The Global Studio

SIDAREC 10-13-2010 construction progress

2010-10-17T16:23:00.000-07:00

View toward Early Childhood Development/Large Gathering Space through concrete frame at entry to Cyber Cafe. The shading trellis still needs to be installed between concrete frames to complete the veranda.

Early Childhood Development/Large Gathering Space. The pairs of doors open up to the entry courtyard, allowing the space to connect and extend to the outdoors. The shading trellises still need to be installed above windows between concrete frames.

Exterior view of Early Childhood Development/Large Gathering Space. The shading trellises still need to be installed above windows between concrete frames.

Interior of completed Early Childhood Development/Large Gathering Space. The pairs of doors open up to the entry courtyard, allowing the space to connect and extend to the outdoors.

Interior of completed Early Childhood Development/Large Gathering Space

SIDAREC Ribbon Cutting & Phase 1 Nearing Completion

2010-10-08T19:33:00.000-07:00

View from front entry courtyard of Early Childhood Development Center (ECD) on right and Cyber Cafe on left. The Ghetto FM Radio Station will be a second story above the Cyber Cafe as Phase Two funds become available through additional funding raising. The rusty orange color was selected rather than the white, as shown in the renderings, due to concerns of the white becoming quickly dirty in the dusty environment of Mukuru. We hope that the vibrant color which compliments the brilliant blue Kenyan sky will help SIDAREC to stand out as a landmark in the community it serves.

View from football pitch of Early Childhood Development Center on left and Computer Training Center and toilets on right.

Interior view of completed ECD.

Preschool children at SIDAREC Community Day program.

SIDAREC director, Lucy Matthai, cutting the ribbon on SIDAREC Community Day.

Children from the Early Childhood Development program watching the SIDAREC Community Day presentations.

Lucy Matthai showing off new computer stations in the Cyber Cafe.

View along exterior veranda.

SIDAREC Community Day

Design Fellow Isaac Mugumbule.

Isaac supervised the construction on behalf of Architecture for Humanity.

SIDAREC 9-20-2010 construction progress

2010-10-08T18:55:00.000-07:00

Regrading the football pitch (soccer field to all you Yankees). Early Childhood Development center (ECD)on the left and Computer Training Center on the right.

Installing conrete slab pavers for veranda.

Interior of ECD being painted.

Interior view of cyber cafe nearly complete.

SIDAREC 9-6-2010 construction progress

2010-09-14T13:03:00.000-07:00

SIDAREC 8-23-2010 construction progress

2010-09-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

SIDAREC 8-8-2010 construction progress

2010-08-10T20:42:00.000-07:00

View of Cyber Cafe from entrance to site. Building exterior plaster in progress. Window frames being installed.

Interior view of Early Childhood Development Center. Plaster and window frames nearly complete.

Interior view of Early Childhood Development Center. Plaster and window frames complete.

Exterior view of Early Childhood Development Center from exterior circulation spine. Plaster and window frames complete.

Exterior view of Cyber Cafe from alley access point. Plaster and window frames nearly complete.

Interior view of Cyber Cafe. Wall and ceiling plaster complete.

Interior view of Cyber Cafe looking toward server room. Wall and ceiling plaster complete.

Interior view of Cyber Cafe's "hole-in-the-wall" computer kiosks. These computer stations will be available for community use from the exterior of the building like bank ATMs. They will be stored in built-in cabinets that can be serviced on the inside and have steel doors that open from the outside allowing access when the center is open.

Concrete stairs up to future second floor Ghetto FM Radio Station.

On the other side of the stairs beyond will be a shaded outdoor room for informal gatherings.

Interior view of the Computer Training Center. Exterior walls complete.

Interior view of Library adjacent to the Computer Training Center.

Exterior view of the Computer Training Center and toilet wing.

View of concrete columns and beams that will support a shade trellis. The veranda are the buildings' main organizing element.

View along service alley looking back toward main road. The toilet room are in the foreground, which are connected to the Computer Training Center.

View of second floor slab that will be the home of Ghetto FM.

Steel roofing trusses and perlins are on site and ready for roof framing once the electrical system has been installed.

