News 2009
Future projects education winner: Malama Learning Center Hawai by Eight Inc
Date posted: 06/11/09
This category was refreshing in its variety. The majority of submissions were competition entries, with only one in the construction stage and the rest undergoing design or tender works and due to start in about three months´ time. A music school set in a high density area was competing with buildings of historical importance, and an art and design school in a commercial zone of Estonia. But in all the submission, there was an approach to sustainability, albeit with varying degrees of commitment.
The winner is Eight Inc for its Malama Learning Center in Hawaii. Its aim is to teach the community about the diverse yet dying species of flora and fauna on the island. The design provides spaces for cultivation and research, with the building itself becoming a laboratory for cultivation with the community. The thin wafer-like structure of green ribbon provides a harvest and promotes the project. The shadows and penetration of light through the green roof are not only interesting but also help create the bio climate needed for the cultivation of some of the species. The project sustains itself in its low carbon emissions with a small foot print of built structure and is rooted to its context. The building blends into the surroundings and aims for LEED certification.
