Competition Details

Starts: September 17, 2010

Registration Ends: November 24th, 2010 at 11:59pm (PST)

Entries Due: January 3rd 7th, 2011 at 11:59pm (PST)

Open To: Design professionals, educators and non-professionals. Teams including educators and designer encouraged.

Entry Fee: $25 USD per entry (Fee waived for entrants from developing nations)

Jury: Leaders in education, landscape architecture and architecture (including students) to be hosted online, including:

• Confirmed: Darell Hammond, CEO KaBOOM! (US), Larry Scarpa, Pugh + Scarpa Architects (US); Andrew Maynard, architect (AU); Dr. Beth Doll, Professor - Department of Educational Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Marlon Blackwell, architect (US); Liam Garland, Managing Director, Bay Area, Education Pioneers (US); Jennifer Siegal, architect (US); Kitti Upariphutthiphong, Education(Thailand); Rachel Bentley, Children on the Edge (UK); Members of the community and school (Thailand/Myanmar).
  Quilian Riano, Designer & Blogger (www.dsgnagnc.org) (US); Matt Huxtable, landscape architect (AU); Rachel Bentley, Director, Children on the Edge (UK); Lena Weller, Help without Frontiers (Thailand); Barry Richards, architect, Rockwell Group (US)
• Design Award: The winning design will be built in a needy school in Mae Sot, Thailand. The winning designer or team will have the opportunity to help build the playground in Thailand. In addition, a single prize of $1000 will be given to the winner or team to help defray travel costs to Thailand.

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Registration Requirements

Everyone is welcome to participate in the “Play for all” Design Competition regardless of professional status, job, sex, race, age or nationality. Entrants do not need to be licensed architects or landscape architects to participate. Designs may be submitted by an individual or by a team. There is no limit to the number of entries per person, or the number of teams with which an individual may participate.

Entrants must register to participate in the “Play for all” Design Competition. Only registered entrants will have access to the competition criteria, design brief and other background information.

Please note: Each entry must be accompanied by an entry fee and must meet the requirements for submission outlined below.

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How to Register

In order to register for the competition, entrants must first join the Open Architecture Network: http://openarchitecturenetwork.org/user/register

The deadline for competition registration is November 24th, 2010 at 11:59pm Pacific Standard Time (PST). The cost of registering is $25 per entry. The registration fee may be waived in certain cases (see "Registration Fees" below).

Once payment has been received, entrants will be redirected to the competition page on the Open Architecture Network. There they will have access to the competition criteria, design brief and other background information. They will also receive a confirmation email that will include their Entrant ID Number and a link to their entry page on the Open Architecture Network.

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Team Entrants

One registered user must start the project and invite other team members. This individual is considered the Team Lead and will be the contact between designers and competition administrators for the purposes of communication. Please be certain to keep contact information for all team members current on the Open Architecture Network.

Student Entrants

Students and faculty are invited to work together and submit entries as a team or individually. For judging purposes, each design is considered as a separate entry and a separate fee must be paid for each entry. Multiple designs will not be considered as a single entry.

Student work is judged alongside that of professionals, and jury members will not be advised of the difference.

Please contact us, if you plan to pay multiple entry fees together. The registration system only supports one payment at a time.

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Submission Requirements

The period for work submission is September 17, 2010 to January 7, 2011 at 11:59pm PST.
Competition entrants must be members of the Open Architecture Network and register to enter the competition. Projects must be posted on the Open Architecture Network by January 7, 2011 at 11:59pm (PST) in order to be juried.

The submission should 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 submission’s authors.

All digital files must be submitted to the “Files” tab of competition entries on the Open Architecture Network. All file names should include the Competition Entry ID Number assigned during registration (ie: entrant ID number_imagename.jpg). Please contact us immediately if you are having trouble uploading your files.

Image format: All Required image files must be 3000 pixels x 2000 pixels (15in x 10in @ 200 DPI) in JPEG, PNG or GIF format. And the presentation board should be 24in x 36in at a minimum of 200dpi.

Units: All dimensions, should be in meters.

Required Files:

1. Project Description Text (REQUIRED)

   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 admins 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 materials used in the construction of your proposed design.

   The files should be named/saved as: [entrant ID number]_00_textdescription.doc

2. Presentation Board @ 24"x36" (REQUIRED)

   The presentation board should clearly display the entrant's approach. The playground planning and design, approach to sustainability and material use should be included.

   Additionally, the organizers will use this image as the primary board to display in exhibitions, publications and in community meeting in the field. This board MUST be the first image to appear in the slideshow for jurying purposes.

   The file should be named/saved as: [entrant ID number]_01_mainboard
   (ie: entrant ID number_01_mainboard.jpg)

3. Plan(s) (REQUIRED)

   This building plan does not have to be to scale but should accurately portray the ground level of your proposed playground.

   The file should be named/saved as: [entrant ID number]_02_buildingplan_01.jpg
   (ie: entrant ID number _02_buildingplan_01.jpg; entrant ID number _02_buildingplan_02.jpg)

4. Elevation(s) (REQUIRED)

   This building elevation does not have to be to scale but should accurately portray the elevation(s) of your proposed playground.

