Design Ideas For A Mobile HIV/AIDS Health Clinic In Africa Are Exhibited.

Over 300 professionals and students from design, health and relief organizations gathered Friday night at New York's Van Alen Institute to honor the finalists of an international design initiative to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa.

It is estimated that three-quarters of the world's popularion lives in Sub-Saharan Africa; most have no access to lifesaving drugs, testing facilities or even basic preventative care. In response, Architecture for Humanity launched an open international design competition to challenge architects, designers and medical professionals from around the world to respond to inability to access vast areas of the contintent with adequately equipped facilities.

Designers were given six months to develop schemes for a fully equipped, mobile medical unit and HIV/AIDS treatment center that could not only be used testing, prevention and treatment of the disease, but also to provide basic health care services.

By the project deadline, November 1, 2001, more than 530 teams representing 51 nations answered the call. An international jury of architects and medical professionals met in New York to select four finalists and eight honorary mentions. The finalists included a professional firm from Denmark, a team of students from Troy, NY, faculty members at the University of Dortmund, Germany, and two young architects from Paris, France.

Designers and representatives from these winning schemes wre honored at the Van Alen Institute on December 6, 2002. Unlike most international design competitions, where a cash prize is awarded, Architecture for Humanity and exhibition sponsor Virgin Atlantic, gave the winning designers a unique opportunity to develop and refine their ideas into working prototypes. Vigin Atlantic, dontated flights to South Africa, allowing every member from the four teams to meet for one week and workshop with African based architects, doctors, and NGO's.

The Van Alen Institute in New York, which partnered with Architecture for Humanity to administer the competition jury, is hosting the opening exhibit of the winning and selected designs. This exhibit will be on display until January 31, 2003 (closed December 20, 2002 - January 7, 2003). With the support of Virgin Atlantic, the exhibit is set to travel in 2003 within the United States and internationally.

"As a frequent sponsor, juror, and advisor, for design competitions, I am thrilled to see how Architecture for Humanity has crafted and executed this competition They've brought together a range of talent and expertise to address one fo the most critical issues of our time," said Raymond Gastil, Executive Director of the Van Alen Institute.

Money raised from the $35 submission fee (waived for entries from developing countries), donations and additional fundraising activities will be used to build one or more prototypes of the winning concepts. Once, developed, it is hoped that refined versions of these cost-effective and mobile designs can be built for Africa and replicated in other regions around the world.