INTERNATIONAL DESIGN COMPETITION 2012

University of Westminster International Design Competition

The design competition is a collaborative effort by the National Association of Students of Architecture, India and the University of Westminster, London to introduce an international learning dimension to a long standing student organisation in India. The University of Westminster is one of United Kingdoms leading centers for the study of Architecture and the Built Environment, covering core subject areas that address the future shape of our cities. Internationalism, employability and sustainability are key elements in the University of Westminsters vision for the future. Interdisciplinary learning within the fields of Architecture, Property and Construction, Tourism, Transport and Urban are practiced at the School of Architecture and Built Environment.

Context.......................................................................4 Key Themes................................................................5 Approach....................................................................6 Study Area..................................................................7 Learning Platform......................................................7 Outputs.......................................................................8 Participants................................................................9 Key Dates...................................................................9 Submission Format....................................................10 Jury.............................................................................11 Winning Entries..........................................................11

Context
Rapidly developing urban areas are progressing measures of countries like India, Brazil and China. While green field developments in such countries are growing by the day, existing urban areas are facing some serious environmental challenges. The School of Architecture and Built Environment at UoW has a keen interest in exploring areas of existing cities facing stresses in their physical environment. It intends to start a dialogue with architecture students in India to encourage their role in helping to build sustainable neighbourhoods The purpose of the competition is to encourage innovative and creative solutions to local issues of sustainable development. It aims to bring out a holistic understanding of severe environmental problems facing local neighbourhoods and the communities that inhabit them, taking into account their social, economic and political circumstances. The approach to the competition should demonstrate an interest in and some awareness of fields such as city planning, sustainable design, urban design and infrastructure planning and how these can work together with architecture in day to day practice

Key Themes
We are seeking entries that address local environmental stresses in India and the SAARC region. The term stress used here refers to human environments and local ecosystems that are physically degraded, hazardous, polluted and/or run down due to manmade or natural factors or a combination of the two. Stresses may range from site specific problems to very generic pollution related issues, shortage of water and energy, vulnerability to natural hazards, poor waste management or deficient and unsustainable use of local green space, microclimate and other natural assets. Environmental problems are often a consequence of malfunctioning or lack of basic infrastructure and systems as well as deficient urban management and poor governance, including a lack of community involvement. The challenge is to identify and address those stresses that affect the built environment and related natural systems that significantly contribute to the deterioration in the quality of living of local communities. Entrants are encouraged to explore the causes of stresses specific to the study area and focus on the most important. The emphasis must clearly be on the contextual response to critical environmental stresses affecting the chosen site area. The proposal should be a design response that gives a framework at a strategic scale. This must be supported by a detailed micro level solution, one that when adapted and multiplied, feeds into the wider framework.

Approach
A positive approach to the brief would involve - Interdisciplinary learning that goes beyond architecture - Innovative and creative initiatives - Contextual responses - Socio economic understanding of the area - Awareness of deliverability of the design response. - Clear understanding of the relation between micro and strategic level solutions. Students are also encouraged to give attention to local policies and national objectives that are relevant to the design response. Identifying different bodies that will help deliver the proposal will add depth to the submission.

Study Area
Entrants must identify a local study area, preferably within the same district as the location of the participating institution. This is to facilitate deeper understanding or an area of which the entrants are possibly familiar with. The size of the study area, for strategic framework purposes may be a local ward or a neighborhood up to 10000 people. The environmental stress identified may go beyond the boundaries of the site however the intensity of the problem should be relatively high in the selected site. Micro level solutions should be identified within this study area.

A Learning Platform
The competition is a dialogue between the students and the University of Westminster. We will encourage exchange of thoughts and ideas through the online forum set for the competition. Experts from the University will share some interesting case studies. The intention through the competition is to initiate knowledge transfer and positively influence thought processes

Outputs
Entrants must organize their design responses in 2 A1 size panels. The first A1 panel must display relevant analysis of the study area and clear understanding of the environmental stresses. Part of this panel may be dedicated to the design process. The second A1 panel must be dedicated to design responses. Each panel must display the logos of National Association of Students of Architecture and University of Westminster as per specifications. The entries shall be supported by a A4 size report elaborating the process of design responses, additional site analysis and local issues. The report should not be more than 1000 words. A neat collection of 8 coloured photographs giving a sense of the environmental stresses should be part of the report. The font size should be legible and not less than 12. Three key images of the scheme must be part of the report. The written material in the report and panels must be appropriately referenced as any instance of plagiarism will lead to disqualification of the entries.

Participants
Entrants should be undergraduate students of member colleges/ institutions of the National Association of Students of Architecture, India. One team entry per college with team members up to four will be accepted.

Key Dates
8th of June- Launch of competition brief 30th of June Deadline for questions and feedback 25th June to 31st of July Registrations open 28th of September 10am IST- Submission of entries online 2013 January- Submission of hard copies at the annual NASA convention Participants must register for the competition through the NASA website between 25th June and 31st July 2012. Details of online links for submission of entries will be released in the 1st week of September on the NASA website.

Submission Format
The submission must be compiled in 2 A1 panels and an A4 size report not exceeding 10MB in total. The NASA logo must be displayed on the submission material. Resolution of the panels must be no less than 300 dpi Submissions must be uploaded online before 10am IST on the 28th of September 2012.(Details of submission links will be released in the 1st week of September on the NASA website.) Email confirmation for the receipt of the entries will be sent to participants. Printed panel entries and reports should be submitted for the exhibitions at the Annual Convention in January 2013. Shortlisted entrants may be asked to provide additional documentation of their schemes suitably reformatted for website display.

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Jury
Eight shortlisted entries will be announced in the second week of December 2012. Shortlisted entrants will have the opportunity to prepare a 15 minute panel presentation for the jury at the annual convention. Winners will be announced at the annual convention. One citation and two special mentions will be awarded. The decisions of the jury members will be final and binding.

Winning Entries
An exhibition of the shortlisted entries will be displayed at the University of Westminster campus in London. The exhibition is part of the universitys commitment to add an international dimension to the National Association of Students of Architecture, India. The University of Westminster is delighted to sponsor the winning team to attend the exhibition in London in 2013.This will include flights and accommodation for up to one week of stay in London. Details of the exhibition will be released at the Nasa Annual Convention in 2013.

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