The competition, organized by the Latin American Steel Association (Alacero), provides the opportunity to develop innovative projects that address challenges related to climate change and sustainability, using steel as a fundamental material in its architectural designs. “The student is motivated to think sustainably long before the first design of the structure, already in the phase of choosing the site where the building will be built,” he noted. Alexander WagnerExecutive Director of Alacero.
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Alejandro Wagner, direct executive of Alacero, the entity that brings together all the steel companies in Latin America.
Each team must develop an architectural proposal that contributes to SDG 13, researching and analyzing the problems of a city or community, thinking about the objectives of promoting construction with steel, defining a problem and from this, generating an architecture project that surpasses said problem. “Today’s students will be the ones who build the cities and smart cities of the future, so stimulating training that includes the necessary technical knowledge and values such as sustainability is the right path for a better world,” Wagner added.
The opportunity for the young Argentines will be that this time the headquarters will be Buenos Aires itself, which according to Wagner, is characterized by a “very strong professional community and it is a very rich architectural city.” The manager also recalled that Argentine students were among the first three places in the 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 editions.
It should be noted that the UN plan where the topic of competition was chosen is made up of 17 objectives and 169 goals, seeking to achieve a better world by the year 2030. “At the same time that we must reduce the housing deficit, the challenge is transform buildings into places of well-being with the minimum possible energy consumption. Projects must be thought through from their conception, construction and useful life, with a focus on minimizing environmental impacts, climate change and resource and energy consumption,” Wagner emphasized.
Alacero Challenge 2024: How to participate?
Architecture faculties and schools throughout the country are invited to form teams with students in the final years of their degree, along with the support of at least one guiding professor. Each team will be required to submit a project that addresses the challenges posed by SDG 13 and demonstrates creative and innovative use of steel in its design.
Registration for the contest will be open until August 25, and the projects must be submitted before the 28th of that month. Participants must fill out the web form of this link and then they must send their questions to the designated advisors until August 1.
Alacero Challenge 2024: Awards and recognitions
The competition offers attractive financial prizes ($750,000 to the winner) as well as the opportunity to be recognized by the sustainable architecture community and to access valuable job opportunities.
In addition to the money, those who win will be selected to compete in the international stage of the Alacero Steel Design Challenge for Architecture Students 2024, which will take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from October 28 to 30. The Alacero Congress has been held annually since 1962 and is the largest meeting space for the value chain of the Latin American steel industry. The event will last 2 days, will have 12 speakers, 800 attendees and more than 21 stands.
This venue offers a unique platform for students to present their projects internationally and establish meaningful connections in the industry. The massive meeting, apart from sustainability, is focused on topics such as markets and geopolitics, competitiveness and industry 5.0.
Focus of the “Desafío Alacero 2024” contest
The objective of the competition is to promote the development of architecture as a fundamental discipline for the construction of a sustainable human habitat. By encouraging teamwork between teachers and students, we seek to stimulate creativity and innovation in steel design and construction, promoting the responsible use of this material and its potential to address the challenges of climate change.
The details that the presented project must have
The project must consider the critical repertoire of architecture, which is essential so that students can reflect on the specificities of architecture and urbanism.
Participants must also take into account the following aspects when designing the building:
- Insertion in place: The chosen location must have a real need for the inclusion of a building of the proposed magnitude or the replacement of an existing one.
- Environment: It is suggested that planning takes into account the natural environment and the environment, and could even recover depressed or degraded areas.
- Efficiency: The spaces must try to be flexible to use, durable, easy to maintain, and possible to modernize and modify. Energy efficiency systems, use of rainwater, water reuse, solar exploitation, natural light, wind and anything that helps the maintenance of the building can be introduced.
- Universal access: Easy and clear connectivity between the different areas of the program is important; It must be ensured that unevenness or other physical obstacles allow users, including the disabled, to access the different facilities and places.
- Around: The incidence and scope of the project on neighboring areas and places must be considered.
