AIA SF Ideas Competition

AIA San Francisco’s Committee on Architecture for Education is hosting its 2nd annual Ideas Competition:  

Moving Beyond Ad-Hoc, Hacked, and Underfunded.

How can we design purposeful spaces that serve the whole student and support student success?

Academic institutions at all levels are asked to serve myriad roles to students beyond "the educator"- they can be the doctor, cook, counselor, social worker, babysitter, mentor, or even employer. As we move out of the pandemic some of these roles have become increasingly important, not only for students but also for the communities they live in.

Current educational spaces don't often work to provide these services in an equitable, safe, and comfortable environment. They also don't invite the community in as clients or collaborators for these services.

Instead of the relocatable classrooms or closet under the stairs (worst case) or the "one-stop-shop" Student Services model (best case), what kinds of spaces would support students' individual and holistic needs as current and future community members? What kind of spaces would you add or design for an educational environment that also serves as a community hub?

• Community spaces
• Programs
• Community engagement processes
• Futures for academic institutions at all levels from kindergarten to university to lifelong learners

Winning projects will be featured in a panel discussion on Wednesday, September 21, from 12 to 1 pm Pacific in conjunction with the Architecture + the City festival.

Competition Link