On 12 November 2021, several Build4People team members had a fruitful exchange with leading representatives of the Cambodian Development Resource Institute (CDRI), a prominent and independent policy research institute in Cambodia.
The main aim of this meeting was to discuss how the Build4People with its multi-disciplinary expertise can support CDRI to develop a new smart, green and inclusive campus.
According to CDRI, the overarching goal for this new campus is to create an inspiring and attractive environment for Cambodia’s leading researchers and scientists. Further objectives are to provide state-of-the art and technologically advance facilities for researchers, emerging young scientists, and local research communities as well as to promote inclusivity of CDRI campus to wider community, collaborators and public benefits, including families and children to the facility’s open and green field as well as library and gallery.
In the context of a potential support of Build4People to CDRI, the most relevant objective is to create a green and low-carbon facilities that is environmentally friendly and responsive to changing climate and serves as a role model of sustainable campus in Cambodia.
During the meeting first operational steps to achieve this were intensively discussed among others the establishment of a permanent online project cooperation platform or of a workshop to prepare and to guide architecture and urban planning students towards the development of first comprehensive designs. It was also discussed to share a collection of good practice examples of similar campuses worldwide.
All in all, it was an inspiring meeting in a very friendly atmosphere which left the participants strongly motivated to further engage with this exciting new green campus project.