   The file should be named/saved as: [entrant ID number]_03_elevation_XX.jpg
   (ie: entrant ID number _03_elevation_01.jpg; entrant ID number _03_elevation_02.jpg)

5. CAD file (Sketchup file is STRONGLY PREFERRED).

   You can do either a 2D or 3D CAD file. 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. You and other users of the Open Architecture Network are able to view and comment on .DXF files inline using AutoDesk Freewheel.

   Format: .DWG, .DXF or .SKP

   The file should be named/saved as: [entrant ID number]_CAD.xxx
   (ie: entrant ID number _CAD.dwg)

6. Additional Renderings and Supplemental Images (OPTIONAL)

   Entrants are invited to submit not more than two supplemental files. There is no restriction on the style or content of supplemental images. For example, applicants may scan photos of a model, hand-drawn sketches, ink drawings, 3D computer graphic renderings, or web animations. There is no restriction on the style or content of documentation. 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.

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File Synopsis

Required:

• [entrant ID number]_00_textdescription.doc
• [entrant ID number]_01_mainboard.jpg
• [entrant ID number]_02_plan_XX.jpg
• [entrant ID number]_03_elevation_XX.jpg

Strongly Recommended:

• [entrant ID number]_CAD

Optional:

• [entrant ID number]_07_supplementalimage_XX.jpg

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How to submit

Once you have gathered the required text and image files and uploaded them to the Open Architecture Network, you may make Edits and changes until the Submission Deadline.

Starting on January 7, 2011, jury members will view submissions. Entrants will NOT be allowed to edit any project details or files once they have been submitted to the jury. Editing may resume after the competition is complete and a winning design has been selected. If we have any trouble reading or opening your entry, competition organizers will notify you.

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Rules

The purpose of the “Play for all” Design Competition is to invite teachers, students and design professionals to work together to design new ideas in playspaces. To that end, we ask that all entrants read and agree to the rules before entering the competition. The rules are intended to make it possible for Go Play! to share all of designs submitted to the competition with those who could benefit most from them and—ultimately—to build the winning designs.

In submitting an entry to the Playground Innovation Competition, all participants agree to comply with the rules and terms of entry below.

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Eligibility

The “Play for all” Design Competition is an open, international competition. Direct employees and family members of employees of Go Play! are precluded from participating in the competition, but there are no other restrictions on who can enter. Architects, design professionals, non-professionals, professionals in other fields and students of all ages are encouraged to participate.

In order to enter the competition, entrants must register for the Open Architecture Network. Participants may submit an entry for one or more sites and may submit multiple entries for the same site, however, each entry must be accompanied by an entry fee.

For judging purposes, each design is considered as a separate entry and a separate entry fee must be paid. Multiple designs will not be considered as a single entry.

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Period of Submission

Entrants are invited to develop their design throughout the submission period. Once the submission period has ended, they will not be permitted to make changes to their entry until the judging has concluded at which time entrants will regain access to their project and may continue to develop their design. Entries that are late, illegible, incomplete, misdirected or incompletely received will not be eligible.

The deadline for submission for the “Play for all” Design Competition is January 7, 2010. The competition organizers reserve the right to delay or extend the period of submission.

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Anonymity and Design Credit

All files uploaded must be submitted without any markings that will identify team members in order to facilitate fair judging of the competition. Plans, Elevations, Site Plans, Renderings and any other files submitted for consideration should not include title blocks or any other identifying information. Failure to comply with this rule will lead to disqualification.

This does not apply to the Project Details or "Edit Settings" area of each entry, which must be completed in full and must include the names and roles of all team members. Please note: Information entered in the Project Details or Project Settings area will be used to give proper credit to design team members.

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Ownership and Copyright

By entering the competition, entrants agree to a) post entry materials to the Open Architecture Network and to the Terms of Use of the Open Architecture Network; b) to license all materials submitted under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike license and to adhere to the terms of that license. Learn about the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike license. Please note, however, that to the extent these Rules conflict with the Terms of Use of the Open Architecture Network or the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike license, these Rules govern the competition.

Entrants shall own all design concepts, drawings, images, renderings, sketches, photographs, models, and/or text, documents, information or other materials submitted in association with the competition provided. However, the entrant hereby grants Go Play! and its designees perpetual, free, unrestricted use of the submission materials in fulfillment of its charitable purposes, including its annual report, its websites and in communications with volunteers, funders and the media and all other purposes specified in these Rules. Such use is expressly not directed toward commercial advantage or private monetary compensation.

The entrant further hereby grants Go Play! and its designees a perpetual, free, unrestricted license to use the submission materials in fulfillment of its social investment projects for the design and construction of upgrades to schools in the developing world and in its annual report, its websites and in communications with volunteers, funders and the media and all other purposes specified in these Rules.

Notwithstanding Go Play!’s rights as Licensors, competition entrants shall retain full rights to use the documents in other projects for commercial and for-profit purposes.

By entering this competition entrants warrant that all materials submitted by them are their own, that nothing in the submission of these materials will infringe the copyright or any other right of any person and that they have full authority to submit the materials for such purposes.

