The Catholic University of America

Responses to Questions

  1. How important is the design (drawing) of the actual icons?

The purpose of the competition is to generate 'big picture" ideas about the way in which the adornment of the central dome, pendentives and arch facings will contribute to the sacred space of the Shrine. The iconographic agenda has been provided to you in order to guide your thinking and inspire your imagination in line with what has already been proposed with regard to content. The intent of the competition is to generate ideas and insight into the way the space will be affected, as opposed to focusing on the specifics of the art work deployed.

  1. Do I have to draw my own iconography or can I borrow from other sources?

You are welcome to appropriate images, artwork or graphics from other sources for use in supporting your design concept. As with any use of the creative product or intellectual property of another, it is important to cite the sources from which you borrow. You may reference external sources by use of a caption below the graphic where the referenced image is shown, or by a separate references statement. This may be located either on the front or the back of the panel. If you are interested in drawing your own icons, or being more knowledgeable about them, Profs. Michael Gick and Michael Patrick would be happy to help out with a variety of sources. They may be contacted at mgick@morgangick.com and michael@paparchitecture.com respectively.

  1. Should I write my name on the panel anywhere?

The competition will have a blind review. Please do not indicate authorship anywhere on the front of any of the panels. Please indicate your identity on the rear of each panel you submit along with email. Please do this for every member of your team.

  1. Do I have to submit a physical model or a digital walk through?

You are not required to submit a physical model, but you may do so as an additional submittal if you believe it is required to express your design. You are not required to submit any particular type or kind of drawings. You may use conventional or digital means. You may also submit a virtual walk-through or movie (a computer will be available to the jury to review such submittals).

  1. I am interested in using the game design software to provide a user-controlled walk through. Can I get more information on this?

If you are interested in using Valve Corp. software to make a user-controlled interface to view the dome mosaic, you should contact Chris Totten (ctotten87@yahoo.com) who can provide you with a licensed version of the software and a digital model of the Shrine.

  1. I have an idea for the dome but not the pendentives or arches. Do I have to fill all the spaces, or can I just do the dome.

The intent of the competition is to generate design ideas. If your over-all concept focuses mainly on the dome than your entry can show primarily that. You are not required to show any particular views, only those that support your over-all design.

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