Competition / ASA International Design Competition | What Is The New 'Basic'? / The Association of Siamese Architects under Royal Patronage

What does the word ‘basic’ mean? Fundamental, critical, essential, necessary - all these synonyms illustrate the significance of its meaning. Architecturally, we often associate the term with the primitive, the vernacular, even the banal. However, we sometimes forget to take into consideration the relative and temporal nature of the term. What was considered ‘basic’ in the 1900s was a radically different paradigm from what we consider as ‘basic’ today. Wireless technology, cloud storage, cryptocurrencies, smart materials - today, we live in a much more transitory, intangible, and decentralised world. Our vital companions are smart phones. Our essential workplace is not a place but wireless connection. We find ourselves in an era of radical transformation in economic, ecological, political and climatic. This prompts us to rethink the notion of ‘basic’, to update the role and performance of architecture in order to be able to keep up with our new lifestyle. The competition asks you to redefine the word ‘basic’ through an architectural intervention. The choice of program, site, and scale is open. However, they must be clearly defined in each proposal. See more details of requirement, schedule, deliverables, rules and regulations, including awards and judges as link below.