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Exhibition and Publication

The organizers will exhibit selected entries to the “Play for all” Design Competition during and after the competition. The results of the competition may be presented online, in galleries or other venues, or in a printed publication and all entries will be available to be viewed on the Open Architecture Network and on Go Play!’s website. Selected and Finalist entrants may be asked to build scale models representing their design and provide printed presentation boards for exhibition purposes.

In any exhibition, publication, or website, the organizers will make every effort to properly credit the appropriate competitors. Go Play! and its designees reserve the right to utilize materials submitted by entrants in any publication or promotional endeavor in perpetuity and free of charge (See "Ownership and Copyright").

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Prizes and Awards

One entry will be selected as the winning design. The winning design team will receive a single award of up to $1000 USD usable towards travel expenses to and within Thailand to oversee the construction of the design. If the winning design team cannot travel to Thailand, they will be awarded $300USD, and the balance of the travel stipend ($700USD) will be applied towards the construction costs of the new playground. The distribution of these funds will be conditioned upon the winning design team’s execution of a Grant Agreement prepared by Architecture for Humanity, the terms of which will be consistent with the purposes of the competition outlined above, and the disbursement of which will be subject to the terms of the Grant Agreement. $1000USD will be awarded only to provide support to the winning design team in traveling to Thailand and implementing the construction of the winning design (see "Commitments and Obligations" below).

In accepting the award, the entrant agrees to the commitments and obligations of the winner. Entrants selected as the winner will be required to enter into a contract with Go Play! to further develop and implement their design and to sign a release in order to receive competition award monies. Go Play! reserves the right to implement the winning design concept with or without the involvement of the entrant, but will make all reasonable efforts to include the entrant in the implementation of the design.

Go Play! will make every reasonable effort to contact the winning entrant and notify the entrant of the award. In the event the winner chooses not to accept the funding award, cannot be contacted for any reason, or fails to respond to repeated notification attempts and/or emails within 14 days, the funding will be forfeited. In such an event, Go Play! may, but is not obligated to, award the prize monies to another entry in its sole discretion.

No substitution or transfer of prize monies will be allowed. Go Play! reserves the right not to award all prize monies in the event competition administrators receive an insufficient number of eligible entries that meet the minimum criteria as set forth as part of the competition guidelines.

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Disputes

The jury has the sole authority and responsibility to recommend winners at the end of the competition. The organizers reserve the right to make a final decision regarding the winning design and any funding that may be made available for the development or implementation of designs entered into the competition. The competition administrators’ decisions in connection with all matters concerning the competition shall be final and binding.

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Limitation of Liability

By entering the competition, all entrants and team members agree to indemnify, defend and hold Architect for Humanity and Go Play! including its chartered units, and its governors, directors, officers, employees, agents, partners, funders, sponsors and volunteers from and against any and all suits, claims, demands, liabilities, damages, costs and expenses (reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or relating in any way to services it provides in connection with this agreement.

If you have any questions about the rules stipulated above, please do not hesitate to contact the competition administrators.

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Commitments and Obligations

Finalists must be willing to agree to the commitments and obligations described below in order to receive award funding and to be acknowledged as a finalist of the design competition.

• to create a physical model and print presentation boards to be used for exhibition purposes;
• to engage community members and other beneficiaries of the playground in the design process;
• to promote and propose the use of local materials and local labor whenever practicable;
• to promote sustainable and environmental practices.

In addition to the commitments and obligations stated above, finalists, if awarded the $1000USD travel stipend, must be willing to agree:

• to refine the design to meet the needs of the participating school partner, and;
• to travel to the building site (Mae Sot, Thailand) and make himself or herself available for meetings and site visits as required by the terms of the grant;
• to ensure the use of local materials and local labor whenever practicable.

We hope your design is selected, and we look forward to working with you.

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Jury Process

In January 2010, we will hold an online jury made up of experts from the fields of architecture, landscape architecture and education, including students. Initially volunteers will review each entry to eliminate any entries that do not meet all the criteria and guidelines set out in the competition. Then jury members will go through each entry to select the top 5 schemes.

Finally, interviews will be conducted with each finalist to find out their commitment for implementing the solution and to judge the viability of their scheme. This review will be undertaken by Go Play!. In late January or early February we will announce the winner and runners up and award the prizes. Go Play! reserves the right to change these dates as needed.

Jurors will access the submissions via the Open Architecture Network. Jurors will use the competition document, the selection criteria, their own expertise, and information from any questions and answers that arise during the judging process.

The firms, partners, and professional associates of the jurors are enjoined from participating in the competition. If a juror is found to be knowingly involved in any material way with a submission, the juror will be replaced at the discretion of the competition organizers.

If for some unseen reason a juror has to drop out, a replacement will be found by the competition organizers. If the jury deadlocks, the jury chair will cast the tie-breaking vote.

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Selection Criteria

Selection criteria will include:

• The design is original
• Responds to the client's objectives as laid out in the brief
• Responds to the constraints of the site and its context
• The clarity of presentation materials

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