Computer Clubhouse in Mombasa Kenya International Design Competition Charrette Section I Competition Brief 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Overview Competition Organizer Client Theme Vision Site Professional Advisor Jury Online Facilitation Participating Schools and Coordinators Coordinators Responsibilities Registration Deadline ArchNet s Responsibilities Timetable Communication Deliverables Submission of Entries Assessment Criteria Notification of Winners Future Use of Winning Material Contact Information 1 Overview ArchNet in partnership with the MIT Media Lab and Professor Charles Correa have developed an architecture competition in the form of a charrette The competition is to design a Computer Clubhouse geared towards use by all members of the community but particularly young people of ages 10 18 in a tropical climate in East Africa The Computer Clubhouse project is an international network of community technology centers for youth from economically disadvantaged communities The Computer Clubhouse is to be situated within the context of a school operated by the Aga Khan Education Services in Mombasa Kenya The winning submission may be constructed if deemed appropriate by the jury 2 Competition Organizer ArchNet http archnet org is an online community for architects planners urban designers interior designers landscape architects and scholars with a special focus on the Islamic world It is funded by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and administered through MIT s School of Architecture and Planning This Competition marks the second online charrette to be lead by Professor Correa and executed on ArchNet 1 Computer Clubhouse in Mombasa Kenya International Design Competition Charrette 3 Client The Aga Khan Education Services AKES http akdn org agency akes html is part of the Aga Khan Development Network http akdn org and currently operates more than 300 schools and advanced educational programmes that provide quality pre school primary secondary and higher secondary education services to students in Pakistan India Bangladesh Kenya Uganda Tanzania Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan AKES has agreed to build a Computer Clubhouse within the context of its new school in Kilindini Mombasa Island Kenya if the Competition Jury can identify a suitable scheme 4 Theme The Computer Clubhouse http www computerclubhouse org index htm is an initiative of the Boston Museum of Science in cooperation with the MIT Media Lab and Intel Computer Clubhouses are designed to empower young people to become more capable creative and confident learners through the innovative use of new media technologies The goal is not simply to provide access to new technologies but to help youth learn to express themselves with new technologies The Computer Clubhouse provides an alternative to traditional classroom based approaches to learning guided by four principles o Learning by Designing As Clubhouse members design their own graphics animations robotic constructions and music compositions they learn important concepts and skills while also learning about the process of design and invention how to conceptualize a project how to find alternatives when things go wrong and how to view a project through the eyes of others o Following Your Interests When people care about what they are working on they are willing to work longer and harder and they learn more in the process Clubhouses provide members with a great deal of choice so that members can find projects and activities that they really care about o Building Community At Clubhouses youth of different ages share ideas and work together on projects with support from staff and adult mentors Design teams form informally coalescing around common interests Clubhouse youth also make connections to the surrounding community developing projects to address the needs of the neighborhoods where they live o Respect and Trust At Clubhouses young people are treated with trust and respect and are expected to treat others the same way The goal is to create an environment in which participants feel safe to experiment explore and innovate The first Computer Clubhouse opened in 1993 in Boston USA as a joint project of the Boston Museum of Science and the MIT Media Lab With support from Intel the Clubhouse network has expanded to more than 70 sites in more than a dozen countries including India China Taiwan Philippines South Africa Brazil Mexico Colombia Costa Rica Ireland Netherlands Germany and Israel 2 Computer Clubhouse in Mombasa Kenya International Design Competition Charrette 5 Vision This Competition seeks to expand the role of the Clubhouse to not only empower youths from economically disadvantaged communities but also provide evening activities for adults in the form of classes workshops and other activities Although working at different times of the day adults and youth will come to share the same spirit of collaborative creativity through the environment and tools provided by the Computer Clubhouse building If built this Clubhouse will serve as a prototype for future Clubhouses that will eventually comprise a network of Clubhouses in North Africa 6 Site The Aga Khan Academy in Kilindini is located on a southwestern promontory of Mombasa Island Already revealing the intricate outlines of a Swahili village the 4 1 hectare campus will integrate classrooms libraries state of the art science and language laboratories playing fields and a swimming pool into a fully networked Internet enabled academic environment The Academy is scheduled for completion in September of 2003 Landscaped amidst ancient baobab trees overlooking the Indian Ocean the school complex is designed like others under development by leading international and local architects Africa and the developing world can help create centres of educational excellence that will at the same time be international and indigenous and that will help mould young men and women from all walks of life and all parts of the world into the leaders of tomorrow His Highness the Aga Khan speaking in Mombasa Kenya 21st February 2003 Plans drawings and images will be made available on ArchNet Please refer to Part II for further information on Mombasa and Swahili architecture 7 Professional Advisor Professor and architect Charles Correa will be providing academic mentorship to all student teams involved in this competition Also MIT would designate a resource group consisting of architects and other consultants and