SIDAREC 8-2-2010 construction progress

2010-08-04T08:38:00.000-07:00

View of Cyber Cafe from entry courtyard. Steel window frames are being installed. Construction of the second floor walls for the Ghetto FM Radio Station has started.

View of Early Childhood Development (ECD) center from entry courtyard. Clerestory window frames have been installed. Top of parapet wall has been completed.

View of ECD from interior. Wall plastering is in progress.

View of ECD from interior. Wall plastering is in progress. Steel window frames have been fitted into openings.

View of back of ECD. Exterior shade trellis beams and columns have been plastered.

View of Cyber Cafe interior. Ceiling is being plastered.

Electric meter being installed near entry to Cyber Cafe.

View of Computer Training and toilet wing facing the soccer field. The front parapet wall has been completed and window and clerestory openings have been framed.

View of Computer Training interior. Parapet wall construction in progress.

Concrete stairs to second floor Radio Station.

Radio Station floor slab complete. Second floor wall construction just beginning.

SIDAREC 7-23-2010 construction progress

2010-07-23T12:57:00.000-07:00

View of cyber cafe on left and early childhood development center on right from front courtyard. Entry trellis beam and columns finished.

Entry trellis beam and columns finished. View of Hole-in-the-Wall computer kiosk near center behind and left of front column.

View of cyber cafe on left and early childhood development center on right from site entry.

View of early childhood development center from future soccer field.

Interior view of early childhood development center with steel window frames being installed.

View of computer training center from future soccer field.

View of computer training center and toilet block from future soccer field.

Steel roof framing trusses are arriving on site.

SIDAREC 7-8-2010 forming second floor and stairs to get there

2010-07-23T12:39:00.000-07:00

Form work for second floor slab and entry trellis beam in place.

Form work for stairs to second floor radio station.

Form work for second floor slab.

Detail of form work for second floor slab.

Form work for ring beam above Hole-in-the-Wall computer kiosks.

SIDAREC 7-1-2010 construction progress

2010-07-06T11:26:00.000-07:00

View of Cyber Cafe on left and Early Childhood Development Center on right from entry courtyard. The radio station will be located above the cyber cafe on the second floor.

View of Early Childhood Development Center from entry courtyard.

View of Early Childhood Development Center from second floor of radio station.

Interior view of Early Childhood Development Center.

View of Early Childhood Development Center from soccer pitch behind building.

View of Cyber Cafe's "Hole in the Wall" computer stations from in front of the Early Childhood Development Center.

View of "Hole in the Wall" computer stations from above.

Form work for stairs to second floor radio station.

Form work for stairs to second floor radio station with computer training center beyond.

Form work being installed for second floor slab radio station.

View of Computer Training Center and toilet block with columns for the shaded veranda in front.

SIDAREC 6-24-2010 construction progress

2010-06-24T17:02:00.000-07:00

View of Early Childhood Development Center from Entry Courtyard.

View of Early Childhood Development Center from Soccer Pitch.

View of Early Childhood Development Center interior.

View of Cyber Cafe interior.

View of stair form work to second floor radio station along access alley.

SIDAREC continues to grow

2010-06-21T15:25:00.000-07:00

View of Early Childhood Development/Large Gathering Hall from front courtyard.

Interior View of Early Childhood Development/Large Gathering Hall.

View of Early Childhood Development/Large Gathering Hall from rear of site.

View of Internet Training Center and toilet block.

View along shaded veranda.

North perimeter security wall nearing completion.

SIDAREC's Wall Construction Continues

2010-06-11T11:44:00.000-07:00

View of existing bakery with ECD in background.

Construction progress with cyber cafe behind.

View along veranda between cyber cafe and ECD.

View of cyber cafe along service alley.

View of toilet block and internet training center along service alley.

View of early childhood development (ECD) with the slum of Mukuru beyond.

View of internet training center.

View of internet training center and toilet block.

SIDAREC Going Vertical

2010-06-04T13:07:00.000-07:00

View looking east toward early childhood development (ECD) and large meeting hall.

View looking southeast toward early childhood development (ECD) with cyber cafe in background.

View looking south toward internet training center and toilet block. Veranda columns in the foreground.

