Finalists Announced for 21st Century Project Design Showcase
Attendess register by January 9, 2008 and save $100
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 4, 2007
The Association of College and University Housing Officers – International (ACUHO-I) is pleased to announce the finalists in the second phase of its 21st Century Project Design Showcase competition, focusing on the “block and neighborhood.” The five finalists will present their designs before a jury and audience on February 1, 2008 in St. Petersburg, Florida.
The finalists (in alphabetical order) are:
- Ayers/Saint/Gross Architects + Planners (Washington, D.C.)
- Little Diversified Architectural Consulting (Charlotte, North Carolina)
- MGA Partners, Architects (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
- Net+work+camp+us (Norfolk, Virginia)
- Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville and Mackey Mitchell Architects (St. Louis, Missouri)
For this phase of the 21st Century Project design competition, concepts were submitted focusing on the “Block” of 30-32 student units – and the “Neighborhood” of 150-160 students. The “Block and Neighborhood” of a residence hall community is defined by the interaction of the students, and the relationship between the public and private spaces fosters social and academic activity. Thus, each contestant was challenged to incorporate sustainable features, creative uses of technology as it relates to both the social and academic component of the residence hall, and a flexible, multi-use of space.
The finalists will now participate in a presentation before a nine-member jury – one university chief financial officer, one university student affairs officer, one student representative, two industry design professionals, one university chief academic officer, one university chief housing officer, and two architects and or campus planners - at the Tradewinds Island Grand Resort in St. Petersburg, Florida, on February 1, 2008.
The winning design team will be awarded a cash prize of $25,000 and their design concept will be featured in the ACUHO-I Talking Stick magazine. The winner will also make a special presentation at the 2008 ACUHO-I Annual Conference and Exposition, June 21-24.
In an effort to support ACUHO-I’s educational mission, the 21st Century Project Design Showcase II is open to the public. Registration to this day-long event is $295 for ACUHO-I members and $395 for non-members, as well as a special $95 fee for students, if audience participants register before January 9, 2008. The registration fee includes lunch and admission to the award reception at the conclusion of the competition. Audience members will also have the opportunity to vote for the “people’s choice” winner.
The event will also include a product showcase, featuring several companies displaying their most innovative products and services. Pre-screened by the 21st Century Project steering committee, the items available will embrace the concepts of flexibility, community, technology, sustainability, and innovation.
The 21st Century Project is a multi-phased initiative leading to the construction of a new, state-of-the-art college residential facility for colleges and universities. In addition to creating one or more prototype residential facilities on several campuses, the project will assist colleges and universities in designing new residential facilities that reflect the ever-changing roles that residences play in the collegiate experience.
Jonathan Levi Architects of Boston was the winner of the first design competition.
For more information about the competition and the 21st Century Project, visit the Web site at www.21stCenturyProject.com or contact ACUHO-I at 614.292.0099. Press inquiries should be directed to James Baumann, ACUHO-I director of Communications and Marketing at james@acuho-i.org.
Biographies of Finalists
- Ayers/Saint/Gross Architects + Planners
Since its founding in 1915, Ayers/Saint/Gross has grown from three, young Baltimore-based architects to more than 90 employees working with more than 40 campuses worldwide. The architectural, planning, and landscaping firm boasts more than 40 design awards, 33 of which were for prominent institutional buildings. The firm focuses on the design of major college and university buildings and grounds, with a philosophy of design excellence combined with sensitivity to context and attention to detail.
- Little Diversified Architectural Consulting
Little has more than 40 years of experience delivering results beyond architecture. The firm offers expertise across an array of services—from architecture and engineering to land planning, facilities planning and space management, 3-D visualization and Internet application services, and more – with a national network of more than 300 professionals. Little has worked with more than 35 college and university campuses to design student housing facilities totaling approximately 25,000 beds.
- MGA Partners, Architects
For nearly 50 years, MGA has been committed to comprehensive design services for custom building projects including architecture, construction, and interiors. The firm has worked with numerous higher education clients including Princeton University, Lehigh University, Indiana University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Franklin and Marshall College. MGA has also developed an expertise with the renovation and restoration of historic buildings.
- Net+work+camp+us
This team of architects, ranging from a recent graduate to a design principal at Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas + Company, has a wide-range of experience with higher education projects, including student housing projects at Colorado State University, Rice University, Baylor University, University of Virginia, George Mason University, Rollins College, and St. Edward’s University. The team also has experience with a plethora of international projects, including some award-winning designs.
- Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville and Mackey Mitchell Architects
After competing as a finalist in the first 21stCentury Project Design Showcase in January 2006, this team of students and housing officials from Southern Illinois University and architects from Mackey Mitchell are once again joining forces. Each associate brings a unique skill set and knowledge base to the design table derived from experience with a variety of institution housing projects. Mackey Mitchell is known nationwide for its expertise in providing student housing to campuses including Emory University, The University of Notre Dame, Washington University, and the University of Cincinnati. Meanwhile, SIU, located outside St. Louis, is home to more than 13,000 students on 2,660 acres of rolling hills, woodlands, and lakes.