghana.
Great appreciation
The team of third-year Architecture and Engineering students designed an affordable, circular Cocoon home that will be built in Ghana. Although the challenge was not won, there was great appreciation from the clients because the students were actually allowed to carry out the project in Ghana.
Positive feedback
In the final, students Lars Hingstman and Erin Krijt presented the project of the ‘Cocoon House Ghana’ to the public and the jury. The feedback was positive. Still, the students missed out on winning.
After the initial disappointment, the team quickly recovered, partly after the words of praise from regional coordinator Anita van den Noord of SDG Drenthe: ‘You often see that projects like this end up in the trash, but certainly not this one. I’ve had the pleasure of following this team from the start and seeing how they’ve grown and what great design they’ve created. Compliments! And even though they didn’t win a prize, the project is still being carried out, we’re going to Ghana!’, she says in a press release.
It is not yet clear when the students will go to Ghana to carry out the project.