Winner of Curry Stone architecture award announced

A Taiwanese architect was named the winner of this year's Curry Stone Design Prize which honors designers who address critical issues such as clean air, food, water and shelter.

Now in its fourth year, the Curry Stone Design Prize was established by architect Clifford Curry to "champion designers as a force for social change" and emphasizes emerging projects that have not yet been fully completed.

Nominees for the award are selected by a panel of anonymous judges from various fields of design and advocates for a variety of humanitarian causes.

Taiwanese architect Hsieh Ying-Chun was named as the Grand Prize Winner of the $100,000 Curry Stone Design Prize on October 4 and will officially be honored in a ceremony at Harvard Graduate School of Design on November 7.

French design collective Atelier d'Architecture Autogérée (AAA) and UK-based FrontlineSMS -- which helps establish effective communication channels for communities in the developing world -- were also both awarded prizes of $10,000.

Hsieh Ying-Chun was awarded the prize for his work in rural areas throughout Asia affected by natural disaster over the past decade. Working in areas damaged by disasters such as the Morakot Typhoon (2009), the Sichuan earthquake (2008) and the Nantou earthquake (1999), Hsieh Ying-Chun has designed locally appropriate dwellings and trained villagers to construct them.

With regards to Hsieh Ying-Chun's work, the Curry Stone Design Prize stated "[h]is simple designs ensure that every villager can have a hand in building their own home. His work has generated job opportunities and environmental awareness, while protecting local diversities and cultural traditions."

Earlier this month sustainable architecture was also honored at Solar Decathlon (September 23-October 2, USA) where students from Maryland were named overall winners for their energy-efficient, solar-powered and cost-effective housing design.