Internet trainging center walls under construction. Cyber cafe beyond and ECD on left.

Internet cafe "holo-in-the-wall" computer kiosks under construction.

Toilets under construction.

View looking west down serivce alley access.

New north security perimeter wall under construction.

SIDAREC oh, slab.

2010-05-27T17:15:00.000-07:00

Conduit and plumbing rough-in placed in newly poured floor slab. View towards ICT and toilet block from back of site.

View towards ICT and toilet block looking toward back of site.

Plumbing rough-in for restrooms.

Conrete slab being poured for early childhood development and large meeting room.

Slab reinforcement being placed with electrical conduit rough-in at internet cafe. View from near site entry.

Vapor barrier and reinforcement steel in place and ready for concrete slab pour.

SIDAREC has hardcore

2010-05-24T16:43:00.000-07:00

Hardcore (i.e. structural fill) in place. Looking from rear of site toward street.

Hardcore in place at Early Childhood Development/Large Meeting wing.

Beginning the placement of the hardcore.

Site wall nearing completion.

Foundation wall repair in progress.

Backfill nearing completion.

Backfill nearing completion. Looking toward rear of site from site entry.

SIDAREC Getting Ever Closer to Rising from the Ground

2010-05-11T13:16:00.000-07:00

Backfilling for Computer Lab, Toilet block and covered walkway underway.

View from site entrance with structural fill nearing completion.

Early Childhood Development area backfilled with structural fill.

Columns and perimeter site wall getting a final finish.

Roots & Wings Technology Learning Center Breaks Ground

2010-05-03T17:11:00.000-07:00

Roots & Wings International broke ground on their new computer technology learning center in Pasac, Guatemala in mid-April. Congratulations RWI!

Clearing the site.

Site excavation in progress.

Layout of building foundation.

Rendering of technology center by The Global Studio

SIDAREC Foundation Walls Nearly Complete

2010-04-29T12:53:00.000-07:00

Construction workers placing rock for foundation walls at cybercafe and main entry.

Foundation walls for computer training main wing complete.

Foundation walls for Early Childhood development wing nearly complete. View from soccer field.

Foundation walls for Early Childhood development wing nearly complete. View from cyber cafe area.

View of main building wing from near street.

SIDAREC Building Strong Foundation

2010-04-21T14:42:00.000-07:00

Site overview from large pile of excavated soil. Early Childhood Development center in foreground.

Below grade foundation walls under construction.

Below grade foundation walls and footings under construction.

Site in rain storm.

Building footing formwork after the rain storm.

SIDAREC's Foundation Formwork in Progress

2010-04-14T14:33:00.000-07:00

Formwork for the building foundation in progress. Looking along service alley toward road.

Formwork for the building foundation in progress. Looking from future ECD to rear of site.

Formwork for the building foundation in progress. Looking along service alley toward rear of site.

Site perimeter wall nearly complete djacent to existing health clinic.

From the Archives....Animation of SIDAREC Winning Competition Entry

2010-04-07T08:37:00.001-07:00

SIDAREC Mukuru Youth Technology & Media Lab Winning Competition Entry from The Global Studio on Vimeo.
The animation showcases the original 2007 AMD Open Architecture Challenge competition entry for SIDAREC's (Slums Information Development and Resources Centers) new technology and media resource center for the youth of Mukuru Kwa Njenga, a slum east of Nairobi, Kenya. For more information on the project's progess visit the project page on the Open Architecture Network.

SIDAREC's Mass Excavation of Poor Soil Complete

2010-03-29T22:42:00.000-07:00

Construction Site from Access Road

Note the "black cotton soil" layer at the back of the site along the block wall. Black cotton soil is highly expansive and very poor for building foundations and slabs, which is why it all had to be removed.

