Joan B. Calambokidis Innovation in Masonry Competition

The Joan B. Calambokidis Innovation in Masonry Competition challenges architects, engineers, students, and firms to imagine the future of masonry design and construction. This year, participants are asked to develop a high-rise building with a masonry envelope enclosure in a major metropolitan area.

$30,000 in prizes is up for grabs!

Read below or visit the competition website for complete details.

COMPETITION OVERVIEW

The goal of this year’s competition is to develop a high-rise building with a masonry envelope enclosure located in a major metropolitan area of the entrant’s/entrants’ choice. Solutions should explore the implementation of innovative masonry construction technologies and focus on building envelope performance with respect to constructability, energy, structure, and aesthetic considerations. Urban jobsite logistics for the selected major metropolitan area and sequencing should also be addressed.

Scale, size, program, and metropolitan location of the project are left to the participant. Open air fenestration screen walls are not recommended as solutions for this year’s competition. All designs must incorporate one or more of the following materials: brick, concrete block, tile, marble, terrazzo, stone, or plaster.

BIM, computational design plugins like Dynamo or Grasshopper, and emerging construction and manufacturing technologies should be used to develop solutions. Participants are highly encouraged to use BIM-M tools like the Masonry Unit Database and other plugins found at bimformasonry.org.

ENTRY CATEGORIES & PRIZES

The competition is open to:

• Students enrolled in a design, architecture, or engineering program
• Architects
• Engineers
• Architectural and Engineering Firms

Multidisciplinary teams are encouraged. There is no limit on the number of participants per team. Individual submissions are also permitted. Participants, whether individual or team, may only submit one entry.

3 grand prize winners will be awarded across 3 categories:

• Students: $5,000 awarded to competitor, $5,000 awarded to winner's school/program
  
• Young Architects and Engineers (under 40): $10,000
  
• Firms, Multidisciplinary Teams, and Individual Architects/Engineers: $10,000

In addition to monetary prizes, winners may receive special publication and promotion opportunities, and will be honored during an awards ceremony in San Diego, California. Travel and accommodations to San Diego will be provided by the International Masonry Institute (IMI) for up to 2 individuals from each winning category.

JURY

Entries will be evaluated by a prestigious panel of renowned architects and leaders in the masonry design and construction industry.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

The following criteria will be used to judge submissions:

• Originality (30%)
• Execution of idea (40%) 
• Potential for transforming the solution or idea into a new design or construction paradigm (30%)

REGISTRATION

To enter the competition, participants are required to register an account. The process is quick and easy: only basic contact information is collected and there is no cost to register. If entering as a team, please choose a team lead to register an account. After registering, the participant will receive an email asking to confirm his/her account by clicking the provided link. Participants must confirm their account to complete registration.

SUBMISSION & DELIVERABLES

The online entry and submission system will open on October 1, 2018 (00:00 EST). Through the system, participants can start and save their entries in-progress and return at any time using the login created during registration.

Completed entries must be submitted by November 30, 2018 (23:59 EST). The submission system will automatically stop accepting entries after this time, and no extensions will be granted.

Participants are required to submit the following deliverables as a part of their entry:

• Two digital presentation boards depicting your project. Include plans, sections, details, 3D images, and any other information needed to explain your design solution. Digital boards should be landscape-oriented at 24″(h) X 36″(w) and saved as JPEGs at 150 dpi resolution in RGB mode.
• A video (2 minutes max.) featuring a fly-through of your design and/or an explanation of your solution. Accepted file formats: .mov, .m4v, .mp4, or .mpeg.
• A project statement (600 words max.) that explains how your concept rethinks the innovative potential of masonry and addresses program requirements outlined in the competition brief.
• Contact information, as requested during registration and on the entry form.
  
• For Student Category Entrants Only: Proof of current enrollment in a design, architecture, or engineering program.
  

View the competition brief for detailed submission requirements (PDF).

ABOUT JOAN B. CALAMBOKIDIS

Joan B. Calambokidis served as President of the International Masonry Institute (IMI) from 1995-2017. Her tenure was marked by multiple examples of masonry innovation, including the advancement of masonry training, education, research, and technical development. Joan’s unique approach to providing state-of-the-art training and education for craftworkers, contractors, and designers alike has helped foster the level of industry collaboration required to design and build great structures.

QUESTIONS

Questions should be directed to [email protected].