2011 Mock Firms International Skyscraper Challenge
This contest has expired. More information about the final results will be published when they become available.
Winners Announcement Expected: 6 May 2011
In light of the volatile nature of the current global economy, businesses in urban centers are trending towards sustainable policies and practices which they hope will enable them to work more efficiently. One key component leading to the achievement of this goal is the commitment to smart architectural design.
"Architecture that Works" is the theme of 2011 Mock Firms International Skyscraper Challenge which seeks to focus student-design groups on issues involving improving the urban work environment through innovative uses of space, structure and sociology.
The desired outcome is the creation of "hyper-vertical communities of commerce".
Objective
This challenge aims to organize a “mock” architectural design firm among enrolled students for the purposes of conceiving, coordinating, constructing and commercializing a commercial tall building for Stockholm Sweden to be ultimately judged by design professionals against a field of the participants peers.
Students looking to participant in the 2011 installment of the Mock Firms International Skyscraper Challenge only need to secure the following:
- 2-4 student participants
- submit registration form (will become available soon) by deadline
- submit registration fee by deadline
- submit a 1-3 page brief or summary of the proposal by deadline
- submit 1-3 8 1/2" x 11"-sized conceptual sketches by deadline
The target site for the collegiate division of the 2011 Mock Firms International Skyscraper Challenge is Stockholm, Sweden. Situated in Northern Europe, the Scandinavian country of Sweden lies west of the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Bothnia, providing a long coastline, and forms the eastern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula. To the west is the Scandinavian mountain chain (Skanderna), a range that separates Sweden from Norway. Finland is located to its northeast. About 85% of the population lives in urban areas, and it is expected that these numbers will gradually rise as a part of the ongoing urbanization. Stockholm is Sweden's capital and is also the largest city in the country (population of 1.3 million in the urban area and with 2 million in the metropolitan area).
Projects will be judged upon the following criteria which can be used as a guide in overall preparations (Each will be based on a scale of 10 points being the highest score per category):
- Media Presentation (video, cards, signage, brochures, business cards),
- Company Organization (participants, roles, delegation),
- Building Architecture (design aesthetic as reflected in model, boards, and CAD drawings),
- Programmatic Structure (build-ability, functionality, sustainability, contextual & economical),
- Presentation Pitch (delivery, professionalism, participation, Q & A readiness).
Prizes
The award for the overall Top Mock Firm will be a minimum $1000.
- Top Entry Presentation*
- Top Marketing Firm
- Top Mock Firm Organization
- Top Building Project
- Top Conceptual Platform
- Top American Mock Firm
- Top European Mock Firm
*Will not figure in the final overall scoring in the additional major categories listed above.
Rules
- 2011 Mock Firms International Skyscraper Challenge seeks to focus student-design groups on issues involving improving the urban work environment through innovative uses of space, structure and sociology.
- Design parameters:
- Commercial program
- A total of no more than 1 to 2 towers
- Façade design can be contemporary or neo-traditional
- Street-level retail and uniquely engaging business spaces to engage a skyscraper-skeptical public
- Height specifications: approx 60 stories, 653’ / 199m
- A building footprint not to exceed 50,000 sq ft
- Fenestration should exploit opportunities for views for the maximum number of offices
- An architectural spire or antenna must complete the building’s top
- Sustainable design considerations for the building’s form and interior functions
- Regionally-contextual and climate-conscious
How to enter?
The basic required submissions for the competition are as follows:
- An organizational chart or description outlining the hierarchy and functions of all contributing members of your team
- Promotional materials i.e. brochures, business cards, etc for your firm & building project
- A video presentation introducing your firm (all partners), location, and about your project
- Board presentations showing plans, perspectives & sections of your building
- CAD drawings consisting of the primary elevation, a site plan, office plan, and a 3-D perspective view.
- A scaled physical model of the building and its surrounding environs.
Entry fee
- Early Registration: 30 August - 30 September, 2010 ($125/firm)
- Regular Registration: 1 October 2010 - 15 January 2011 ($150/firm)
- Late Registration: 16 January - 15 March, 2011 ($175/firm)
