Join CAUKIN Studio this summer to design and build vital
community buildings destroyed by the recent cyclone in Fiji.
Project Briefing Document
www.caukinstudio.com
CAUKIN WHO ARE WE?
CAUKIN is a group that concerns itself with introducing creative,
and innovative design to the lives of communities around the
world.
The premise of our design group is to use creativity to drive
and inspire community design. We love to work alongside the
community in which we are building, and to learn from them as
well.
Our projects focus on both the design and construction process.
We strive to push client’s briefs, to best accommodate their needs
through good quality design. This empowers the local people
to continue being creative after we complete the project, by
developing their knowledge and skills in the field of architecture.
2017 WHAT'S NEW?
Over the past two years, we have completed a trilogy of
playgrounds; PLAYscape, PLAYvilion and PLAYdium, located in
Cambodia, Cipanas and Bali (both Indonesia) respectively. This
year we are widening our horizons with two projects in Fiji, where
we will be pushing our design-builds further in brief, complexity
and scale. We invite you to join us this summer in both designing
and constructing these projects!
We are working alongside Naqaqa Giving Foundation, a charity,
which has been supporting and providing resources for the
villages we will be working in for a number of years. You can find
them and like them on Facebook here:
https://www.facebook.com/NaqaqaGivingFoundation/
http://www.fijicharity.org
THE PROJECTS WHAT TO EXPECT?
This year we will be building in Fiji on the Island of Vanua Levu.
2016 saw the most devastating cyclone in recent history hit the
islands of Fiji, destroying homes, schools, crops, and much more
in it’s wake. Through careful consideration and deliberation with
NGF, we have pinpointed two locations where we believe our
projects will be most helpful in rebuilding their communities.
The projects will encourage us to think sustainably and
economically, as resources on the island are limited. Working
closely with local people and resources is of critical importance.
Keeping this in mind while we design in the UK, will be vital to
ensure that we create a structure that is in the best interests of
the local community.
As a volunteer we expect you to be hard working, responsible,
respectful and most of all- enthusiastic, enabling you to enjoy
this opportunity, to design and build first hand, to its full potential.
We are looking for capable volunteers who have a strong desire
to learn new skills whilst working well with others, teamwork is
a big part of what we do- so this is a must!
VANUA LEVU
VIVILI
VIVILI PROJECT 1
Vivili is located on the South West coast of Vanua Levu and is
situated around a 20 minute journey by bus/car from Savusavu
airport.
The village is made up of around 300 people. The Community Htall
is the space in which everyone comes together. Unfortunately,
during the cyclone, Vivili’s Community Hall was torn down,
leaving nothing more than the concrete slab foundation behind.
We will be reusing and enhancing the remains to construct a new
hall which will enable the villagers to congregate at the heart of
the community once more.
Typically, a Fijian community space is made up of concrete slab
foundations, concrete block/timber framed walls with timber
framed roofs clad with corrugated metal sheeting. We hope
to use the local vernacular combined with the latest natural
disaster design guidance, to aid us in designing a community
hall, which is contemporary, practical and robust enough to be
able to withstand future natural disasters.
NAWENI PROJECT 2
Naweni is located on the South East coast of Vanua Levu and is
situated around a 45 minute journey by bus/car from Savusavu
airport. Comprising of around 40 homes, the village currently
has both a nurse and an infant’s teacher, but no facility to host
either. Our goal is to design and build a combined Nurse station
and Kindergarten facility that con host both simultaneously.
Naweni would benefit greatly from a CAUKIN build as it too
was affected to a large extent by Cyclone Winston. The Nursing
station will require a room with shelving, seating, treatment
space and medical storage. The educational space will be used
to teach young children, so both an indoor and covered outdoor
space would be beneficial.
VANUA LEVU
NAWENI
PAST VOLUNTEERS TESTIMONIALS
Huan Xie Playscape, Playdium
“Through the projects, I obtained experience on a building site where I
was able to foresee the stages of construction. Additionally, I learnt that
architecture doesn’t have to be complicated to be fun and effective! The
simplicity of the design meant it was easier to grasp the fundamentals of
translating a design into life.”
Jade Tang Playdium
“CAUKIN provided a great opportunity to be a part of an exciting
collaborative design project. The process allowed us to see the project
through from design to completion, which made it a special and
memorable experience. Overall the project was very enjoyable and I
would definitely go on another in the future.”
Lizzie New Playvilion, Playdium
“It was such a worthwhile experience, to get to understand and learn how
to work with different materials. Especially as there were few western
power tools. It allowed us to really understand what we were working
with.”