Excavation Complete for Early Childhood Development Wing

Excavation Complete for Main Building

Building Excavation Complete Looking West toward Rear of Site

Building Excavation Looking East toward Street

Leveling of Foundation Base

Laying out of Foundation Base

SIDAREC Youth Technology and Media Lab Animation

2010-03-24T10:43:00.000-07:00

SIDAREC Mukuru Youth Technology & Media Lab Schematic Design Animation from The Global Studio on Vimeo.
The video showcases the revised schematic design for the Slums Information Development & Resource Centre (SIDAREC) Technology Hub. The hub is a sustainable, technology focused community resource center in Mukuru Kwa Njenga, an informal settlement east of Nairobi, Kenya. The SIDAREC organization believes positive development occurs by realizing the concept, "Community problems need community solutions." SIDAREC strives to empower the youth in Mukuru to generate community solutions and positive change by utilizing education and technology to harness the untapped potential the youth inherently have. SIDAREC's ultimate goal is to enable the community's youth to raise their standards of living and improve their community.

Perimeter Site Wall and Building Excavations Underway

2010-03-19T13:40:00.000-07:00

New temporary Early Childhood Development (ECD) building constructed as interim facility during construction.

Children in class in temporary ECD.

Foundation excavations underway for new permanent Early Childhood Development center.

Foundation and column reinforcement.

Perimeter security wall under construction.

Massive excavation underway for new SIDAREC youth technology and media center.

SIDAREC Construction Commences in Mukuru

2010-02-08T10:22:00.000-08:00

Nearly two years to the day of submitting what would become the winning entry to the 2007 AMD Open Architecture Challenge, and tens of thousands of combined air miles later, construction finally commenced this month in the dusty slum of Mukuru Kwa Njenga on the eastern outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya. The new community technology resource center is set to give the expectant African community a powerful tool to end the cycle of poverty. The community center, designed for Slums Information Development Resource Center (SIDAREC) and the needs of Nairobi youth by The Global Studio from Seattle, WA, USA, will give Mukuru residents access to the Internet, computer and technology training, health clinic services, early childhood development programs, and a community theater. A radio station and recording studio will top out the six-month construction project, beaming SIDAREC’s radio station Ghetto 99.9 to more than 650,000 local residents and countless listeners around the world.

Road Construction in front of SIDAREC site

Official construction sign

Culvert and construction materials on site

Form work and concrete placed around new drainage culvert

New culvert will ease access to SIDAREC's community center

Construction site work in progess

Construction site work in progress

Building form work

Building temporarty early childhood education center to replace the one demolished for construction of the new facility.

Roots & Wings Computer Lab

2009-12-07T08:28:00.000-08:00

The Global Studio is working with Roots & Wings International to assist with the visualization of a new computer training center in the village of Pasac, Guatemala. Roots & Wings is currently working on securing funding for a new building which will house a computer resource lab and local offices.

SIDAREC set to begin construction!

2009-12-02T15:18:00.000-08:00

After months and months of waiting, the day we've been building toward is here.

NAIROBI, Kenya – Dec. 2, 2009 – Construction is cleared to begin on the SIDAREC-Mukuru Kwa Njenga Center here, giving the expectant African community a powerful tool to end the cycle of poverty. The community center, designed for Slums Information Development Resource Center (SIDAREC) and the needs of Nairobi youth, will give Mukuru residents access to the Internet, computer and technology training, health clinic services, early childhood development programs, and a community theater. A radio station and recording studio will top out the six-month construction project, beaming SIDAREC’s radio station Ghetto 99.9 to more than 650,000 local residents and countless listeners around the world.

The community center is a cooperative effort by the 50x15 Foundation and Architecture for Humanity, in local partnership with SIDAREC. Leaders from the three organizations met at the building site Nov. 17 to launch the construction phase and campaign to garner additional support to help “Raise the Radio.”

During the planning for the new community center, a fire destroyed SIDAREC’s previous radio tower and studio. “Ghetto 99.9” is the energizing pulse and beat of this community, providing news and music to thousands in Nairobi. 50x15 and Architecture for Humanity modified the overall plan to include a completely new studio and have launched an incremental “Raise the Radio” fund-raising campaign to ensure the entire community center opens as scheduled. (http://bit.ly/raisetheradio) Please visit the link to contribute to the success of the project.

---partial press release from AMD's 50x15 Initiative

TGS featured in AIA Seattle's Forum Magazine

2009-05-22T12:10:00.000-07:00

The Global Studio and its recent work is featured in AIA Seattle's quarterly Forum Magazine. Geoff Piper raising the roof on a composting toilet in Nicaragua made the cover of this Winter 2008/2009 issue. Click the cover image below to download the entire publication.

