The 2017 Sustainable Versatility Design Award Competition for students currently enrolled in an accredited architecture or design curriculum is now open.
Our trade organization, the Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association (NELMA), is a non-profit trade group that promotes the use of products manufactured from sustainably-grown softwoods from the northern U.S., particularly Eastern White Pine and Spruce-Pine-Fir species. This competition is a way to reintroduce wood to today’s architecture and design students and its important sustainable qualities, in addition to its incredibly versatile use aspects.
This is the 6th year of offering this unique architecture and design student challenge; a no-fee competition that engages students in a design dialogue about sustainability, design culture and tradition through the use of wood products as a contemporary construction and design material. Each year’s program offers a unique design challenge.
The 2017 Design Challenge:
“Imagine, research, and design a building that could be a new home for your school’s School of Architecture and Design using the following materials: (1) Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) for structural systems, (2) Spruce-Pine-Fir (SPF-s) graded lumber for framing, and (3) Eastern White Pine lumber grades for appearance finish.”
Awards:
- First Place: $1,500, unique wood trophy, write-up in the White Pine Series of Architectural Monographs, and mention in competition press releases to the industry and trades.
- Second Place: $750, write-up in the White Pine Series of Architectural Monographs, and mention in competition press releases to the industry and trades.
In addition, $1,500.00 contribution to the AIA Student Chapter of the school that has the most qualified submissions (minimum of 5 submissions for consideration)!
Registration online is now open to enter the competition, with final submissions due August 1, 2017, all via the competition’s online portal, www.sustainableversatility.org. This website also provides information regarding past winner’s projects in addition to valuable resources regarding wood products manufactured from northeastern softwood lumber products.
For additional information, email design@sustainableversatility.org.
Further information regarding NELMA can be found at www.nelma.org.
