Summer is construction season, and we're seeing projects jump out of construction documents and into the built dimension in rapid succession. At the HQ Project Board review last Wednesday, the program managers enumerated upcoming construction milestones from our various job sites around the world. Here are the highlights:

Ribbon cutting

The Sauti Kuu Banda and community center in rural Alego, Kenya, officially opened its doors June 7. We're excited to see the report back on the ceremony and the first programs launch to broaden the horizons of the local youth! Many many thanks to all our collaborators and to design fellows Diego Collazos, Triz Muñoz and Matthew Hughes.

Entries Submitted, Entry Period Closed for the Open Architecture Challenge: [UN]RESTRICTED ACCESS. Of the 500 teams registered, nearly 200 entered military base redesign proposals - which by competition standards is a very good turnout! Judging commences next week and finalists will be announced in July.

An [un]restricted peek at the entries

Nearing completion

THIS MONTH: June 21st is New York's Go Skateboarding Day, and they'll have a new skate park to celebrate with - underneath the Manhattan Bridge. We're practicing our "air ollies" (gotta leave real tricks to the pros). Port-au-Prince's butterfly-roof friendly Elie Dubois school will open its first phase: the bloc sanitaire and cafeteria. Japan will see the completion of the full Akahama Covered Alley, following a long winter.

For July: Another aspect of the Coleman Oval park will be open to eager patrons: the new dog run (OAN page pending ;) ). Also, Nike Gamechangers Grant winners promoting health through sport in India (Yuwa) and China (Habitat for Humanity) are slated for completion. In Tohoku, fishermen in Shizugawa will have a new Banya warehouse. Meanwhile, sports infrastructure in Delhi, India, will grow by two new centers for the Asha Deep Foundation and Mission to the Unreached.

For August: Happy Hearts schools Divino Niño Jesus (Ica, Peru) and 16 de Septiembre (Coscomatepec, Mexico) will both be completed, if all goes well. In Haiti, Phase 1 of École Bon Berger Pele, classroom and composting latrine blocks) are scheduled for completion.

September: QwaQwa Football for Hope Centre in Free State, South Africa will be hosting athletes on its turf.

In October: The "We Are One" Market & Youth Center and Oshika House will open their doors.

DNJ School in Ica, Peru, is now a bustling job site

Pouring foundations in Jharkhand, India for the Nike Gamechangers grantee My Game Is Beautiful project. Image by Franz Gastler

Breaking ground
Four Football for Hope centres on the African continent are finishing out the Bid/Tender process and will be breaking ground in the coming weeks.

June: Besongabang, Cameroon (DF Nathan Jones); Edendale in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa (Luvuyo Mfungula)

July: Iringa, Tanzania (DF Alma Ruiz); Manica, Mozambique (Alina Jeronimo & Paulo Carneiro)

Midwest US Tornado Respons
Meetings underway assessing design needs of a senior center in Harrisburg, Illinois.

ArchitectsRebuild Program
8 proposals have been submitted for grant award. In partnership with the AIA, the grants will be reviewed and judged in the next couple of weeks. We are planning to announce the successful recipients around 19JUN.

Just Announced
New projects announced this month are the 20th (and final) Football For Hope Centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, led by DF Mark Warren, and Haiti's École Nationale Republique d'Argentine. We're of course excited to watch these projects materialize through the work of our community partners and the intrepid Design Fellows working with them.

FFH #20 site in Addis Ababa