For Everyday.Life (FE.L) presents its award winning design ‘Housing Salinas’ during London Design Week at the Material Matters Fair for the first time since it was presented at SXSW in March 2024. ‘Housing Salinas‘ is one of the winners of Initiative 99, a global architecture competition to design affordable housing for under $99,000, launched by ICON the pioneering construction technology company based in Austin, Texas.
Initiative 99 represents a pivotal moment for the future of housing, combining ICON’s 3D-printing technology with CarbonX, a new mortar based concrete developed in partnership with MIT to reduce the carbon impact of traditional concrete. When paired with ICON’s wall system and robotic construction methods, ICON’s CarbonX formula is the lowest carbon residential building system ready to be used at scale.
The ‘Housing Salinas’ project by FE.L is more than architecture, designed in response to community displacement in Puerto Rico as a result of Hurricane Maria, it is the creation of a long-term solution that strives towards a future where residents can live, work, and flourish in an environment that embodies the highest standards of social and environmental responsibility.
FE.L has already won in the Open Category of Phase 1 of the competition, and is now entered in Phase 2 to see the final concept built, as well as being featured in ICON’s CODEX, a new digital catalogue of ready-to-print home architecture that will allow builders, developers and home buyers to build with ICON quickly and affordably using world-class architecture.
At Material Matters FE.L will showcase its submission which for context, is based on the widespread displacement experienced during Hurricane Maria in 2017, affecting around 135,000 people in Puerto Rico, particularly the economically disadvantages areas of Salinas. It is located on the site of a decommissioned coal power plant, which provides an opportunity to address long-term regenerative solutions to outdated infrastructure and better support local communities.
FE.L’s solution is designed to adapt over time as requirements shift and communities change. Integrating with the landscape through texture, colour, and natural rewilding, each unit is positioned to create a variety of courtyard spaces, physically connected through use but independent when needed for privacy. Large windows at high level allow deep penetration of daylight without direct overlooking from adjacent units; creating a light, open, voluminous space far removed from the temporary nature of many post natural disaster housing schemes.
Commenting on winning the prize, Colin Macgadie, Co-Founder of FEL said:
“For Everyday Life is an emerging design studio and creative consultancy with a mission to “Shape what’s next”. Our ambitions could not be more aligned with Initiative 99 and ICON.”
Jorge Mendez-Caceres, Co-Founder at FEL said:“The Housing Salinas project highlights our commitment to creating a vibrant and sustainable solution that could be measured against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The ambition is to provide more than just houses; there is an aspiration to cultivate a harmonious living environment that prioritises social inclusivity, environmental responsibility, and economic prosperity.”
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