TGS in the news...

2009-03-09T11:10:00.000-07:00

The Global Studio was featured in Seattle Times' Pacific Northwest Magazine on Sunday, March 8th for our design work with underserved communities in Kenya and Nicaragua.

"The Global Studio builds social responsibility from the grass roots up. Four 30-something Seattle architects who donate their services to poor communities in their spare time recently won a major international competition to design a technology hub for a Nairobi-area slum." Click here to read the entire article.

SIDAREC Community Youth Technology Center Schematic Design

2009-03-03T16:18:00.000-08:00

After two trips to Kenya and many late nights following, The Global Studio has completed the schematic design for SIDAREC's new Mukuru community resource center.

The Global Studio meets with local partners in Nairobi

2008-10-16T02:06:00.000-07:00

Ashley, Eric, Geoff, Stephanie and Matthew at Planning Systems Office in Nairobi

Geoff and Matthew discussing drainage issues with Gordon Schofield (Mechanical & Electrical Engineer) and Eric Kigada (Architect at Planning Systems)

Entrance to Planning Systems Office, Nairobi

Getting the Community Involved

2008-10-15T08:29:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Oct. 11th, we conducted a series of community workshop exercises to get the youth that use the SIDAREC community center involved in the design of their new center. The exercises were designed to allow us to better understand their priorities and sense of space. We called the exercises "Post-It Mapping," "Building with Program Blocks," and "Tech Trading."

"Post-It Mapping"

"Building with Program Blocks"

"Tech Trading"

Headed back to .....

2008-09-23T12:41:00.000-07:00

The Global Studio team is planning a return trip on October 10-16th to Nairobi to continue working with SIDAREC and the local architect to move the Mukuru Community Resource Center forward into a more realistic and developed schematic design. After lots of reflection and work with SIDAREC and Architecture for Humanity, we hope to be able to announce our local architect partner very soon. Please stay tuned to hear more about that and our trip in October.

Back from East Africa

2008-09-12T15:55:00.000-07:00

We had five really packed days and one day relaxing with giraffe in Nairobi. We interviewed about half dozen local architects and had about half dozen other meetings ranging from US officials that do AIDS related work at the USAID offices housed at the embassy to documentary filmmakers from Austin, TX at an Ethiopian restaurant. The local architects we met with were highly qualified and ran quite a range from a top 10 firm in Africa that had designed many of the skyscrapers in Nairobi to an American who has been working in East Africa for 15 years doing primarily charity type work to a young firm with 2 ½ years experience that also teaches at the University of Nairobi and collaborates with a Herzog and de Meuron studio from the Basel school of architecture, as well as with Harvard’s Graduate School of Design working in Kibera slum. We will be selecting the firm we will be working with by next week. It will truly be a tough choice, but at least we have three excellent options and feel confident that our design will be in good hands. We are scheduled to make a return trip in the middle of October to move the schematic design toward completion.

http://www.openarchitecturenetwork.org/sidarec is home to our project on the Open Architecture Network where we will be updating our design as it progresses. So stay tuned.

Around Nairobi

2008-09-02T08:53:00.001-07:00

A view of Nairobi's skyline from above Uhuru Park. Nairobi was founded by the British in 1899 as a simple rail stop linking the Kenyan coast with Uganda. It grew quickly and became the capital of British East Africa in 1907.

Along the road into SIDAREC's Mukuru community center site. It is congested with people on foot and vendors pushed up against the side of the road. It is a highly active environment, even if it is dusty and rough with potholes and cobblestones.

A typical vendor's produce stand along the road to the Mukuru site.

Although a predominantly Christian nation, Kenya has a significant Muslim population due to its history of its coastal access by Arab traders. Much of Mukuru's new population are immigrants and refugees from Somalia.

Manual labor is ubiquitous in Nairobi, even on the busy streets occupied with vehicular traffic.

This bicyclist competes with crowded public transportation for a piece of the road. He is carrying a heavy load for delivery.

