A Living Presence Design Competition

Design Competition

Introduction:

Architectural students and professionals are invited to participate in an open design competition that is being held in conjunction with the upcoming symposium, A Living Presence: Extending and Transforming the Tradition of Catholic Sacred Architecture. This Competition explores how the continuity of tradition ensures that truth resonates through the beauty that constitutes Catholicism’s unique architectural patrimony. There is no detailed program or specific site for this competition. However, projects submitted as competition entries must involve new Catholic sacred buildings or spaces (examples: a new church building or a complete chapel interior). Submittals for both commissioned (i.e. “real”) buildings and un-commissioned (i.e. theoretical/academic) projects are welcome. Partial exterior and/or interior renovations are not eligible, though a completely reconstructed interior space (such as a chapel interior) may be submitted. Provide one or more images of the prior, “before”, condition for any complete interior renovation project. Un-built projects that have been designed, and built works that have been completed, after January 1, 2000 are eligible for submittal. Projects will be judged on two primary criteria: 1) beauty; and 2) the production of a coherent, compelling vision for how to extend and transform the tradition of Catholic sacred architecture.

Winning design competition entries and other selected entries at the discretion of the Partnership for Sacred Architecture will be displayed at The Pope John Paul II Cultural Center after the symposium is concluded.

Registration & Submittals:

The registration deadline for this competition is being extended to April 9, 2010.

Please click here for the design competition registration form in editable PDF format. Complete the form per the instructions and return by mail to the address below, to the attention of Prof. George Martin. Completed registration forms and checks must be received by 5 pm EST on April 9, 2010. If you are a student who has also registered for the symposium and therefore your fee is discounted to zero, you may e-mail your completed registration form directly to cua-alivingpresence@cua.edu, and you are not required to submit a hard copy of your design competition registration form.

You are encouraged to use our on-line registration and payment site. The same dates and fees apply.

Project submittals must be received at the following address before 5 pm EST on April 15, 2010:

A Living Presence Design Competition
The Catholic University of America
School of Architecture and Planning
620 Michigan Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20064

Submittal presentations must include a narrative of no more than 250 words explaining the project’s approach to the theme of the Competition. This narrative, along with all other images, drawings, and photographs of the project, must be composed on two 30”x40” sheets mounted on ¼” thick gator board (oriented vertically) without any text or logos that might identify the designer or architect. A copy of the completed registration form must be enclosed in an envelope affixed to the back of each board and labeled with the applicable category, “Student” or “Professional,” on the outside of the envelope. A 300 dpi, full-size PDF of the presentation on a CD-ROM must be labeled with the name of the primary registrant and included with the submittal package. First, Second and Third prizes will be awarded in the Student category. A single First prize will be awarded in the Professional category. Winners will be announced at the closing session of the Symposium and posted shortly thereafter on the A Living Presence website. Some or all of the entries may be included in report of the proceedings of the Symposium, on the associated website, and/or in other associated publications. Submitted materials will not be returned and become the property of the Competition organizers.

Competition Jury:

His Excellency Bishop Barry C. Knestout, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, DC

Mr. James McCrery, AIA, Principal, McCrery Architects

Mr. Ed Keegan, Editor at Large, Architect Magazine

Non-voting Competition Chairman:

Mr. Eric Anderson, RA, Patrick and Anderson Partners in Architecture

The Competition reserves the right to substitute alternative Jurors should any of the above jurors not be able to participate.

Entry Fees:

Category A (Students with valid ID): $25*
Category B (Licensed and Intern Architects): $50*

*Entrants who have already obtained paid registration for the Symposium will receive a $25 discount on the competition entry fee.

Prizes:

Category A: $500 1st prize, $300 2nd prize, $200 3rd prize
Category B: $1000 1st prize

In addition, the jury may award Honorable Mentions to one or more additional projects in each category at their discretion. Honorable Mentions do not carry monetary awards. The Competition reserves the right not to name any prize winners if no entry is deemed worthy by the jury.

No partner, associate, family member or employee of any jury member may participate in this competition, nor may jury members advise or assist a competitor in any way with the design or submittal of any competition entry.

Extending and Transforming the Tradition of Catholic Sacred Architecture

Design Competition

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The Partnership for Catholic Sacred Architecture