Team of Four students wins 2019 architectural design competition

Jolynn Nyakio Karinga speaking during the award gala dinner of the 2019 AAK Student Design Competition Sustainable Modular Residence. She was among the Design Breathers toegther with Muthuri Mwikali Tressie both doing architecture at Bakhita Carren Diana (civil engineering) and Frank A. Maina Mwangi (quantity surveying), who walked away with Sh75,000. (James Wanzala,Standard)

Four students from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology (JKUAT) are the winners of the 2019 AAK Student Design Competition.

The competition by the Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK) was open to teams comprising students of the following built environment professions: architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, landscape architects, town planners, construction project managers and environmental design consultants. 

The winners were Design Breathers and consisted of Jolynn Nyakio Karinga and Muthuri Mwikali Tressie, both pursuing architecture; Bakhita Carren Diana, civil engineering; and Frank Maina Mwangi, quantity surveying, who walked away with Sh75,000.

“This competition aroused memories of a childhood dream where I felt that I wanted to have a home with economic and environmental sustainability just like the competition brief directed,” said Nyakio after receiving the ward.

Under the 2019 AAK convention theme of ‘Building blocks and the Built Environment’, the sub theme for the competition was ‘Modular Sustainable Design’.

Their concept was on container housing. The competition was organised as a building and/or housing design project for middle level college and university students from across all 53 Commonwealth countries.

Each team had to be made up of at least four members representing different professionals in the built environment. AAK sought collaboration with several suppliers to collaborate with the winning team in building a life size of the smallest module of their concept.

Teams were encouraged to precede conceptualisation with investigations of relevant case studies, and explanation write-ups or videos on the existing scenario and intervention approaches.

Other winners

The runners-up, Creative Protocol, Team Alpha, were awarded Sh50,000 and Sh25,000 respectively while the fourth team, Team XL, got special recognition. The four teams won the opportunity to attend the 2019 AAK Convention that was held at Sarova Whitesands Resort, Mombasa from August 14-16.

The team of judges consisted of Architect Philip Kungu, Jayantha Perera, founding director and Vice President, Green Building Council of Sri Lanka among others.

The objectives of the competition were scaling the size of the house up and down, replaceable and/or additional components, customisable form factor depending on client preferences and site needs. Other objectives were easy constructability and incorporation of materials and services critical for a green building.