By the end of the WHP’s first year (2006-2007), an IwB student and native Costa Rican, Giorgiana Penon, uncovered an opportunity in her homeland. Giorgiana, who had previously worked for the government of Costa Rica, knew of a proposed grant that would allow poor, working families to secure funds to build homes. The government needed to identify what type of housing could be built for a grant of $7,500 USD that would also respond to the cultural and environmental climate of the region and its people.
In the summer of 2007, the Director and faculty of the IwB travelled to Costa Rica to explore a possible partnership. This initiative became the WHP’s second-year project: a proposal for rural renewal in the developing Guanacaste region on behalf of the Costa Rican Ministries of Culture and Housing. The partners selected Matapalo, a typical town in western Guanacaste, for a case study. A former agricultural centre, the town was being overtaken by tourism development, driving living costs up and displacing locals.
| Ideator Newspaper and Trade Show Booth, Interior Design Show, February 2008 Students developed a newspaper explaining the IwB and World House projects and processes for distribution at the Interior Design Show. The newspaper was transformed into a giant printing press as the school’s booth at the trade show.Ideator, February 2008 >> |
Global Development Village (GDV), October 2007, May 2008 Happening once in October as a trial run, and once in May as a much larger event, the Global Development Village provided the Institute with an opportunity to showcase its research in a much different forum, and targeted a young adult audi-ence. The Global Development Village provided interactive, educational workshops that providedVisit YouthOfTheWorld.ca >> |
Veritas Charrette, December 2007
This charrette brought together students from the IwB and the Veritas University architectural program to create solutions for the World House Costa Rica Project. Presentations from both schools on social housing unit design preceded the charrette and served as a basis for further investigation.
Matapalo Community Charrette, December 2007
This charrette took place in the community of Matapalo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. It involved collaboration between the Institute students, Matapalo residents, Costa Rican NGOs, as well as local and foreign project partners.
World House Costa Rica Onsite Charrette, February 2008
This charrette provided an opportunity for schools around the world to take on the World House Costa Rica challenge. IwB students led teams of students from the George Brown architectural technology department, while a local primary school participated in a workshop and contributed housing designs.
The Institute without Boundaries is a Toronto-based studio that works towards collaborative design action and seeks to achieve social, ecological and economic innovation. To learn more click here.
