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Boston Herald MIT contest aids tsunami homeless It's not a typical architectural competition: The criteria for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology contest call for a low budget, basic materials and mass production. But the winning practical design will make a world of difference for thousands of Sri Lankans left homeless by the Dec. 26 tsunami. ``We are looking for some innovation,'' said Penzin Priyadarshi, founding director of the Prajnopaya Foundation, an all-volunteer Buddhist nonprofit collaborating with MIT's SENSEable City Laboratory on the affordable-housing project. ``Most of the time, MIT kids work on very abstract designs,'' added Priyadarshi, 25, the Buddhist chaplain on campus. ``This is not a theoretical model. If the design is acceptable, it will be mass-produced.'' Hopefuls must plan a single-family home of 400 to 500 square feet that can be built of local or recycled materials for just $1,200 per unit. The winning design will be announced in May. In conjunction with a Sri Lankan relief group, Prajnopaya hopes to build 1,000 of these homes along Sri Lanka's southern and eastern coastlines, where more than 30,000 people perished in the tsunami. ``Most civilians are still staying in tents, temples or schools,'' Priyadarshi said. ``We're hoping to get them back in their own homes. The need is tremendous.'' For information on Prajnopaya Foundation and its tsunami-relief program, go to www.prajnopaya.org.
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