Deadline: February 9, 2024
Applications for the FuturArc Prize 2024 are now open. Launched in 2008, FuturArc Prize is the first international Green building design competition in Asia open to professionals and students. It aims to trigger continuous change and creativity in the art and science of building design, showcasing innovative ideas and solutions for a sustainable future.
With a highly respected international jury and tremendous industry support, the Prize enables Green building design ideas and practitioners to emerge on the regional stage. Winning entries from the competition are published in both the Journal’s annual Green edition and on its website. Year after year, the competition attracts an increasing number of participants from more than 15 countries.
Prize Details
FuturArc Prize 2024 asks entrants to propose architectural solutions for the continuation of life after either ONE or BOTH of the following scenarios:
- Climate Destruction: Any significant/extreme climate-related disasters triggered by hydrometeorological (e.g., floods, storms, heat waves) or climatological (e.g., droughts, wildfires) causes.
- Consider how the current year’s heatwaves have broken historic records around the world, with scientists postulating that it is Earth’s hottest-ever climate in at least 120,000 years. The reality of a global-scale climate disaster is not far off—in fact, large-scale ones have long affected vulnerable populations. How can architecture respond to this?
- Endings: The end of lifespans—be it of humans; non-human species; ecosystems such as forests, coral reefs, drylands; etc., due to famine, disease, massive extraction, etc.
- All living beings perish. Current methods of treating expired matter tend to be carbon-intensive or require much land, a resource that is scarce. At the urban level, facilities such as graveyards/crematoriums are still negatively perceived. Can the end of life, for humans or ecosystems, be handled in a way that brings hope and renewal for the future?
Task
Proposals must contain the following:
- WHERE: Pick a site located in Asia. The site area should be a maximum of 5 hectares (50,000 square metres). The site may be your current place of residence or any place that you are familiar with.
- WHICH: Choose which scenario/s (either Climate Destruction or Endings or both) will be addressed based on the selected site:
- If Climate Destruction, define and detail what is the climate disaster that would affect the selected site context. Intense heat? Extreme drought? Earth covered in sea water?
- If Endings, specify the context of endings. Is it that of lifespans of humans, non-humans or ecosystems?
Based on your choice, explain the ways it affects the site’s context in terms of physical/spatial conditions; community/population conditions; socioeconomic conditions; and ecological/natural conditions.
- WHAT: is the proposed sustainable architectural solution? These solutions may be new builds or adapt to existing buildings, and can be of any typology.
- HOW: is the solution to be applied and carried out.
Prizes
Up to SGD20,500 cash prizes to be won!
- First Place:
- FuturArc Prize Trophy
- Certificates
- Cash prize
- 2-year subscription to FuturArc digital magazine via FuturArc app
- Second Place:
- FuturArc Prize Trophy
- Certificates
- Cash prize
- 1-year subscription to FuturArc digital magazine via FuturArc app
- Third Place:
- FuturArc Prize Trophy
- Certificates
- Cash prize
- 1-year subscription to FuturArc digital magazine via FuturArc app
- Merits (Several teams will be awarded based on jurors’ selection):
- Certificates
- Cash prize
- 1-year subscription to FuturArc digital magazine via FuturArc app
Eligibility
- Open internationally to any individual or team, student or professional.
- Each team may comprise up to five members and may comprise different related disciplines. The composition of team members may include students and/or professionals.
- Teams are prohibited from swapping or removing any existing member of the team after they have submitted their entries. Team members are only allowed to be on one team.
- One member of the team must also be designated as leader and identified as such on the registration form. This member will be the team’s sole representative in all liaisons with the competition registrar.
- The team leader must have a background in architecture (i.e., is a student of, has graduated from or is practicing architecture).
- All members of the team are regarded as co-authors of the project they submitted together and will be acknowledged as such in all announcements, displays, exhibitions and publications associated with the competition.
- Individual entrants are regarded as the author of the project they submit and will be acknowledged as such in all announcements, displays, exhibitions and publications associated with the competition.
- Each individual entrant is their own representative in all liaisons with the competition registrar.
Evaluation Criteria
Judging will be based on a clear explanation of the following corresponding to the task:
- Relevance: The selected scenario/s (climate disaster and/or ending of lifespans) and solution must be relevant to the site conditions and context, fulfilling the brief in terms of design and functions, supported by thorough analysis.
- Integration: Layers of interacting natural and human-made systems, including but not limited to climate responsiveness/resilience, socioeconomic considerations, etc.
- Impact: How the proposed solution affects the community and the environment, including but not limited to the optimisation of resources, improvement to health and well-being, biodiversity, etc.
- Innovation: Originality of solutions proposed, including but not limited to adoption of technological tools, application of regenerative principles, low-carbon strategies, etc.
Application
- Entries are to be submitted by following the template provided, comprising 5 panels per entry (4 for the design proposal + 1 for citations/references).
- Maximum file size of all 5 panels to be submitted is 15MB; in A2 size, PDF format. If you are selected as a winner/merit, you will need to provide high-resolution individual images of your panels.
- Images should consist only of drawings, rendered images, photographs and thumbnails.
- The total site area; actual images of the site; and geographical coordinates must be included.
- Scales that are necessary to comprehend certain drawings (plans, sections, etc.) must be shown as graphic scales next to the drawing.
- The contents of the panels should be sufficient to impart a clear understanding of the proposal and presented according to the stated evaluation criteria.
- Any identifying details e.g. team member names and/or practices MUST NOT be displayed anywhere on the panels.
- Panels should be submitted in English; entries submitted in other languages will be disqualified.
Submission Steps
- Register from the banner on FuturArc App:
- Submit the materials via:
- Email to [email protected] as a ZIP attachment; OR
- WeTransfer link sent to [email protected].
- Indicate in your email subject the project name and your name (or team leader’s name); for example: Rebar House_Dinda Wijaya
For more information, visit FuturArc Prize.
