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DESIGN BRIEF

THE MISSION
The 2011 Open Architecture Challenge: [UN] RESTRICTED ACCESS asks architects and designers to partner with community groups across the world and develop innovative solutions to re-envision closed, abandoned and decommissioned military sites. The six-month competition requires designers to work with the communities surrounding these former places of conflict to transform oftentimes hostile locations into civic spaces built for the public good.
THE

OF BASE CLOSURES: - loss of population - loss of income & jobs - hole in economy

EFFECTS

- decreasing business revenue - environmental degradation - challenges to remediation

WHY THIS CHALLENGE?


Every other year, Architecture for Humanitys Open Architecture Challenge brings international attention to issues in the built environment affecting the health, prosperity and well-being of underserved communities. This years Open Architecture Challenge will focus on helping communities reclaim abandoned, closed and decommissioned military sites. Dotting the global landscape, decommissioned military installations leave their mark. They are symbols of triumph, pride, pain and the unforeseen consequences of military aggression. These abandoned structures and ghost towns can disrupt neighborhoods and split entire communities. While these sites are often laid to waste, Architecture for Humanity sees them as opportunities of global proportion. In the US alone we will spend billions of dollars of taxpayers funds to do environmental remediation on the 12 million square feet of US military space scheduled to close this year. Can we use this opportunity to bring economic stability to areas deserted by closed bases?

- buildings become abandoned - obstacles to redevelopment

We believe that a combination of a legal and an architectural approach [is] necessary in order to open the political imagination. Decolonizing Architecture Art Residency http://www.decolonizing.ps

This year marks a milestone: in the United States alone more than 235 military sites are scheduled for closure or realignment. The U.S. military was under orders to downsize 5% of its entire infrastructure on or before September 15, 2011 in accordance with the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) ruling. The ruling will force the relocation of more than 125,000 military personnel and their families. Globally we see opportunity at every site. Can we re-envision the more than 750,000 abandoned bunkers that pepper the Albanian landscape? Is there a second life for the recently bombed Libyan military strongholds? Can we use environmental diplomacy to re-imagine Guantanamo Bay Detention Center? Is there a way to turn vacated bases in Afghanistan into places of learning? The 2011 Open Architecture Challenge seeks to provide solutions to these unanswered questions and will re-envision the future of decommissioned military space. This is an open call to action the first of its kind. Architecture for Humanity is asking the global design and construction community to identify retired military installations in their own backyard, to collaborate with local stakeholders, and to reclaim these spaces for positive social, economic, and environmental change.

We realize much of this land has great value and needs to be turned over to the private sector to become useful again.

Wayne Army, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for installations and facilities http://nreionline.com/news/ developer/real_estate_drill_ military_base/

WHY IS A GOOD THING

REPURPOSING

- replaces/creates jobs - attracts investment - improves health and living - helps shift attitudes - utilizes existing infrastructure in good repair

BASIC ENTRY INFORMATION


Entrants will be asked to identify a site in or near their community and develop a design concept for that site. The only rule is: It must be an abandoned, closed (or scheduled for closure) or decommissioned military site. If you cannot find a local site, you can choose a site identified by Architecture for Humanity: Site 1: Guantanamo Bay Detention Center, Guantnamo Bay (Cuba)* Site 2: NSA East Bank, New Orleans, Louisiana (USA) Site 3: Johnston Atoll (United States Minor Outlying Islands) Site 4: Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS), Tustin, California (USA) Site 5: Flak Towers, Vienna (Austria) *Currently not decommissioned but scheduled for closure.

- keeps buildings occupied and - addresses socio-economic

imbalances caused by closure

A Pre-Development Competition Unlike our past competitions, which directly led to built projects, this is a predevelopment competition. Proposals should be a feasible and tangible resource for communities. Site visits are optional and the designer is responsible for obtaining permission to legally enter the site. Architecture for Humanity, its partners, and assigns neither endorse nor encourage the illegal trespass upon or unauthorized access to restricted sites. Each entry must be accompanied by an entry fee and must meet the requirements for registration and submission outlined below. Open To Design related professional and non-professional multi-disciplinary teams. Entry Fee $50 USD per entry (designers & non-design professionals) $25 USD per entry (students) $0 USD entrants from developing nations
classification.

At a time when wellsituated greenfield sites are disappearing, base redevelopment can be the best opportunity to create major new projects in desirable locations.
http://nreionline.com/news/developer/real_estate_drill_military_base/

THE OUTCOMES
- international cooperation - compilation of innovative other communities of reuse - community design process ideas to inspire and guide - education about possibilities - draw attention to the impact for collaboration businesses

Please download our Developing Countries List to see who qualifies. Countries are based on World Bank

No one will be turned away for lack of funds. If you have questions or need clarification, please send an email to unrestrictedinfo@architectureforhumanity.org.

