call for ideas - Lost Spaces 2015 Ideas Competition d.

talks

W H AT I S D . TA L KS

EVENTS

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C O N TAC T U S

BECOME A FRIEND

A CALL FOR IDEAS

LOST SPACES
AN IDEAS COMPETITION
RE-ENVISIONING CALGARY'S REMNANT PUBLIC SPACES
CALL FOR IDEAS: JANUARY 5 - MARCH 30, 2015

http://www.dtalks.org/call-for-ideas

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THE CHALLENGE: WHAT TO DO WITH LOST

SPACES?
The lost spaces competition is a call for ideas to reframe
how underused spaces in Calgary might be used. The aim is
to address a particular challenge of public space--what to
do with seemingly remnant pieces of public property. The
challenge: what opportunities do lost spaces afford?
A 'lost space' is any space that remains under-utilized
within our urban environment. They might be leftover
pieces, a ghost of the planning past. Lost spaces are part
of the public realm, rarely designed to function with both
social and environmental benefit to the city.
You may consider a lost space as a passageway, a
roundabout, space between two buildings, a highway
shoulder, or tenants of the city's history and memory. We'd
like to ask you to dream, take risks and stretch what we
think is possible.
January 6, 2015 - registration opens
March 20, 2015 - registration and questions deadline
March 30, 2015 - submissions due (23:59 MDT)
April 29, 2015 - winners announced

Cities are made, they are assemblies of parts, which is

why I like playing scrabble which was invented by an
architect. It starts in the middle, which is where cities
start, it wanders out to the edge, and some of the goals
at the edge are great.
Richard Wentworth via phone conversation on lost spaces,
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9/17/14

ELIGIBILITY
The Lost Spaces competition is open to anyone including
architects, artists, designers, engineers, and students.
Were looking for cross-disciplinary teams to collectively
respond to the diverse challenges of design, social
sustainability and low impact design improvements. Students
and members of the public who wish to submit an idea are
encouraged to team up with an artist, designer, planner or
engineering professional for their proposal.
To adapt your entry to the local climate conditions, please
note that Calgary has a prairie climate. It benefits from
high sunshine hours but also experiences unpredictable
weather at times. A winter Chinook might increase the
temperature by 30 degrees Centigrade within a few hours.
Please consult more detail about the local climate in our
FAQ.

CRITERIA
The competition is a call for alternatives improving the
use, public realm and ecological value of a lost space.
Responding to an areas deficiency in the public realm, can
lost space offer greater links and connectivity for people?
How can a lost space connect fragments into corridors and
attract biodiversity? How might they contribute to the
management of stormwater? How can lost space be remembered
and utilized? Is a lost space still lost if not used?
Judges will base their assessment on the following
criteria:
clarity of concept and quality of design
successfully blends social, ecological and economic
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considerations
integrates multiple approaches to the design challenge
impactfully connects environments to allow greater
access, linking people and wildlife to the space
advances thought on current use of the site
feasibility of realization

AWARDS
1st Prize: $7,500 CAD
Five field prizes: $3,000 CAD each

Fields

include: Water Services, Roads and Transportation,

Parks, Planning, and Public Art.
shortlist renumeration fee (up to six awarded):
$1,000 CAD each
A top prize and up to five (5) field prizes will be
awarded. A shortlist of up to twelve (12) will be exhibited
in the spring of 2015. Those shortlisted and not awarded a
prize will receive a shortlist renumeration fee. An entry
is not entitled to more than one prize. Only shortlisted
projects will receive renumeration. Awards and renumeration
will be granted only to projects considered by the jury to
meet the formal regulations and the criteria.

THE JURY
Susan Szenasy
Szenasy, Editor in Chief, Metropolis Magazine
Shane Coen
Coen, Principal, Coen + Partners Landscape
Architecture
Pierre Thibaul
Thibault
t, Principal, Atelier Pierre Thibault
Architecture
Shauna Thompson
Thompson, Curator, The Esker Foundation
Diana Sherlock
Sherlock, Independent Curator
The panel of five industry professionals will judge the
submissions. They will select a shortlist of up to 12 of
the most successful entries. Each of the shortlisted
designs will be included in an exhibition in 2015,
presented in collaboration with d.talks and WATERSHED+.
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The competition is an anonymous submission process. A team

of four individuals from d.talks and two from WATERSHED+
will manage the competition process, numbering entries and
ensuring all identifying materials are removed prior to
judging. The jury will select a winning entry from the
shortlisted selection. The advisory panel will each select
an additional winner from the shortlist that best responds
to the challenges faced in their departments concern for
lost spaces.

