All of these ideas supported the design solutions. Austria’s entry dematerialized the north and south walls to seamlessly blend interior and exterior space. Missouri ‘s entry was a formal response to the urgent need for disaster shelter. Like it or hate it, it’s hard not to argue that it is a coherent concept. This year the Southern California Institute of Architecture’s (Sci-Arc) entry had an innovative idea: a house in two pieces, that could move apart or together depending on the weather. Let me tell you what I look for.Īrchitecture is a language, and you’d better have something to say. So what makes a winning entry? My opinion is it remains the elusive embodiment of good design creating a single elegant solution from a big bag of conflicting requirements. The winner of the competition is the team that best blends affordability, consumer appeal, and design excellence with optimal energy production. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon is an international competition that challenges 20 collegiate teams to design, build, and operate the most attractive, effective, and energy-efficient solar-powered house. I’ve had my doubts that competition is a good way to generate wonderful designs, but frankly the 2013 Solar Decathlon, in which I was fortunate enough to be a juror, has generated some wonderful designs and important conversations. Architects pour their souls into their art, and are more interested in a conversation about ideas than a medal. Great architecture has never been about winning inspiration is a fickle flame, and does not necessarily rise from the competition around you.
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