GOAL
COAF is building its second SMART Center in Armenia, this time in the Armavir region, replicating its flagship SMART Center in the Lori region inaugurated in 2018. Armavir is the region where COAF’s s journey toward rural development in Armenia started in 2003. This competition aimed to get landscape-specific, innovative, and sustainable design strategies interpreted through a creative architectural concept for the new COAF SMART Campus and in particular for the COAF SMART Center in the Armavir region. The construction of SMART Centers across all regions of Armenia is an ambitious initiative, aimed at making quality non-formal education accessible to rural youth while introducing multilayered development opportunities for children and adults alike.
SITE
The site is positioned between the Mounts Ararat and Aragats.
Site coordinates: 40.173355, 43.887473
90 ha (222 acres) campus area
932 m above sea level is the lowest point
1,014 m above sea level is the highest point
55 km (34mi) far from Yerevan
17.9 km (11mi) far from Armavir city
22 km (13.6mi) far from the Armenian-Turkish border
5.5km (3.4mi) far from the H17 main road
COMPETITION
This international architectural competition, organized by the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF), was open and required registration.
There was no application fee, but registration was mandatory to be able to receive the Competition Package.
Participants were required to maintain strong confidentiality throughout the competition and not identify themselves or release any design proposal images etc. to any third parties or media outlets until an official announcement has been made. This included also written / online announcements and visuals by an individual or legal entity on participation, images, and visuals that can reveal the participation in the competition.
ALL THE DETAILS REGARDING THE COMPETITION TERMS AND CONDITIONS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE COMPETITION BRIEF.
JURY
The competition jury consisted of nine professionals, the majority of whom were architects from Armenia and abroad. London-based architect Mr. Michel Mossessian chaired the jury.
The jury members are:
- Albert Zurabyan, RA Honorary Architect, zaart Architects (Armenia)
- Aram Pakhchanian, Education Expert, Ayb Foundation (Armenia)
- Arsen Karapetyan, Architect, d’arvestanots Studio (Armenia)
- Elija Kozak, Architect-Urbanist, MVRDV (The Netherlands)
- Ia Kupatadze, Architect, Associate Professor at Illia State University (Georgia)
- Korioun Khatchadourian, COAF Managing Director (Armenia)
- Michel Mossessian, Architect, mossessian architecture (UK)
- Philip Gumuchdjian, Architect, Gumuchdjian Architects (UK)
- Sarhat Petrosyan, Architect – Urban Planner, SP2 (Armenia)
74 DESIGN CONCEPTS SUBMITTED
“The Bridge” by Alexey Istratov, Tatyana Arsenyeva, Dmitry Laktionov, Marat Giniyatullin from Russia.
“Untitled” by Anahit Hakob-Nayiryan from Armenia
“Untitled” by Anna Yengoyan, Anahit Vardanyan, Susanna Tonayants, Alisa Atoyan, Aram Nazaryan, Melanya Hakobyan from Armenia.
“Gate to the Nature” by Any Pogosyan, Ivan Selednikov, Julia Larikova from Germany.
“Untitled” by Armen Arakelyan from Armenia.
“Untitled” by Ashot Antonyan from Armenia
“Untitled” by Authors from India.
“Untitled” by Bahri Onur Karlidag from Turkey.
“Untitled” by Cong Wang, Xi Wang, Liqi Ye from China.
“Untitled” by Davit Stepanyan from Armenia.
“Marshmallow Plant” by Dr. Neerja Babbar, Damanpreet Chugh, Deepika Vasudeva, Shruti Bahera from India.
“Untitled” by Duc Anh (Ace) Nguyen, Ziju Xian from Canada.
“Untitled” Edgar Eduardo Ruiz Patiño from Colombia.
“Azure” by Electric architects from Armenia.
“Untitled” by Erik Ohanyan from Armenia.
“Contemplating mount Ararat” by Estudio Arquitectura Campo Baeza from Spain.
“Eroded Landscape” by Felipe Diéguez Vercellino, Vicente Gutiérrez Larrañaga, Gabriel Morera Lorenzo from Chile.
“Untitled” by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos from Spain & DZ Studio from Armenia.
“Untitled” by FWDesign from China.
“Bridge” by GAO HAIYANG from China.
“Untitled” by Garegin Aghuzumtsyan & co from Armenia.
“Untitled” by Garegin Yeghoyan, Aleksandr Vardanyan from Armenia.
“Untitled” by Gautam Bhatia & Navin Gupta from India.
“Untitled” by Gayane Hovhannisyan, Nikolay Alekseev from Armenia.
“Untitled” by Giuseppe D’Albenzio from Italy.
