Focusing on an urban site in Sub-Saharan Africa (in the Buguruni Ward of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania), student teams will develop architectural scale design proposals for a mosquito research facility that combines spaces of scientific experimentation – with a particular focus on disease ecology – with spaces of outreach and education. A key challenge will be to achieve a balance between the need to contain dangerous phenomena (e.g. pathogens, disease vectors, contaminants) and the desire to enhance community engagement. What is exciting is that architectural and other designers are seldom brought to the table to work with scientists and others in considering how elusive, complex and controversial phenomena related to mosquitoes can be investigated safely and creatively.
Opportunities for innovation abound.