Pandemic Architecture, an International Ideas Competition curated by the Design Ambassador for ARCHISEARCH.gr, invited the creative community to open up a dialogue and create a think tank, looking for ideas from the architectural and design community about the future of the living, the workspace, the public space and the tourism industry after the outbreak of Covid-19.
De La Merde à L‘or was longlisted in top 100 out of 440 projects.
Worldwide there is a great migration to the big cities. The city of Dakar, in Senegal, is trying to handle this situation, as well. One issue is the open canalization, which has a huge impact at the living standards.
Chemicals, human excrements or garbage turn canalizations into incubators for disease. Additionally, it is often directly connected to the sea without filtering. The proposal is sustainable, low-tech. The goal is to find a solution to the problem, while creating further benefits.
Concept
The design is based on the further construction of the sewer system and thus the connection of the two “sides”. This creates a linear plaza as the district center. Additionally the sewage water is cleaned by a three-chamber clarification system.
After the filtering process, the water can be used for plants, creating a green oasis in the middle of the dry, sandy district. The cultivation of reed for the wetlands, activates the development of a new business sector in this district, and thus creates new jobs. 
Reed is a very versatile material, which can be used in various ways. For example, as animal feed, for chipboards, insulation, furniture, window shutters and much more. Last but not least, it is used for roofing the building structure on the superstructure.
Facts & Credits
Participants Ole Busch
Benedikt Pienkoß
Country Germany
The project was longlisted in top 100 out of 440 projects.
The impact of Pandemic Architecture competition on the international architectural community was astonishing, with the number of registrations to exceed 800, with the final proposals to exceed 400 and with participants from more than 60 different countries.
Results will be officially announced on the 25th of September.
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Check out the open call and the jury here!
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