Ladakh is a cold desert in India. Lying in the Great Himalayan Region, it has the mighty Karakoram Range in the North and in the south, it is bound by the Zanskar mountains. The area is remote: the main road linking Ladakh with the rest of India is cut off by snow for six months or more each year. It is one of the least populous areas of India and is largely rural in nature. The capital city of Leh is the biggest and only urban center in the greater Ladakh region. This is a high-altitude desert environment where water is precious. Agriculture and human settlements depend on water from snow melt, which flows towards the Indus River.
Traditionally, most Ladakhis were subsistence farmers growing mainly barley and vegetables, or they were nomads tending goats and yaks. The opening of a road in the 1960s linking Ladakh with the plains brought large numbers of tourism related activities to the region. Yet the area still lacks resources and there is a wide knowledge and skill gap between Ladakh and the rest of India. Cultural erosion, climate change and mindless urbanization calls for holistic educational development of Ladakhi children so that they can build this area for the future.
The aim of the competition, MINIMUM SCHOOL is to create a model sustainable school that creates a robust educational community in this remote area. The school shall be built on the foundations of local culture and architecture with an aim to provide high quality modern education. The school should celebrate and enhance Ladakhi traditions and establish a holistic educational and academic community.
The competition is open to everyone in the world (architects, students, engineers etc.). You can participate individually or in a team. A team can have a maximum of three members only.
Standard registration: – 15th September 2021 – 15th November 2021
Late registration: – 16th November 2021 – 14th December 2021
Submission deadline: 15th December 2021
Result: 15th -18th January 2022
*All deadlines are 11:59 PM- 00:00 IST (India)
Group discounts apply for a minimum of 5 teams from one particular architecture school/university as our initiative to promote more participation from students. Send us the following details at queries@switchcompetition.com to avail the offer.
Note:
It will not be possible to amend or update any information relating to your registration including the names of team members once validated.
Prizes worth EUR 2500 are up for claim with the distribution as follows:
FIRST PRIZE: EUR 1200
SECOND PRIZE: EUR 800
THIRD PRIZE: EUR 500
Apart from the winners, the jury will select ’10 Editors’ Choices’ who will be featured on our website and several other international magazines and websites across the world. The winners and Editors’ Choices will be provided with an honorary certificate.
All the questions related to the competition can be mailed to us at queries@switchcompetition.com with ‘FAQ’ as the subject.
Coming Soon.