Informal Settlements in Lagos: Heinrich Böll Stiftung & DADA Call for Ideas on Climate Resilient Strategies for Environmental Design – Deadline is October 26th

Heinrich Böll Stiftung (www.ng.boell.org) in association with the Dream Arts & Design Agency (DADA) is organizing an open space workshop, aimed at the articulation and development of practical low cost solutions for flood resilient buildings and environmental design in low-income and informal settlement areas to reduce displacement and other negative effects of flooding. As a follow up to HBS’s round-table discussions on Eko Atlantic and the Makoko Floating School Research by NLÉ, they intend to bring together creative thinkers, development workers, architects, urban planners, representatives of relevant government agencies and representatives of communities in Lagos affected by flooding to further brainstorm and evolve ideas over a three-day period. The ideas generated will be presented to stakeholders and the general public on the last day.

Call for Proposals:
This is an initial call for idea proposals towards the open space workshop. They are seeking innovative, low cost, yet practicable solutions that approach flood mitigation from the individual level to the communal and urban levels. It is desirable that proffered solutions address the pertinent question: “In what ways can critical design and innovative creative thinking reduce displacement, disruption of mobility and other forms of discomfort associated with flooding, especially for the poor and disadvantaged citizens of Lagos?” The emphasis should be on the vision of the proposed solution rather than on technical details. Shortlisted proposals will be worked on during the breakout sessions of an Open Space Workshop which will hold from 29th November to 1st December 2012. The Open Space Workshop will serve as a platform for refining and expanding these ideas with critical input from professionals. It will offer an opportunity for networking with participants from different backgrounds.

HBS Support:
The most innovative and promising ideas will receive a moderate financial assistance from Heinrich Böll Stiftung (HBS) for a consultation process with possible host communities to adapt the projects to local needs and interests. After community consultations the projects will be presented to possible funders and documented in a book form.

Who may apply?
This is an open call to the general public. We expect applications from creative thinkers, development workers, architects, urban designers and planners, engineers, designers, scientists, inventors and innovators. Applications are welcome from professionals, academics, students and residents of affected areas who may have ideas borne out of direct experience. Prospective participants should be capable of competently representing and communicating their ideas and should be confident in their ability to collaborate with other people in seeing the project ideas through conception to completion, given the right support.

How to apply:
Read the application guidelines contained here and fill the web form below it: http://www.designpages.biz/hbs-call-for-proposals with your bio-data, problem statement, the idea synopsis and any other information you consider critical to the submission.

Visit: http://www.designpages.biz/hbs-call-for-proposals to submit your idea.

Deadline: Extended till Friday 26th October 2012

Photo credit: Medina Dugger