Program
Integrated Material Research & Design
The competition offers architectural students the opportunity to design a project using responsible design practices and material research to end forced labor. Students, along with their faculty sponsor, are to select a site and building program using Design for Freedom Principles to design more ethically and equitably.
SITE
The site for the competition is the choice of the student and/or faculty sponsor. Submissions will be required to explain the site selection, strategy, and access graphically, and how it responds to Design for Freedom Principles. Consider the following questions as you selecting your site and developing your design proposal:
- How can the project elevate land-connected communities, support climate-displaced populations, and strengthen local economies through ethical material sourcing, workforce opportunities, and equitable design strategies?
- What existing materials are being used on site? What waste can be turned into resources?
- How can the project utilize natural resources available near the site – access to waterways, forests, quarries – for advantageous carbon-conscious material selections and transportation practices.
MATERIAL SOURCING
Students and/or faculty advisors should take full advantage of the complement of resources available through the in selecting and documenting primary building materials and processes used in the design.
- Students are encouraged to trace material supply chains from raw material extraction through to finished product, examining both the economic value and social impact of their material selections.
- Material storytelling is recommended as a means of illuminating key design elements highlighting responsible labor practices, locally sourced natural resources, circularity, and craftsmanship.
- The emphasis should be on graphic documentation of material research and findings, with particular focus on building materials and processes that carry elevated risk of forced labor.
DOCUMENTATION
Submissions should demonstrate an innovative and well-informed approach to material research and selection, with the goal of reducing reliance on materials and processes associated with forced labor. Documentation should be presented primarily through clear and compelling visual graphic formats, illustrating both the research process and resulting conclusion. At minimum, submissions should include a detailed graphic representation of the supply chain for at least one (1) to three (3) materials, aligned with the Design for Freedom Principles. Graphic communication methods such as matrices, charts, graphs and other illustrative tools are strongly encouraged to effectively convey this information.
Competition Organizers & Sponsors
Questions
Edwin Hernández-Ventura
Awards and Competitions Manager
ehernandez@acsa-arch.org
202.785.2324
Eric W. Ellis
Senior Director of Operations and Programs
eellis@acsa-arch.org
202-785-2324