Politecnico di Torino Wins Resilient Housing Design Challenge with Floating Core House

The World Bank and UN-Habitat, in partnership with Airbnb, Build Academy, and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, launched the Resilient Homes Design Challenge for modular, low-cost housing under $10,000. Participants had to design for one of three scenarios: earthquakes and tropical storms with winds over 250 km/h on flat islands; a magnitude 7 earthquake in mountainous regions; or flooding and tropical storms with winds over 250 km/h on coastal plains 500 meters from shore. Among nine winning projects, the Politecnico di Torino's Core House, designed by an international student team led by associate professor Francesca de Filippi, will be exhibited at the World Bank in Washington DC. Hashim Sarkis, curator of the 17th Venice Architecture Biennale, served on the jury that evaluated over 300 proposals. The Core House uses local bamboo and recycled materials, featuring a lifting mechanism to resist floods, and follows a transitional shelter approach that evolves from emergency to permanent settlement. Student Guo Kunqui received an honorable mention. The project emphasizes self-sufficiency, passive architecture, and community spaces.