Business News
AIAS and Kawneer Announce 2009 Student Design Competition
Wednesday 10. June 2009 - Future Leaders in Architecture and Design to Create a Municipal Courthouse Utilizing Green Building Principles
Alcoa, The American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) and Kawneer Company, Inc. announced today the fourth annual national student design competition. Sponsored by Kawneer and administered by AIAS, the competition will challenge students to learn about building materials, specifically architectural aluminum building products and systems, in the design of a municipal courthouse. The competition is open to all students of architecture and design in North America, with winning students/teams and their AIAS chapter receiving cash prizes totaling $7,225 including $2,500 for the first place winning design.
“The Student Design Competition provides students nationwide with a unique opportunity to expand their architectural education, learn new design techniques and have their work viewed by numerous industry influentials,” said Matthew Fochs, Director of Design and Outreach Programs, AIAS. “For more than 50 years AIAS has supported student education. Kawneer is committed to providing industry education at all levels – whether students, architects or customers – through its architectural services, green website and forward-thinking tools. Partnering with Kawneer for this competition allows students to further familiarize themselves with real-world products and design principles that are fundamental to todays building environment.”
Participants will be required to research, respond to and highlight the unique aspects of designing a municipal courthouse that embodies the surrounding communitys history, religious and secular beliefs and cultural differences. Municipal courthouses serve as a symbol of authority in local communities, and as publicly funded buildings need to contribute positively to the fabric of the area through energy efficiency and security. In addition, participants will be challenged to utilize green building principles, including consideration of the U.S. Green Building Councils (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building standards, throughout the design process.
Competition objectives also include building knowledge about materials, products and installation, as well as creating a secure facility that looks to the civic, cultural and service needs of the community for the present and future. Submissions will be evaluated based on ingenuity and originality, as well as appropriate use of sustainable products and design clarity.
Three winning designs and three honorable mentions will be selected by the competitions jury and winners will be announced December 21, 2009 via the AIAS website. The winning projects will be displayed at the 2009 AIAS FORUM in Minneapolis, December 29, 2009 – January 1, 2010 and at the 2010 AIA National Convention and Design Exposition in Miami, June 10 – 12, 2010. The top three submissions will also be featured in the Spring 2010 issue of Crit, the Journal of the AIAS. In addition, the AIAS chapter at each school will receive a cash grant.
The registration deadline is Wednesday, October 14, 2009 and all entries must be submitted by Friday, December 4, 2009. Previous years competitions challenged students to design a pediatric outpatient rehabilitation center and family support facility, a hurricane resistant campus-based recreation center and a library for the 21st Century.
“Kawneer is dedicated to creating products and solutions that help architects make their sustainable visions a reality,” said Karen Zipfel, Director of Marketing for Kawneer North America. “The AIAS Student Design Competition encourages students to think outside the box when designing buildings and applying sustainable products and solutions. We are pleased to be a part of this competition again and eager to see what this next generation of architects and designers create.”