“Archimedean Spiral” by “Harsnadzor” LTD from Armenia.
“Untitled” by Hayk Nasoyan, Hayk Nikoyan, Lilit Soghoyan, Tatevik Galoyan, Gagik Melkumyan, Arusyak Sadoyan, Hrachya Gharibyan from Armenia.
“Untitled” by Hrachya Volodya Vardanyan from Armenia.
“Untitled” by Ing. Giuseppe Mosca from Italy.
“Cloud Ark” by Jiawei Liang from China.
“One Roof, One Campus” by Keunyoung Ryu from South Korea.
“Untitled” by LCC w2kshop from Georgia.
“Untitled” by Lusine Matinyan, Anna Arakelyan, Anzhela Grigoryan from Armenia.
“Untitled” by Marat Mezhlumyan from Armenia.
“Untitled” by MAS | MX architects from Mexico.
“Hayat” by Master’s Plan from Russia.
“Hexagon Module 70 M2” by Michael Mkertichyan, Arayik Avetyan, Kamil Kos from USA.
“Untitled” by MINJAE, KIM from China.
“Untitled” by Misak Terzibasiyan, Shadi Hashemian, Goerge Koliotsas, Amir Feizinezhadgheshlaghi from Netherlands.
“Re-Framing A Cultural Gaze. We and Our Mountains” by MNOffice from USA.
“Untitled” by Mushegh Hunanyan “Hun-Sav” from Armenia.
“Untitled” by Nadim Miza from UK.
“SMART Landscape” by Natasha Krymskaya, Julia Belozertseva, Alexander Belozertsev from Russia.
“Untitled” by Nishchanka Pavel from Belarus.
“Untitled” by Norayr Vardanyan from Armenia.
“Arteries of Hope” by Partnerz Studio from Egypt.
“Floating Topography” by Paul Kaloustian from France.
“Untitled” by Paul Li zhou from China.
“Rural Flowers” by Quy Phu Nguyen from Germany.
“Culture, Heritage, Future” by Ricardo Martins Farinha, Armo Akanesyans from UK.
“Untitled” by RITTIPONG TIANDUM from Thailand.
“Untitled” by ROBERT LIU from China.
“Untitled” by Sam Aslanian Architect from USA.
“Untitled” by Shahen Karapetyan from Armenia.
“Symbiosis with Irrigation” by Shinsaku Munemoto from Japan.
“Untitled” by Shushan Hakobyan, Anahit Sargsyan, Sevak Soghomonyan from Armenia.
“Untitled” by Sill & Sound Architects from Belgium.
“From Prehistoric Settlements to the Space Station” by snkh studio from Armenia.
“I” by SPF architects | Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA from USA.
“Untitled” by Stepan Terzyan from Armenia.
“Untitled” by Storaket architectural studio from Armenia.
“COAF Green Campus. Armavir” by STUDIO TDVA ARCHITECTURE from France.
“Untitled” by Tarberak Architectural Studio, TL Bureau from Armenia.
“Untitled” by HollyMounts from France.
“Untitled” TIgran Marutyan from Armenia.
School That Also Can Become Anything” by Tigran Melkonyan from Armenia.
“Untitled” by Timothy Winstanley (Anomaly Architecture LLC) from USA.
“Untitled” by “TRIPTYCH” ARCHITECTURAL STUDIO from Armenia.
“Eco Loop” by Urban Unit Architecture Construction from Armenia.
“Flowers Terrace” by Wenyi Zhu from China.
“Articulating Beneath Mountains” by Yashiq Yusuf, Fahmi Arsha from India.
“The Loop” by Yifan Zhao, Meng Li from China.
“The Mixer” by Yutian Tang from USA.
“Untitled” by Zara Margaryan, Artur Hovhannisyan from Armenia.
FINALISTS
“Azure” by Electric architects from Armenia.
“Contemplating mount Ararat” by Estudio Arquitectura Campo Baeza from Spain.
“Untitled” by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos from Spain & DZ Studio from Armenia.
“Untitled” by Giuseppe D’Albenzio from Italy.
“Floating Topography” by Paul Kaloustian from France.
“Rural Flowers” by Quy Phu Nguyen from Germany.
“Untitled” by Sill & Sound Architects from Belgium.
“Eco Loop” by Urban Unit Architecture Construction from Armenia.
“Flowers Terrace” by Wenyi Zhu from China.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BY JURY
“Azure” by Electric architects from Armenia.
“Contemplating mount Ararat” by Estudio Arquitectura Campo Baeza from Spain.
“Untitled” by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos from Spain & DZ Studio from Armenia.
“Rural Flowers” by Quy Phu Nguyen from Germany.
