The Quad: Sustainable Social Space

The Quad Competition is an international call for a social space installation. The competition is hosted by WHAT’S IN, a multi-disciplinary research initiative that advocates for urban density and housing affordability through design and policy.

Since 2012, WHAT’S IN has built traveling exhibits annually to host research content. Past exhibits were all self-supporting structures designed for ease of travel and deployment, and built with inexpensive materials. Proposals should aim to create an installation with similar approaches.

The winning installation will be premiered at Greenbuild / ArchitectureBoston Expo (ABX 2017) from November 8-9, 2017. ABX is an annual event held at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC), and will be co-located with Greenbuild this year, creating one of the largest events for the building community in North America. The installation will then travel to other locations in the city as a mobile exhibit.

BACKGROUND

QUAD 2017 is seeking design proposals that capture the essence of social sustainability by addressing the various factors contributing to the three pillars of sustainability: Environment, Economy and Equity.

Environmental sustainability, promotes a more conscious urban living with lower carbon footprint. In a built environment where resources are scarce, your proposal should consider efficient use, as well as post-installation applications of building materials.
Economic sustainability, encourages an efficient use of resources. the exhibit should achieve the greatest visual and experiential impact with the least amount of resources. The proposed design should also address ease of travel and speed of assembly.
Social sustainability, occurs when current and future generations are actively supported to create healthy and livable communities that are diverse and socially just. Proposals should envision meaningful and impactful spaces that facilitate social interaction, allow exposure to diverse backgrounds and create an environment leading to mutual respect and acceptance. Low-cost and/or digital interactive features are highly encouraged.

ELIGIBILITY

This competition is open internationally to design professionals, installation artists, and students. Submitters may be teams or individuals. No professional qualification is required; however, submitters must demonstrate experience producing large-format installations. Only one entry per person/team is permitted.

COMPETITION SCHEDULE

PHASE 1   DUE DATE: May 3rd, 2017 

The first phase seeks proposal entries that not only satisfy all programmatic needs and demonstrate experience and capabilities in fabrication, but also create a lively social space. Six finalists will be awarded a $300 USD stipend to develop a full-scale physical mock-up of their proposals.  For detailed requirements, please refer to the Phase 1 page and fill out a registration form.

PHASE 2   DUE DATE: July 26TH, 2017

Up to six finalists from phase 1 will be required to develop their design and produce a full mockup of a portion of the full design as the submission content for phase 2. In the second phase, one final winner will be selected with a $7,000 USD award towards the final execution.