Colorful fabrics on the line to dry next to SIDAREC's Pumwani community center.

The door into someone's home next to the Pumwani community center.

SIDAREC's Pumwani Community Center Site

2008-09-02T08:46:00.000-07:00

The preschoolers gather outside of the community center for a group photo. There are up to seventy 2-5 year old students who crowd into the 2 small classrooms at the community center to get a head start on learning, an opportunity not afforded to the majority of residents of the Pumwani community.

Ashley playing with plastic snap-blocks with a preschool girl in one of the 2 classrooms.

A young operator in the broadcast booth of SIDAREC's Ghetto FM radio station in Pumwani. Ghetto FM broadcasts to an area of nearly 600,000 people. It offers the youth of the community a voice to communicate their experiences, joys and struggles of gr owning up in the slums.
The radio tower at the Pumwani community center broadcasting Ghetto FM.

Kids at the community center.

A little boy peers suspiciously at us as we get out of our van to check out the Pumwani community center.

Young girls doing each other's hair on the steps of a house next to the community center.

SIDAREC's Mukuru Kwa Njenga Community Center Site

2008-09-02T08:32:00.001-07:00

Young users of SIDAREC's Mukuru Community Center eager to meet the design team that will be transforming their existing center into an exciting hub in the middle of Nairobi's newest slum.

Vendors along the street in front of SIDAREC's site.

A view from across the street to the front of the site. The radio station tower will be just to the right of the umbrellas.

The existing site has a small, but largely underused, clinic at the rear of the property. It was staffed with a full-time doctor for two years, but due to a funding shortage, now there is only a social worker and a part-time nurse staffing this clinic.

A little boy looking suave at the corner of the clinic.

Ashley drawing the floor plan of the existing clinic. Our design concept proposed keeping the existing clinic rather than demolishing it and replacing it with a new building. It is the nicest and most permanent building on the current site. SIDAREC would like to add one additional room for a small family planning classroom.

Members of the community center playing real "football." This patch of hard packed earth is one the very few open spaces for children to play in the densely populated community of Mukuru.

Going head to head, or foot to foot as the case may be.

A large temporary, cum permanent, meeting hall made of corrugated "iron sheets," as the locals say. During the day is contains three preschool classes in the corners of the building, and serves as a meeting space for up to 200-250 community members during the evenings. As you might imagine, it gets extremely hot inside with the equatorial sun beating down on the metal roof.

A view of the site looking from the existing entry gate. The metal meeting hall is to the left and the existing temporary offices and bakery are on the right.

Temporary offices located along the existing high wall defining the north side of the site.

Giraffe Center in Nairobi

2008-09-02T08:12:00.000-07:00

"The purpose of the Giraffe Centre is to create awareness and provide free environmental education aimed at sensitising Kenyan youth and the general population on the need to appreciate and conserve Kenya's biodiversity. We give local and international visitors an opportunity to come into close contact with, and feed the world's tallest animal, the Giraffe."

Ashley feeding a giraffe at The Giraffe Center just minutes outside of Nairobi.

Elaine Uang from Architecture for Humanity feeding a hungry, hungry giraffe.

Wow. That is a long tongue. Giraffe tongues are about 18" long.

Matthew feeding a gentle giraffe. A few minutes later he was head-butted by a frustrated giraffe that was being taunted by other visitors. Be nice to the animals.

Matthew and Ashley in Kenya.

On the Ground in Nairobi

2008-08-30T23:56:00.000-07:00

Colorful wooden chairs fill one of the preschool classrooms at the Pumwani community center.

A well used and well organized reading room and lending library is a key component of SIDAREC's mission to serve the slums of Nairobi.

A young boy begins to appreciate reading by flipping through a picture book at the Pumwani community center.

Kibera, arguably the world's most famous slum. It is home for nearly a million Nairobi's residents. Originated in 1918, it is Africa's second largest slum after Soweto in South Africa.

Ashley, Elaine Uang from Architecture for Humanity, and Matthew Chetty from AMD's 50x15 Initiative walking across a playing field in Kibera.

Ashley taking photos of kids in Kibera.

