Fast-forward to the year 2050. What will sustainable housing look like? That’s precisely what architecture students Sarah Ritchey ’17 and Emily Greer ’18, engineering graduate student Riley Gourde, and public health senior Kate DeWitte are competing to answer in the international Well Building 2050 competition.
Well Building 2050 is an international design competition, open to students at universities all across the globe, in which teams compete to invent the best model for sustainable, urban housing in the year 2050.
Although this sounds like a job for architects and engineers, the team recruited DeWitte, a public health senior from Falk College. “Without a well-rounded team, it would be impossible to address all the concerns and opportunities surrounding the future of urban housing,” said Greer. “Modern thinking includes not just ideas about good design and sustainable technology, but how these will affect the health and well-being of human occupants and the surrounding environment.”
Although they were not able to release details as the competition is still underway, the team was able to reveal that their project focuses on a multi-family housing complex on the Syracuse South Side.
Environmental health has always interested DeWitte, but this is the first opportunity she has had to investigate these kinds of challenges in such depth. For the project, she is responsible for researching the environmental health issues in Syracuse using data from the Environmental Protection Agency, New York State Health Department and Onondaga Health Department. She then brings her findings back to the team and translate them to their 2050 housing plan.
“The biggest challenge is trying to think futuristically. The building that is being designed is to be theoretically built for the year 2050. This is a challenge but can also be fun because it makes for more creativity to think if these health aspects will still be a problem and how we can fix that to better the lives in the community.”
DeWitte explains that working in a multi-disciplinary team has helped her realize the universal nature of public health, as well as sharpened her research and communication skills. “It is my job to tell the rest of the team what I see as an issue with the health of the community, so it is important to make sure I effectively communicate these issues,” said DeWitte.
The team has worked very closely through each step to produce both an imaginative and comprehensive model. “Each design move is carefully analyzed by all team members to ensure it is both beneficial to future residents as well as creative and valid in its mission to ensure the safety and quality of the surrounding environment,” said Greer. And the collaboration has not only strengthened the final product, but the students, as well.
DeWitte said collaborating with her teammates on the project has broadened her perspective. “By working with architects and engineers, I am able to see their perspectives on these environmental issues and we can work together to see how the needs of the community can be met.”
The feeling is mutual. “We wouldn’t have such a strong proposal if it wasn’t for Kate’s insight,” said Greer.
Contestants will submit their projects by October 19. The teams are then invited to the Build & Connect colloquium November 23 in Strasbourg, France, where three prize-winning teams will present their designs. For more information about the competition, visit www.wellbuilding2050.com.