Design Open Mic on March 14th featured design highlights on three projects from Nicaragua to Zimbabwe to Brazil.
First we heard from Power to the People, an NGO based in Berkeley, that has installed solar power at six sites in Nicaragua. Romina Arcamone and Jessica Shao are volunteers who are involved in this project, and Jessica shared her experience on a recent trip to Nicaragua in which she worked with the community to install a solar charging station.
Kuda Mutsonziwa, an Architecture for Humanity Design Fellow, then talked about her work on the Football for Hope Centre in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. In this session, Kuda shares her site assessment through maps and sketches, including a design challenge related to a water pipe leak. In the current design schematic stage of the project, Kuda also shows local material, textures, and colors that she plans to infuse into the project design. With many school age children in the area, one main goal is to make the site attractive and enjoyable to these children.
Finally, Carolina Libardi presented on her work as an Architecture for Humanity intern working in Petropolis, Brazil on a housing and recreational community center that is funded by Nike Game Changers. Last January floods devastated the area 90 miles west of Rio, and ten percent of the community lost their homes. Carolina is spending the next three months on this site working with community members to design the center that will primarily house an elderly population and also encourage community young and old to recreate and have fun.
Check out highlights from all three presentations in the following video:
Video and text credit: Beverly Pitzer
