SMART Ideas Urban Design CompetitionSponsors: American Institute of Architects, Redwood Empire, and
Leadership Institute for Ecology and the Economy Type: Open, Ideas Language: English
Eligibility: Entrants may be from any discipline- architects, planners, developers, engineers, urban designers, transportation planners, energy managers, landscape architects, students, community leaders, suburbanites, cyclists, poets, artists or general public. Multidisciplinary design teams are encouraged across various disciplines.
Registration Fees:
Students – $50 USD
Academics/Professionals – $100 USD Awards: Cash prizes to be announced Timeline:
15 January 2010 – Early Registration Deadline
1 February 2010 – Late Registration Deadline
8 February 2010 – Submission Deadline
12 January 2010 – Jury meeting and decision
13 January 2010 – Community Presentation
+/- 1 March 2010 – eBook available Jury:
A jury comprised of notable designers and theorists includes:
Ellen Dunham-Jones, AIA, author of
Retrofitting Suburbia: Urban Design Solutions for Redesigning Suburbs
RK Stewart, FAIA, 2007 President of AIA National
Associate Principal, Perkins and Will
David Baker, FAIA, Award Winning Designer of Multi-Family
Principal, David Baker + Partners Design Challenge:
SMART Ideas Urban Design Competition is for an existing suburban area around the North Santa Rosa Station for the new Sonoma Marin train. The Charette phase brought the community together to identify issues and opportunities in this area. The Competition phase tasks architects, planners, urban designers, and community members to come up with innovative ideas for solving the problems and retrofitting the suburban landscape for a more walkable and livable city. This is an Ideas competition, so everything is on the table to be considered. NW Santa Rosa developed in pieces according to sales of large farm tracts for key institutions, then filled in with a variety of uses, but without a planning vision for what the area could become. When the general plan was written in the early 1990’s and a zoning map developed, the map primarily followed the existing uses, without much planning thought. Now there are some major employers, services, and institutions in the area, and they are growing. There is a highway right down the middle and there is a commuter train coming.
Submission Requirements: All submissions must be received electronically. Submission is to be a maximum two 30”x42” .PDF panels, landscape or portrait uploaded to an ftp site to be provided, as a single PDF that must not exceed 10MB per panel. All participants will receive an identifying number upon registration. Only the identifying number is to be shown on the presentation and filename. Identifying number and upload information to be provided after registration received. Electronic submissions must be received by 5:00 PM, PST, January 25, 2010, to be reviewed.
For more information, go to: http://www.smartideascompetition.com/ |
University of Florida’s College of Design Construction and Planning’s New Addition 
Development phase image courtesy ©Brooks + Scarpa
If architects have had one complaint concerning the planning and realization of a project, it has been with planners and especially construction managers, both of whom often display a lack of knowledge about architecture. The survival of a well-conceived design can hang in the balance when there is a knowledge gap at the planning and realization end.
Read more…
Young Architects in Competitions When Competitions and a New Generation of Ideas Elevate Architectural Quality 
by Jean-Pierre Chupin and G. Stanley Collyer
published by Potential Architecture Books, Montreal, Canada 2020
271 illustrations in color and black & white
Available in PDF and eBook formats
ISBN 9781988962047
What do the Vietnam Memorial, the St. Louis Arch, and the Sydney Opera House have in common? These world renowned landmarks were all designed by architects under the age of 40, and in each case they were selected through open competitions. At their best, design competitions can provide a singular opportunity for young and unknown architects to make their mark on the built environment and launch productive, fruitful careers. But what happens when design competitions are engineered to favor the established and experienced practitioners from the very outset? This comprehensive new book written by Jean-Pierre Chupin (Canadian Competitions Catalogue) and Stanley Collyer (COMPETITIONS) highlights for the crucial role competitions have played in fostering the careers of young architects, and makes an argument against the trend of invited competitions and RFQs. The authors take an in-depth look at past competitions won by young architects and planners, and survey the state of competitions through the world on a region by region basis. The end result is a compelling argument for an inclusive approach to conducting international design competitions. Download Young Architects in Competitions for free at the following link: https://crc.umontreal.ca/en/publications-libre-acces/ Houston Endowment’s New Headquarters on the Bayou
Southwest view Houston Endowment Headquarters – Photo Ivan Baan, courtesy Kevin Daly Following in the footsteps of other major non-profits—The Ford Foundation and LA’s California Endowment Center in particular—the Houston Endowment’s new headquarters, located on a grassy knoll just above the Buffalo Bayou in the city’s outskirts, has also made a strong architectural statement. Similar to the California Endowment, this project was also the result of a design competition, won by the California firm, Kevin Daly Architects. Read more…
The Makasiiniranta South Harbor Competition
 Helsinki South Harbour and Tori Quarter Suomen Ilmakuva Helsinki. Image credit/ Tietoa Finland, Janne Hirvonen
As a prelude to a competition for the design of a new Architecture and Design Museum to be located in Helsinki’s South Harbor, the City of Finland staged an open competition to establish a roadmap for the future redevelopment of the Makasiiniranta harbor area, the last old harbor area to be transformed for public use in Helsinki. The competition for the museum is scheduled to take place later this year; but the entire surrounding area has come up with a plan to review improvements for the entire harbor environment.
Read more… Vltava Philharmonic Hall Design Competition 
View to Concert Hall from bridge ©BIG
Classical music is still part of a vibrant musical scene in Prague, with at least four principal venues hosting concerts, ballet and opera. As a modern European city, the only missing venue from these choices is a state of the art concert hall. Other European neighbors have also recently staged competitions for such projects: Munich, won by Cukrowicz Nachbaur Architekten of Bregenz, Austria; Belgrade, won by AL_A of London; and Vilnius, Lithuania, won by Arquivio Architects of Spain. It should be noted, however, that one of the most important competitions for a concert hall, not only in Europe, but the world, was the 1961 Berlin Philharmonic hall competition, won by Hans Scharoun (below). It was the interior of that building, in particular, that served as a model for many others that followed, one of the first being Los Angeles’ Disney Hall by Frank Gehry. Read more… Budapest’s Nyugati Rail Station Competition 
Image courtesy Budapest Development Agency ©Grimshaw
Completed in 1877, Budapest’s Nyugati Railway Station has witnessed many of the twists and turns of Hungarian history: the Austro-Hungarian Empire, revolutions of post-World War I and 1956, and various shades of expansion and shrinkage in their territory. Its important location in Europe’s history as a contested land in southeastern Europe has not only served as a path for armies of conquest, but as a matter of great interest for major powers. Amid all the changes it has experienced, Hungary, and Budapest in particular, has retained a fascination for outsiders, making it one of Europe’s high profile tourist attractions. Read more… |
