13th Shelter International Architectural Design competition for Students of Architecture

Summary of the competition

Many buildings in America, Canada and Europe, keep high value for many years. And, the longer a building stands the more its owners' attachment to it grows, and the more the building become an essential part of its townscape. Japan has many historical timber buildings which show their traditional beauty to each new generation. It is well-known that timber buildings have advantages in terms of the natural environment and their user's feeling of well-being. The myth that timber buildings are weak against fire and earthquake has been overturned, as new technologies have significantly improved the material's stability and proof against fire. This has made possible the building of large-scale timber structures in city centers, where only fire-proof buildings are allowed - making ‘the City of Timber' a possibility. The Shelter Corporation imagines a world of urban ‘forests' ? cities formed of timber-framed buildings. In many places, this dream is becoming real. Our aim overlaps
 with the peoples' recognition that our global environment must be sustainable. This issue is now very apparent, and will become increasingly important during this century.

Of course, sustainable buildings constructed in wood must function well and have the highest quality of design. The world awaits the new generation of young, talented architects who can create such buildings.

So, we invite ambitious architectural students from all over the world to join this student ideas competition. At the final jury, the short-listed students will have the opportunity to discuss their designs and receive the critique of the jury ? all of whom are world class architects - and be encouraged in a warm and supportive atmosphere. It is our aim that this competition will be a gateway to success in the architectural profession, and that the young student entrants will grow to become important architects. The results of the competition will be published in a variety of media, as part our mission to promote the improvement of our natural and built environments, all over the world.

Our aim is that ‘The Shelter Design Competition for Students of Architecture' will be recognized as the most important architectural competition of its type in the world, and a gateway for young architects students to become World-Class Architects.
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