Kaira Looro 2021 - Women's House to promote gender equality in Africa

Kaira Looro 2021 - Women's House to promote gender equality in Africa now is over!

Kaira Looro 2021 - Women's House to promote gender equality in Africa: Balouo Salo, through its Kaira Looro non-profit initiative organizes the Kaira Looro 2021: Women’s House, an international architecture competition for students and young architects that promotes equality and combats discrimination.

➜ Short description

Balouo Salo, through its Kaira Looro non-profit initiative and with the intention to promote gender equality in Africa, organizes the 2021 international architecture competition - Women’s House.

The architecture contest theme is the design of a Women's House in Africa (Senegal) a symbolic and environmentally friendly structure that is inspired by local traditions, to promote gender equality and to reduce discriminations. The competition aims to launch the careers of new architectural talent, to raise awareness in the international community on the emergencies issue, and to support humanitarian projects. Indeed, the proceeds of the competition will be entirely devolved to Balouo Salo's charity projects and to the construction of the winning project of the competition.

The aims of the “Women’s House” is to host meetings, seminars, labs, and any other activity that could be useful in reducing forms of discrimination, strengthening and promoting gender equality, creating awareness and knowledge, and stimulating involvement by all parts of society. The project will be self-constructed with the benefiting community and will therefore need to meet certain construction criteria. The structure will need to accommodate the following activities, which will correspond to certain areas that have been designed to be independent from or connected to one another, depending on the concept of the designer.

The proposal will be evaluated by a internationl jury made up of: Kengo Kuma (Kengo Kuma & Associates), Benedetta Tagliabue (EMBT Miralles Tagliabue), Urko Sanchez ( Urko Sanchez Architects), Agostino Ghirardelli (SBGA), Oulimata Sarr (Regional Director of UN Women West and Central Africa), Lehau Victoria Maloka ( Director of Women Gender and Development Directorate of African Union Commission ), Salimata Diop Dieng ( Minister of Women, Family, Gender and Child Protection of Senegal), Azzurra Muzzonigro (Sex and the City).

Note! You can register your project until Late registrations period (29th March - 30th Apr 2021), but you can submit your project until 30th May 2021.

Results will be announced on 27th June 2021.

➜ Who may enter?

Architects, designers, engineers, and students from around the world may participate in the competition. It is possible to participate in the competition individually or in teams, with one requirement: the presence of individuals under 35 years of age on the team.

➜ Prize:

The winning project will receive a cash prize of 5.000 € and an internship at Kengo Kuma & Associates studio in Japan, and the construction of the project. The 2nd and 3rd place teams will receive cash prize and the EMBT Miralles Tagliabue in Spain and at the SBGA Blengini Ghiradelli Archtiects in Italy. All of the projects will be published on the competition’s website and in its official book.

➜ Entry fees:

Entry fee is €60/Team during the Early registration period (until 28 February 2021). After that period ends the amount of fee will increase.