KIRIBATI
FLOATING
HOUSES

Kiribati Floating Houses is a call for young architects promoted by YAC and Cantiere delle Marche to design floating, environmentally-friendly houses to be built in the Kiribati archipelago as a possible solution for the thread represented by ocean level rise.

Global warming doesn’t just cause seasons’ shifting, mild winters etc. but also rising sea levels wiping out houses, lands and civilizations. This is the terrible price the Kiribati people who live on an archipelago composed by 33 atols 20 hours flight from any destination are now having to pay.

To help the approx. 110.000 inhabitants of Kiribati, YAC (Young Architetcts Competions) a company acting in the promotion of research in the field design, and Cantiere delle Marche, world leader in the explorer yachts segment, held the “Kiribati Floating Houses”, a contest for young architects who were asked to design floating houses, easy to be replicated, able to overcome the challenge represented by the rise of ocean level making use of renewable energies and resources.

The contest that saw the participation of above 230 candidates from all over the world offers monetary prizes of € 15.000 for the three top finalists. Projects are judged by a specially selected panel composed by: Kengo Kuma, Moon Hoon, Rocco Yim, Cristiana Favretto (Studiomobile), Simon Frommenwiler (HHF Architects), Carlo Ratti, Giuseppe Zampieri (David Chipperfield Architects), Fabio Roversi Monaco (Genus Bononiae), Vasco Buonpensiere (Cantiere delle Marche), Simon Frommenwiler (HHF) Teuea Tebau (MISE Ministry of Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy), Walter Mariotti (Domus), Marco Imperadori (Politecnico di Milano), Marco Cattaneo (National Geographic Italia).

Kiribati’s fragile eco-system is changing, almost certainly (and unfortunately) forever. For its inhabitants emigrating is not an option. Hence the importance of the Kiribati Floating Houses to offer a future to these people while helping them create a new sense of resilience.

 
 
Vasco Buonpensiere

CANTIERE DELLE MARCHE

“I have been immediately taken by the images and the words of the Head of State of the Kiribati Islands proudly asking for help to the most powerful men of the world. When I also heard that the Kiribati government purchased 6,000 acres on Fiji in 2014 to try and ensure food security as the environment changes and that they were implementing a program, “Migration with Dignity”, with the aim of creating a skilled workforce able to find good employment abroad, I loved the positive and constructive attitude of this population who is paying the consequences of our mistakes and I really wanted to know more to see how we could have helped. No need to say that when we were proposed this idea we were all-in since the start”.

JURY

Kengo
Kuma

KENGO KUMA & ASSOCIATES

Moon
Hoon

MOON_BAL_SSO

Cristiana
Favretto

STUDIOMOBILE

Vasco
Buonpensiere

CANTIERE DELLE MARCHE

Teuea
Tebau

MISE

Simon
Frommenwiler

HHF ARCHITECTS

Rocco
Yim

ROCCO DESIGN ARCHITECTS

Walter
Mariotti

EDITORIALE DOMUS

Marco
Imperadori

POLITECNICO MILANO

Marco
Cattaneo

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

Fabio Alberto
Roversi Monaco

GENUS BONONIAE

Giuseppe
Zampieri

DAVID CHIPPERFIELD ARCHITECTS

WINNERS

WINNER

TEAM
Marcin Kitala
MEMBERS
Marcin Kitala
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WINNER

TEAM
Marcin Kitala
MEMBERS
Marcin Kitala

SECOND PLACE

TEAM
JiT
MEMBERS
Jinchul Yeon, Hanhee Park, Joseph Kim, Hyoyoung Jeon
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SECOND PLACE

TEAM
JiT
MEMBERS
Jinchul Yeon, Hanhee Park, Joseph Kim, Hyoyoung Jeon

THIRD PLACE

TEAM
Giacomo Caputo
MEMBERS
Giacomo Caputo
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THIRD PLACE

TEAM
Giacomo Caputo
MEMBERS
Giacomo Caputo

GOLD
MENTIONS

TEAM
TAB
MEMBERS
Wilhelm Scheruebl, Therese Leick, Philippe Jans
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GOLD MENTIONS

TEAM
TAB
MEMBERS
Wilhelm Scheruebl, Therese Leick, Philippe Jans
TEAM
CB
MEMBERS
Martina Cesana, Alice Camilla Mariani, Amedeo Valente
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GOLD MENTIONS

TEAM
CB
MEMBERS
Martina Cesana, Alice Camilla Mariani, Amedeo Valente

HONORABLE
MENTIONS

TEAM
Barbastrejo
MEMBERS
Livia Sassudelli, Filippo Ferro, Tiziano Deromedi, Carla Colzani
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HONORABLE MENTIONS
TEAM
Barbastrejo
MEMBERS
Livia Sassudelli, Filippo Ferro, Tiziano Deromedi, Carla Colzani
TEAM
Kimagination
MEMBERS
Magdalena Maraszkiewicz, Iman Kimiaei, Maziar Mohit
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HONORABLE MENTIONS
TEAM
Kimagination
MEMBERS
Magdalena Maraszkiewicz, Iman Kimiaei, Maziar Mohit
TEAM
Floatopolis
MEMBERS
Robert Newman, Jonathan Wren, Michael Mitchell, Alessandro Magliani, Harvey Cullis
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HONORABLE MENTIONS
TEAM
Floatopolis
MEMBERS
Robert Newman, Jonathan Wren, Michael Mitchell, Alessandro Magliani, Harvey Cullis
TEAM
Paradox Architects
MEMBERS
Giuseppe Amedeo Carosini, Aleksandra Gojnic
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HONORABLE MENTIONS
TEAM
Paradox Architects
MEMBERS
Giuseppe Amedeo Carosini, Aleksandra Gojnic
TEAM
Ehsan, Iftekhar, Nabila, Anindya
MEMBERS
GS. M. Ehsan Ul Haque Shawpnil, Iftekhar Uddin Ahmed, Nabila Ferdousi, Anindya Gaurab
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HONORABLE MENTIONS
TEAM
Ehsan, Iftekhar, Nabila, Anindya
MEMBERS
GS. M. Ehsan Ul Haque Shawpnil, Iftekhar Uddin Ahmed, Nabila Ferdousi, Anindya Gaurab