Just Launched: Transformation 2030: A Student Design Challenge

Our next Just Launched competition is Autodesk's "Transformation 2030: A Student Design Challenge", in collaboration with Architecture 2030 and the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS). The Challenge gives architecture and engineering students the chance to use their skills to help transform Hunts Point in New York City's South Bronx, a community that has been dealing with high unemployment rates and has over half of its residents living under the poverty line. Additionally, Hunts Point has one of the world's largest food distribution centers yet local communities don't have access to it.

In response to these issues, students will focus on using building performance analysis and strategies from the 2030 Palette to design a high-performance building that demonstrates innovative ideas toward sustainability and responds effectively to site conditions and the needs of Hunts Point.

The jury: Ed Mazria from Architecture 2030; John Kennedy from Autodesk; Amy Patel from HOK; Scott Shiamberg from Perkin Eastman; and a Senior Associate from Gang Studio

Keep reading to learn more about the competition site, building program, and deadlines.
 

SITE

"The site to be used in the Transformation 2030 Design Challenge is the former site of the infamous Spofford Juvenile Center (later known as Bridges Juvenile Center), located in the northwest region of Hunts Point. Notoriously known as one of the most brutal juvenile detention facilities on the east coast of the United States, the Spofford Juvenile Center was finally closed in 2011. The Spofford Detention Center, highlighted in magenta, is scheduled to be demolished along with the building highlighted in purple to the north of the site. The building highlighted in cyan is a relatively new building that functions as a community recreation center and will remain standing along with the sports fields to the north-east (green).

The actual building for your proposal should remain within the magenta zone, but your proposed program may engage with existing programming and structures that will remain standing on the site. In addition, the parking lot (light grey) may be utilized as an interstitial [common] space joining your program to that of the recreation center. Permanent structures, however, cannot be proposed on the light grey parking lot area and must remain within the zone highlighted in magenta."

BUILDING PROGRAM

Size: Building floorplan area of 5,000 - 10,000 ft² (1,850 m²), with additional space for a seasonal fresh foods market.

Program:

• [2,000-4,000 sq ft] Culinary school
• [1,000-3,000 sq ft] Offices
• [1,000-1,500 sq ft] Fresh foods café
• [+10-15%] Services and circulation
• [5,000-15,000+ sq ft] Fresh foods market (likely not part of main building envelope, conditioned or unconditioned). If unconditioned, consider a canopy or roof and passive strategies to provide human thermal comfort.
• The program calls for a space that is highly trafficked by transient crowds but is permanently staffed by only a handful of people. Consider strategies that will minimize active systems and/or allow for scalability of ECS. Consider maximizing budget and impact by designing a small footprint building with a large, seasonally varying exterior public program.

DEADLINES and AWARDS:

Registration deadline is Jan. 1, 2014. Entries must be uploaded through the competition website by 5:00 pm Eastern Time on April 1, 2014. Completion of the BPA Certificate Program  is required for your design to be valid. If the submission is from a team of students, all student team members will have the ability to upload the digital files. Once final submissions are uploaded no additional edits, uploads, or changes can be made.

Winners will be announced on May 1, 2014.

Grand Prize: 5-8 week paid internship at Internationally renowned Perkins Eastman (Internship will be awarded to the best individual design) or $7500 cash award should a team win.
2nd place: $5000
3rd: $3000
4th:  $1500
Faculty sponsorship award: $500

For complete competition details, click here.