Ashley and Elaine in Kibera with Ibrahim. He helps run a community project in Kibera with the Univeristy of Nairobi and and initiative from Harvard's Graduate School of Design to reclaim a dumping ground for community open space.

Nairobi's traffic is infamously bad. Rush hour is typified by what the locals just call the "Jam."

Where's Matthew in the huddle?

Elaine and Matthew Chetty around the new Mukuru community center drawings at a local architect's office.
SIDAREC's community center located in the Pumwani neighborhood.

Lucy Mathai is the director of SIDAREC - Slums Information Development and Resource Centers.

Ashley and Matthew with Lucy in their Nairobi offices. They plan to relocate to the new community center in Mukuru to be closer to the community they are serving, as well as save on rent so the money can be invested in the programs they offer.

Lucy showing Ashley around their head offices. They provide a free drop-in internet service for those in the building.

The Global Studio heading to Nairobi

2008-08-06T10:28:00.000-07:00

The Global Studio is scheduled to make the first of several site visits to Kenya at the end of this month to continue the SIDAREC Community Resource Center. We will be in Kenya from August 29th to September 4th to meet with the leaders of SIDAREC to move the project forward. We will be meeting with local architects and developing a better sense of the project's overall feasibility through site analysis and research.

Frontline/World: Stories from a Small Planet

2008-06-25T11:17:00.000-07:00

Check out the PBS story online about Architecture for Humanity's work in India, which also features The Global Studio and the design of the SIDAREC Community Resource Center.

The Global Studio on PBS

2008-06-17T21:56:00.000-07:00

The Global Studio will be featured for winning the 2007 AMD Open Architecture Africa Challenge on Stories for a Small Planet by Frontline/World on PBS, June 24, 2008, at 9:00 p.m. Airing on the award winning documentary series, Frontline/World, the story is Design Like You Give A Damn profiling the work of Architecture for Humanity. This story will focus on some of AFH's post-tsunami reconstruction in Tamil Nadu, India, as well as the recent AMD Open Architecture Challenge.

Worldchanging

2008-06-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

Worldchanging.com published an article about The Global Studio's AMD Open Architecture Challenge Africa project with SIDAREC, Architecture for Humanity and AMD. The article begins, "The Global Studio, based in Seattle, Wa., took top honors in the 2007 AMD Open Architecture Challenge. The four internationally experienced architectural designers behind the studio (which works exclusively with NGOs and charitable causes) are Stephanie Ingram, Geoff Piper, Matthew Sullivan and Ashley Waldron. Their winning entry will be built with funds supplied by AMD."
Author Julia Steinberger spoke with The Global Studio's Geoff Piper about the design. Geoff stated, "One of the things SIDAREC really liked about the design was the tower element at the front," says Piper. "They saw that as an icon of SIDAREC itself, and of the community it serves. That tower could be identified with the radio station, which they say is listened to by 600,000 people."
Please see here for the entire piece.

Winner of the 2007 AMD Open Architecture Africa Challenge

2008-06-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

Architecture for Humanity and AMD just announced the winners of the 2007 AMD Open Architecture Challenge: Digital Inclusion, a global competition to develop technology facilities for communities in need, from the 50x15 Africa Partner Summit in Cape Town, South Africa. The competition received 566 registered entries from 57 countries. The winners, including one overall competition winner and two regional site winners, were determined by an international review board of jurors comprised of architects, technologists, and community members. The overall competition winner and Africa challenge site winner is The Global Studio of Seattle, WA, USA, for its design of a technology media lab and recording studio for SIDAREC, located in an informal settlement of Nairobi, Kenya. With the construction of this media lab, Lucy Mathai and George Onyango, both founders of SIDAREC, hope their community will become “the next Silicon Valley.”

As the winner of the 2007 AMD Open Architecture Challenge, The Global Studio will see their ideas come to life in the heart of the Mukuru Kwa Njenga settlement in Nairobi, Kenya. With full construction financing made possible with funding by AMD and the 50x15 Initiative the team will collaborate with Architecture for Humanity and SIDAREC, the recipient local community organization, to build their winning solution. The Global Studio’s innovative design will help empower and enrich the lives of thousands of children in the heart of this vast unplanned settlement.