Class Of Your Own (COYO) has joined forces with Team Esteem 2020 to launch a new challenge – design the Esteem Pavilion, an inclusive learning space where people who buy an Esteem home can also learn how to live a greener life.
Team Esteem 2020 comprises students from Heriot Watt University, a university which COYO has collaborated with for several years.
According to Alison Watson, founder and CEO of COYO, the idea for the challenge came following the team progressing to the finals of the Solar Decathlon Middle East 2020 competition, with their design of a modern, hi-tech house powered by solar energy.
“All around the world, school buildings have had to close. But schools are far from closed! Teachers have shown extraordinary determination and resilience as lessons are taken online to maintain the school day and maintain their pupils’ education. It’s an unprecedented time when community spirit comes into its own,” explains Watson.
The house will be constructed and exhibited in Dubai, where it will open to thousands of people, Watson states.
She adds, “When the COVID-19 pandemic is presenting people with unprecedented challenges and changing the way we work, rest and play, the planet is taking a breath…air quality has improved, fish are swimming in rivers they’d never ventured in, people are looking after neighbours they previously never knew.”
“This year’s exciting COYO Challenge is very topical. It focuses on the people who will buy homes of the future…that’s you, me, anyone and everyone, and how they might live a greener, more community-focused life,” remarks Watson.
The contest is free to enter through the Design Engineer Construct! website: https://designengineerconstruct.com/coyo-esteem-pavilion-design-challenge-2020/