Common Boston Common Build 2011

The Common Boston Common Build (CBCB) is a design and construction competition that challenges participants to design and build a project in response to community needs. Held over 3 days during Common Boston Week - a free, public festival celebrating architecture and design in Boston’s neighborhoods - the CBCB is open to teams and individuals from all disciplines and experience levels. Common Boston and the Building Materials Resource Center have partnered to host this year’s competition that focuses on the festival theme, “Live and Learn,” an exploration of the relationships between Boston’s neighborhoods and institutions.

Teams will be asked to work with a local institution to develop design solutions that address specific physical and social needs of the neighborhood. Designed and constructed objects will be integrated into their site with an emphasis on the unique contextual elements and needs of that location. Competitors will be issued a common material- donated by the Building Materials Resource Center which must be incorporated into their design. The Common Boston Common Build demonstrates that even when created in under 72 hours, an innovative and influential response to a real problem can alter the way we interact with and understand the built environment creating tangible benefits for the community.

Participants must rally to execute the following criteria during the Common Build Weekend:
Investigate + Identify a need
Select a site + Explore the urban fabric
Establish relationships) with local organizations + Engage in dialogue
Propose + Fund + Build an Intervention
Document the experience + Gather feedback on implementation of intervention
Submit a board to be showcased at the awards ceremony (18x24 PDF format)

REQUEST
CBCB 2011 competition will be held around the festival’s “common points” of Boston with the goal of addressing questions related to the concepts of place, materiality, ecology, connectivity & periphery in the neighborhoods of Boston. Competitors are asked to work at preselected sites as well as with members of the community to develop design solutions that address specific physical and social needs of that area. Prior intimacy with Boston’s neighborhoods is not required, yet execution of a thoughtful intervention includes thorough analysis. Competitors will be challenged to create a site specific solution to a real problem that will address the relationship of institutions in our community while seeking tangible benefits for all stakeholders. Each team will be required to incorporate a common material furnished by the BMRC into their design.

The 2010 challenge begins on Thursday, June 23rd at 8:30pm at Atlantic Wharf, 290 Congress Street, Boston, and runs until criteria are met. The jury begins reviewing projects on Sunday, June 26th. To learn more please visit the CBCB website to view Frequently Asked Questions.

REWARD
An independent jury, comprised of local community and design authorities, will review projects on the third day of competition. Project success will be based on (but not limited to) community assessment of need, construction methods, and final execution. Recognition will be given to both the judges’ selection and a popular favorite as selected from an online poll. The winning projects will have the opportunity to pursue publication in a local design publication. Prizes will be awarded to First, Second and Third place teams, as well as the Popular Vote winners. The Awards Ceremony will be held Wednesday, June 29th at 7:00pm at the Modern Theatre, 525 Washington Street, Boston. Visit the Common Boston website (commonboston.org) to download event locations & maps.

REGISTRATION
To enter, Email completed team entry form to [email protected] (in pdf format) by June 5th for pre-registration. Registration fees shall be paid through Eventbrite at http://commonbuild.eventbrite.com . Each team member must sign and submit the liability waiver by June 23rd. Registration fees, which support program organization and event facilitation, are as follows:

1-5 person teams: $50
6+ person teams: $100