Compared to the territories submitted to the control and

exploitation by man, the Third Landscape forms a
privileged area of receptivity to biological diversity.
Cities, farms and forestry holdings, sites devoted to
industry, tourism, human activity, areas of control and
decision permit diversity and, at times, totally exclude
it.
Gilles Clement, writing on the Third Landscape

SITE DESCRIPTION AND SCOPE

We are seeking designs that re-envision a remnant public
space. The call is for alternatives improving the use,
public realm and ecological value of a lost space.
Submissions may be based upon one of the below conditions,
or may identify an independent space qualifying as lost.
Designs must adapt to the climatic conditions of Calgary.
Please visit our FAQ for further detail.

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Sample Site Conditions:

Underpass example
City set-aside for future development such as this
plot in the middle of a residential zone or this set
aside.
In-between two buildings (or a service or lane
way) example
Traffic Leftovers example and another example
Verges or third landscapes such as this one
Space leftover surrounding fire hydrants example
Traffic circle example
Bus stop example and another example
Areas around light rail transit stations example and
another example

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Entrants will be asked to submit the following:

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Competition Entry
Entry: Submit two (2) digital boards 36
x 48 (portrait format) in PDF or JPG (These must be
free of author identity to ensure fair judgement.)
I ncluded on the boards: Define the site
condition and articulate your proposal for the
site.
Describe and locate the lost space site.
Clearly convey an understanding of site
conditions and build a case for how the
proposal responds to it.
Identify public points of access and
opportunities for ecological and social
benefit.
Include an explanation of up to 250 words,
illustrate the idea in use, and provide
plans or sectional drawings as necessary to
convey your idea.
Include considerations for construction and
engineering aspects that are important to
the concept.

Publicity Materials: In a separate folder, please

submit a summary and concept image representing your
submission.
A single (1) page summary of your vision in PDF
for press and publicity purposes. Include the
names and titles of the various disciplines
collaborating in the conceptual design. Teams may
include experts from diverse fields of practice
ranging from art, architecture, engineering,
landscape design, urban design, planning, or any
other field of practice required to build upon a
collective solution.
A concept image (1) to represent the submission.
This image may be used for press and publicity
purposes both online and in print. File name for
the image must list design title and author
[DesignName_author]. Images must have full
copyright clearance before submittal.

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Optional
Optional: An optional video of less than three (3)
minutes in length, may be included to help convey the
concept behind your idea. Videos may be uploaded to
Vimeo or Youtube and a link provided with the
submission.

ELIGIBILITY
The Lost Spaces competition is open to anyone including
architects, artists, designers, engineers, and students.
Were looking for cross-disciplinary teams to collectively
respond to the diverse challenges of design, social
sustainability and low impact design improvements. Students
and members of the public who wish to submit an idea are
encouraged to team up with an artist, designer, planner or
engineering professional for their proposal.
To adapt your entry to the local climate conditions, please
note that Calgary has a prairie climate. It benefits from
high sunshine hours but also experiences unpredictable
weather at times. A winter Chinook might increase the
temperature by 30 degrees Centigrade within a few hours.
Please consult more detail about the local climate in our
FAQ.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

By submitting entries to the Lost Spaces Ideas Competition,
participants agree to the following:
Submissions must be original work and not previously
published or submitted to another competition. By entering
the competition, participants accept that their submission
may be used to promote the Lost Spaces Competition prize,
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and agree to have their submission displayed online and in

print.
No member of the Jury, the organizing committee, nor the
respective professional partners of the foregoing are
eligible to submit to the competition.
Entries that do not comply with the formal regulations and
which have not been submitted by the closing date (March
30, 2015) will not be taken into consideration.
The ownership and copyright of all entry materials
submitted remains with their respective creators. However,
by participating in the competition, all entrants authorize
the organizers (d.talks and WATERSHED+) the right to
display, publish and otherwise exhibit all materials
submitted in magazines, books, websites and other media to
be determined. Designers will be fully-credited when their
work is used.
The jury reserves the right to not award prizes for entries
not meeting the criteria defined.
No partner, associate, or employee of any Jury member may
participate in the Competition.

