A small-scale community space where locals can breathe fresh air and engage in outdoor public activity.

As cities continue to grow and industrialize, half of the world’s population sees itself occupying urban environments. Around 9 out of 10 people frequently breathe in dangerous levels of polluted air. Air pollution also kills an estimated 4 million every year.

WHO reports that by 2030 the air will become so poisonous that having an oxygen kit will become a need. People are generally advised to stay indoors and do not indulge in outdoor activities. With the increasing rate, it won’t be hard to imagine a possibility where people will seek refuge inside their hermetically sealed climate. Outdoor activities will start to spill indoor. Inward looking spaces will become crowded. Barely would anyone choose to interact beyond the confines of an artificial climate? Where does this leave the public spaces of the city?

Public spaces provide a critical space for residents to breathe and be active. Beyond a place of interaction and community coalition, it enriches a city fabric. Beneficial for mental well-being, it also provides a sense of security. But the increased rate of pollution is slowly making it - a dysfunctional entity. It's about time that we reclaim and rethink the public space.

Brief was to design a small-scale recreational space for the local community where they are able to breathe air, free from pollutants, and can engage in outdoor public activity.

The jury for the competition consisted of esteemed designers, professionals, and academicians from around the world. The Lead Jurors for the competitions were as follows: 

Amit Gupta, Founding Partner, Studio Symbiosis, India

Britta Knobel, Founding Partner, Studio Symbiosis, India

Some of the Best of competition projects are:

 

Winning Project: Breathing-scape

By: Jannatun Nayeem Nowshin, FH Riya94, Naorin Tabassum Chowdhury 

& Asif Elahirocky

     

Description: This public space is designed as a “Breathing-scape” to emerge in the most polluted areas in the world with the potential to tackle the air pollution problem and provide opportunities to reinvent public parks.

 

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Editor’s Choice: The Infinity Park

By:  Elyana Javaheri

Description: If a designer could help a public space breathe, what would they do?

 

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Discover the design brief here: https://uni.xyz/competitions/breathe-free/info/about

Discover the full results here: https://uni.xyz/competitions/breathe-free/entries     

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