The Student Cabinet at Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU), in collaboration with the Ramez G. Chagoury Faculty of Architecture, Arts and Design (FAAD), recently organized a student design competition to propose a shelter system for the passageways in the NDU student outdoor free parking. The competition featured teams composed of three students each. The winning proposals were distinctive.
First prize was awarded to Elena Njeim, Rabih el-Koussa, and Ghiwa Abou Jaoude. Team members proposed that in its current state, the student outdoor free parking gave the feel of a leftover space that over the past few years had adopted multiple functions on an ad-hoc basis.
The essence of a design that is capable of transfiguration with its campus (in terms of its needs and its community) is its adaptability to support more than a single function in more than a single location.
As such, the disassembling of the modules that comprise the parking lot passageways result in a multitude of options to reassemble the pieces into pavilions, site-specific installations, furniture elements, and their subs.
Second prize was given to Elie-Christian Naameh, Ramzi Sfeir, and Samer Bou-Rjeily. This team started off by thinking about a modular system that could be easily mounted and dismounted; therefore, its flexibility feature would be covered. This system is based on a scaffolding structure with corrugated metal sheets on top that serve as a cover for both pedestrians and vehicles, and color-coded for visual memory. These scaffolding are economical in the long-term, since they could be reused later to build the future NDU projects, such as the football field, hospital, or even the prom stage.
Third prize went to Suzan Mohamad, Nancy Aridi, and Karim Hallak. While defining the impact of the free parking on NDU students, resulting in a clear visual memory, by considering NDU’s vision, they decided to turn this space into a passageway with an exhibition area.
This competition allows all students to take part in the creation of the design where belonging is the target. The proposed plan for the site includes an environmentally-friendly, worry-free space, brimming with various exhibitions to admire while walking through the parking lot. Flexibility, feasibility, sustainability, modularity, and other aspects were harmonized to help in designing innovative ideas.