- raising awareness to the need - inspiring authorities and - planning ahead to make

Jury The design competition will be judged by an international, inter-disciplinary panel of experts in various fields, such as experts in base realignment processing, real estate and building professionals, former world leaders, and members of communities that have experienced a base closure or site demilitarization. Prize More than $5000 in prizes to be announced. Three designs will place and one design will be awarded the prestigious Founders Award.

successful transition possible

JUDGING CRITERIA
Entrants are encouraged to use the criteria as a framework for developing their designs and will be judged upon successful incorporation of them in their final proposal. 1. Community Impact An active and open community design process that engages people, raises awareness and results in understanding, support and closer ties within the community. It has a net positive impact and results in community empowerment and fosters appropriation of initiative by beneficiaries. 2. Economic Viability It is a pre-development proposal that outlines a viable strategy to finance the project and shows positive economic impact of the proposed project 3. Ecological Footprint Shows a sufficient depth in consideration of environmental impact/life-cycle, supporting remediation where necessary, respecting the existing natural and cultural resources and reflecting principles of environmental sustainability. 4. Contextual Appropriateness Understands and responds to the global context of the Challenge and is at the same time relevant to the local context. A place-specific proposal with concern for identity creation and respect for the existing site, physical characteristics, local cultural and socioeconomic characteristics. 5. General Design Quality Your idea is innovative, can be employed as a catalyst for positive change, establishes a creative precedent and transferable to other areas. It is graphically compelling, clearly transmits your idea and is understandable across language and cultures, and it looks good.

When a military facility closes, the effects ripple throughout the surrounding community as families lose their neighbors, businesses lose their customers and workers lose their jobs. In a thriving city, a closure can be an [adrenaline] shot to the local economy as hundreds of acres of land are suddenly made available for municipal growth and expansion. But for many communities - especially in rural or suburban areas - closure can translate into years of struggle, as municipal planners strain to fill the empty spaces that the military leaves behind. Bruce Watson,
Military Closures and the Towns they leave behind. Daily Finance - 8/17/10

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
GENERAL The submission must be original in content. All entries must be submitted without identifying marks, including logos, text, insignia, or images on the display surface that could be used to identify the submissions authors. All digital files must be submitted to the Files tab of your competition project page on the Open Architecture Network. All file names should include the Competition Entry ID Number assigned during registration (ie: entrant ID number_imagename. jpg). Image format: All Required image files must be 3000 pixels x 2000 pixels (15in x 10in @ 200 DPI) in JPEG or PNG format. The presentation board should be 24in x 36in at a minimum of 200dpi. Units: All dimensions must be metric. Language: All text and annotations must be in English REQUIRED FILES

Every town has had its own experience, but overall weve found that as these bases are returned to the communities theyve created a positive economic impact.
Patrick OBrien, director of the Department of Defenses Office of Economic Adjustment in Arlington, VA

1. Project Description Text

All text on the entry must be included in the text field on the entry page and on a text file uploaded to the files tab. Project administrators can add or change this text by clicking the edit button in the top left corner of the page. This should be a full description of your proposed design (200 word minimum), including a list of proposed construction materials. The files should be named/saved as: entrant ID number_00_textdescription.doc The presentation board should clearly display the entrants approach. The planning and design, approach to sustainability and material use should be included. This board MUST be the first image to appear in the slideshow for judging purposes. The file should be named/saved as: entrant ID number_01_mainboard.jpg

2. Presentation Board @ 24x36

3. Plan(s)

The building plans do not have to be to scale but should accurately portray the ground level of your proposal. If plans are to scale, include written and graphic scales. The file should be named/saved as: entrant ID number _02_buildingplan_01.jpg; entrant ID number _02_buildingplan_02.jpg, etc.

4. Elevation(s) The building elevations do not have to be to scale, but should accurately portray the elevation(s) of your proposal. If elevations are to scale, include written and graphic scales. The file should be named/saved as: entrant ID number _03_elevation_01.jpg; entrant ID number _03_elevation_02.jpg, etc. STRONGLY PREFERRED 5. CAD file, e.g. Autocad, Sketchup, Revit, Vectorworks We are strongly encouraging people to include a Sketchup model, if possible. If you are creating a two-dimensional drawing please include plans and elevations in the file. Format: .DWG, .DXF, .VWX, .SKP, RVT, The file should be named/saved as: entrant ID number_CAD.xxx 6. Additional Renderings and Supplemental Images Entrants are invited to submit a maximum of two supplemental files. For example, applicants may scan photos of a model, hand-drawn sketches, ink drawings, 3D computer graphic renderings, or web animations. Supplemental files must be uploaded to your project page on the Open Architecture Network. You may submit images, text, video files, renderings, or any other file type supported by the Open Architecture Network. The file(s) should be named/saved as: entrant ID number_07_supplementalimage_01. xxx and entrant ID number_07_supplementalimage_02.xxx accordingly. If you are having trouble uploading your files, please contact us at unrestrictedinfo@ architectureforhumanity.org immediately.

CONTACT US
Phone 1.415.963.3511 Fax 1.415.963.3520 Mailing address 848 Folsom St, Ste 201, San Francisco, CA 94107 Or send us an email unrestrictedinfo@ architectureforhumanity.org

Photo Source p1, p2, p4, p5, p7 Nick Sowers p3 Dave Toussaint p6
http://www.mallofcaribou.com/ LoringAFB/pages/main.html

MORE INFORMATION
Check out these links: Precedents Additional Links + Resources Sample Sites Press Additional information may be added to assist participants during the course of the challenge. Please check periodically for updates at: http://openarchitecturenetwork.org/competitions/challenge/2011

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