Danielle Simpson Playvilion, Playdium
“It was a great experience, immersing ourselves in the local cultures and
learning joinery from them. The entire team got on really well and the
team leaders from CAUKIN were always working to ensure everyone’s
ideas were involved.”
LEADERS THE TEAM
Joshua Peasley
Merging three of my biggest passions, design, construction and travel,
into a cohesive experience was something I have always aspired to do.
I enjoy working as part of a team and see every member as a leader
in their own right.
Harry Thorpe
With a keen eye for design and a interest in traveling and experiencing
different cultures, co-founding CAUKIN was a natural step forward
and something that is both challenging and enjoyable every day!
Harrison Marshall
After the completion of CAUKIN’s first project; Playscape, it became
clear that it held the potential to provide endless opportunities to travel
and impact communities throughout the world. Currently working at
a commercial firm in NY, it is apparent CAUKIN truly is a dream job.
Andrzej Bak
Andrzej will be a project leader this year. After leading Playdium in
2016, working on Lost & Found in 2014, he brings invaluable site
experience to our team as well as a driven and enthusiastic attitude
towards design and construction.
Ahad Sheikh
Ahad volunteered with us last year on Playdium as well as working on
Lost & Found in 2015 and 2016, and was a valuable team member. We
asked him to lead a project this year as his skills and knowledge on
site would be of great benefit to our team.
Samantha Litherland
Samantha is a seasoned volunteer with CAUKIN, and has been
with us on all of our projects to date. We love how hard working and
enthusiastic she is and believe she can lead by example this summer.
She’ll be a great leader that communicates well with everyone.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Dates
Your choice of either 3 or 6 weeks:
First 3 | July 29 - August 19
Last 3 | August 19 - September 9
Full 6 | July 29 - September 9
Eligibility
All those over the age of 18 at the time of arrival are welcome to apply.
Construction experience is not required, but a passion for design is
recommended.
Cost
6 weeks - £1199
3 weeks - £799
This includes:
- Airport pickup
- Accommodation
- Food
- 24 hour support whilst in Fiji
- 2/4 nights away in a resort (dependent on 3/6 week trip)
- Construction Material Costs
- Travel within Fiji for the duration of your trip
- Design charette materials
Fundraising
We suggest that our volunteers fundraise money to help with the costs
of the trip.
Accommodation
We will be staying with host families within each project village. By
doing so we get to immerse ourselves within the Fijian experience and
lifestyle, whilst making some invaluable friendships along the way. All
female volunteers will stay as a group of 2 per family.
Flights & Transportation
You are responsible for arranging travel to Savusavu airport for arrival
on the 29th July. You will be greeted by our team leaders at the airport,
who will then take you as a group to the villages. There are a few ways
to get to Savusavu, but vary in price (check below for rough prices).
London-Savusavu (flight) £1800/return
London-Nadi (flight)
£1200/return
Nadi-Savusavu (flight)
£180/return
Nadi-Suva (coach)
£8/each
Suva-Savusavu (ferry) £22/each
Food
The food will be provided by your host families. If you have any special
dietary requirements, we will ensure that these are catered for. There
will be opportunities to purchase any additional snacks.
Insurance
We require all our volunteers to provide proof of travel insurance,
which includes cover for light construction works. We will recommend
policy providers upon your acceptance to our projects.
Visa
Upon arrival, you will need you declare that you are entering Fiji as a
volunteer. By doing so, you will be granted 14 days in which to extend
your visa. This will be coordinated as a group. The visa costs $180 FJD
(around £70).
Health & Safety
Volunteers should be aware of essential vaccinations specific to Fiji.
Please check the link below for advice on vaccinations:
http://www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk/destinations/
australasia--pacific/fiji.aspx
Full inductions to site safety and the safe use of equipment will be
provided on site.
Deposit
If you are successful in your application, you will be required to pay a
non-refundable deposit of £50 which will be deducted from the final
cost of the trip. We will let all applicants know whether they have been
successful or not within 7 days after the application deadline.
APPLY HOW DO I APPLY?
We are excited to receive your applications and hope that you
are looking forward to joining our team for an unforgettable
experience! If you are interested in applying, please follow the
URL below to our ‘Join Us’ page and online application form.
With this, we ask that you submit a CV and portfolio (this one is
optional, no more than 5MB) to our email as a single PDF. Please
name the PDF as follows:
DDMMYY_SurnameFirstname_Application.pdf
Application deadline: 31st March 2017, 11:59pm (EST)
Link: www.caukinstudio.com/joinus
Email: [email protected]