2x8 2021 Exhibit Design Competition Open Call

*COMPETITION UPDATE -  Registration date has been extended to July 14th*

AIALA, ARCHITECTURE FOR COMMUNITIES LOS ANGELES (ACLA), AND THE 2X8 COMMITTEE invite California-based architecture faculty to submit proposals for 2x8:Assemblies, the 2021 Exhibition Design Competition.

The selected competition winner will execute their design for the 2x8:Assemblies Exhibition, which is scheduled to open on Saturday, November 6, 2021, as a dispersed installation distributed throughout Los Angeles.

Register by Friday, June 25, 2021  July 14, 2021. 
Submit materials by Friday, July 14, 2021.

BACKGROUND

2x8 is an annual exhibition & scholarship program showcasing exemplary student work from architecture & design institutions throughout California. Celebrating the state's unequaled diversity in pedagogical directions, each of the participating academic programs select two projects that embody their core vision. As many as 20 schools participate in the annual show. This year the exhibition will focus on the theme of Community. The title of our 2021 exhibit is 2x8:Assemblies. The term ‘Assemblies’ can refer to groups of people gathering together as well as the process of building in which various parts are assembled to make a whole. 2x8 has been a springboard for designers to introduce themselves to LA and the world. In 2021, the visibility of the program is increased as the installation and exhibition will be distributed into nodes throughout Los Angeles, encounterable by the public, and accessible online and through an interactive app. More people than ever before will be able to view the exhibition while maintaining a format that will promote a distributed viewing experience and prevent concentrated assembly. In 2021, this event will be co-produced by AIA|LA and the newly-formed ACLA.

Click Here To Register: https://www.ac-la.org/2x8-asse...

ELIGIBILITY:
The competition is open to all faculty of California schools of architecture and design.
There is a $20 registration fee which can be waived for previous entrants.

Register by Friday, July 14, 2021.
Final entry materials must be submitted no later than 11:59 PM on Friday, July 14, 2021.

BACKGROUND:
2x8 is an annual exhibition & scholarship program showcasing exemplary student work from architecture & design institutions throughout California. Celebrating the state's unequaled diversity in pedagogical directions, each of the participating academic programs select two projects that embody their core vision. As many as 20 schools participate in the annual show.

This year the exhibition will focus on the theme of Community. The title of our 2021 exhibit is 2x8:Assemblies. The term ‘Assemblies’ can refer to groups of people gathering together as well as the process of building in which various parts are assembled to make a whole.

2x8 has been a springboard for designers to introduce themselves to LA and the world. In 2021, the visibility of the program is increased as the installation and exhibition will be distributed into nodes throughout Los Angeles, encounterable by the public, and accessible online and through an interactive app. More people than ever before will be able to view the exhibition while maintaining a format that will promote a distributed viewing experience and prevent concentrated assembly. In 2021, this event will be co-produced by AIA|LA and the newly-formed ACLA.

DESIGN CHALLENGE:
Design, build, and install the 2021 2x8 exhibition to showcase up to 40 student projects, distributed into 2 to 10 projects per site (roughly 4-6 sites).

The designer will act as creative director, to generate the template and installation concept, and the 2x8 Committee will assist with neighborhood specificity as required.

DESIGN DETAILS:
Student work is to be displayed on digitally printed presentation sheets. The 2x8 committee will provide all printed media. The size and proportion of the boards is up to the discretion of the designer but must be a minimum of 15 square feet of display space per student project. The design concept of the exhibition should be flexible and capable of accommodating changes to the number of student entries. The design must also include two additional boards per location to display exhibition sponsors, an informational board regarding the exhibition, and signage as desired (i.e. show name, logo, school names).

FUNDS: The budget for the exhibition build-out will be a minimum of $10,000 and may be increased based on the number of schools participating. A detailed budget is to be included as part of the submittal package. No money is allotted as a salary for design.

THEME: The curatorial theme of 2x8 this year reflects on the dialogue surrounding Community in Los Angeles and other urban centers across the country. This year, ACLA intends to create a dialogue around the topic of Community by asking schools to submit student work that responds to and engages the community. The name, 2x8:Assemblies, refers to a group or community of people and is also related to the process of building.

AR: An augmented reality app will be built by the 2x8 Committee, allowing the exhibition designer to overlay student 3D models with the design of the exhibition. The proposal should address the integration of an AR overlay with the overall exhibition design. The 2x8 Committee will develop an application incorporating both marker and markerless tracking methods for the overlay of super-graphics and student models at the discretion of the exhibition designer.

Considerations should be given to AR activation spaces in front of student boards. We do not anticipate incorporating the use of any goggles, and we suggest that the submitted design avoid overly reflective, monochromatic or featureless exhibition surfaces for AR compatibility.

SECOND LIFE:
A goal for this year’s exhibition design is to ensure minimal waste in the production of the exhibit. Submitted proposals are required to incorporate an innovative strategy for the reuse of the exhibition materials after the exhibit and future recycling potential. One option for material reuse is to partner with a community organization in order to formulate a plan for long-term secondary use of the component parts of the exhibition. If fitting the intent of the designer, the 2x8 Committee has conducted initial outreach to the following organizations: Skid Row Housing Trust, Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust, Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative, and Friends of the LA River. If the designer elects to partner with an organization, it is advised for the designer to communicate with the organization during the design phase.

SITE OPPORTUNITIES:
The 2x8 Committee is working to secure adequate locations for the 2021 exhibit. At this point, the design needs to be flexible, free standing, and conducive to both an indoor or outdoor space. Addenda will be provided to contestants at a later date to further clarify the site parameters. The installations will be hosted at public and quasi-public venues throughout the city, and special consideration will be given to entries that address the varying contexts of Los Angeles.

SUBMISSION DETAILS:
Submission materials must include a floor plan accompanied by 3D diagrams, renderings, details, and any other drawings to clearly communicate the design. Both an itemized construction cost estimate and a description of assembly (work-hour estimate and build sequence) shall be included with the submission. Evidence of prior fabrication experience or a statement of commitment from a builder is encouraged though not required. Final entries are to be submitted on 11x17 landscape PDF less than 20MB total file size. The number of pages is at the discretion of the designer to effectively convey the design concept.

Please email the PDF submissions to Carlo Caccavale, Executive Director of the ACLA via: [email protected]. Final entry materials must be submitted no later than 11:59 PM on Friday, July 14, 2021.

A shortlist will be announced by Friday, July 16, 2021. The 2x8 Committee will announce the winning submission on Friday, July 23, 2021.

Entrants must make themselves available for a brief interview to present their concept and respond to requests for clarification between July 19-21. Execution of the design will begin immediately after the winner’s announcement and will continue until November 5, 2021. The winner must be available to attend 2x8 Committee meetings and commit the time and human resources necessary to implement the exhibition design on schedule.