IDEA Project 2009 – Participate, design & build a Better School in Cambodia!

The official photo record for the “Involve in Design, Empower with Action (IDEA) Project 2009”

IDEA Project 2009 was a voluntary architecture services project in Cambodia initiated and organized by a team of young and passionate volunteers in Hong Kong adopting the participatory design approach in design and building of a pre-school in Cambodia.

Stay passionate. Do what you really love and believe. There you will find your dream. What is your dream?

On 20 – 28 February 2010, IDEA Project 2009 successfully built a school for 45 pre-school children in Cambodia. This project was completed and fund-raised by 33 volunteers coming from different backgrounds, including architects, teachers, bankers, helping professionals and university students. Volunteers came from Germany, UK, mainland China and Hong Kong.

--- Springboard to Dreams: A School for Future ---

From June 2009 to February 2010, IDEA Project 2009 held a series of events and activities in Hong Kong and Cambodia including a pre-trip visit, information sessions, fund-raising and training workshops to volunteers. All volunteers were trained with design skills to contribute to the project.

--- IDEA’s Mission & Belief ---

IDEA Project believes that ALL people should have equal opportunity to ENJOY, PARTAKE IN and HAVE ACCESS TO the design of a human environment and architecture. IDEA Project takes a broad definition of architecture to connect people and promotes “participatory approach” in building community architecture. The underprivileged and the poor should also have the right to express their view in the community needs.

--- The Participatory Design Approach ---

Truly, building a school in Cambodia is not just providing a shelter for children’s schooling; it also symbolizes the road to development and prosperity of the village. Through involving the children and their parents in the design and construction of a village school, they met up with Hong Kong architects and volunteers, expressed their design ideas. They were trained with skills and empowered to make their best contribution to the new school. It is a good example of communal participation and sustainable architecture.

--- Launch of IDEA Project 2010-11 ---

Feedback from both volunteers and Cambodian residents were extremely overwhelming. With support from the Young Architects’ Project Fund 2010 by the Hong Kong Institute of Architects, the IDEA Project 2010-11 was launched in August 2010. Another IDEA School will be designed and built at Kampot, Cambodia in summer 2011. We do hope that more schools can be built for serving this purpose; the concept of “Involve in Design, Empower with Action (IDEA)” can be spread over the world.

Website: www.ideaproject.org.hk
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/IDEA.Project.HK

Co-organizers / NGOs:
Hong Kong:
Shower Talent Exclude Prejudice (STEP) Design Team
Humanity in Focus (HIF)
Hong Kong Outstanding Tertiary Students’ Services Association (HKOTSSA)
Cambodia:
Cambodian Children’s Advocacy Foundation (CCAF)

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