The classic ideal of the theatrum mundi attempted to

convey one union of aesthetics and social reality.
Society is a theater, and all men are actors.
Richard Sennett, The Fall of Public Man, 1977

ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS

Produced by: Design Talks Institute (d.talks)
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Supported by: WATERSHED+ and The City of Calgary

Design Talks Institute (d.talks) is a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering collaborative
and engaging public conversation about design and the built
environment in Calgary. Find more at dtalks.org
WATERSHED+ is a part of the City of Calgary's Utilities &
Environmental Protection Public Art program. Find more at
watershedplus.ca

TO REGISTER

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

Can we submit if we practice outside of Alberta or
Canada? Yes, the competition is open to those in and
outside of Alberta and/or Canada.
What are the prizes for winning? The first prize
is $7,500 CAD. In addition to the first prize, there are
five potential field prizes that will be awarded for $3,000
CAD each. The fields choosing a winner are water services,
roads/transportation, parks, planning, and public art.
Please note that an entry is not entitled to more than one
prize. In addition to these prizes, an entry might be
eligible for a short list renumeration fee. Up to six
submissions will be awarded a $1,000 CAD renumeration fee.
Will the designs be exhibited? Yes, the shortlisted
design submissions (of up to 12 entries) will be exhibited
to the public. While details are still in development, the
exhibition is planned for the late spring 2015 in Calgary.
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Please check back for further updates about the exhibition

at dtalks.org.
What is an ideas competition? An ideas competition
solicits ideas that advance contemporary thought and
demonstrate one's ability to think critically and
creatively about the problem set forth. Feasibility of
realization is an important criteria that submissions will
be judged on and should support one's conceptual design.
The competition is seeking a holistic approach to design,
integrating perspectives of engineering, art, architecture,
landscape architecture, and other forms of design is highly
encouraged.
Can we choose our own site for the design? Yes, a site
may be of your choice. We've provided a few site conditions
as guidance, and you may base your submission on one of
these conditions, or a condition similar to one of the
examples. You are also free to interpret the lost space by
selecting a site of your own choosing.
What site conditions are there to choose from? We've
provided examples of an underpass, a service lane or a
space between two buildings, left-over space resulting from
traffic infrastructure, a verge, the area around a fire
hydrant, a traffic circle, a bus stop, and the area around
the light rail transit. Each of these conditions is linked
to an image providing a bit of context and detail. Your
design submission is not limited to one of these sites,
however.
Are there plans or CAD drawings for the site
conditions on your website? No. There are no specific
plans for the site conditions on our website. These
conditions are representative of a typology of lost space,
but are in no way suggestive of the only type of lost space
your design submission may interpret.
Should our ideas be designed to be temporary or
permanent? Either. The consideration of temporary or
permanent submission will likely depend upon the site
conditions you choose. If a design is not reliant upon
being temporary, the aim of thinking big might suggest

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proposing a permanent design. Well leave the decision up

to you.
Does our design idea have to be located in
Calgary? The site can be a conceptual site, but it must be
able to be adapted to the climate and built conditions in
Calgary.
What weather conditions do we need to
consider? Calgary has a prairie climate. It benefits from
a high number of sunshine hours but can also experience
unpredictable weather shifts. A winter Chinook wind might
increase the temperature by 30 degrees centigrade within
just a few hours. Temperatures can go as low as -30 degrees
centigrade in winter and as high as +30 degrees centigrade
in the summer months. In a word, the weather is
unpredictable. Further climate information can be
found here and here.
Will our design need to comply with City of Calgary
Bylaws and permitting? The call is seeking design ideas
for lost spaces that are in the public domain. The site
condition examples weve noted in our call are public
infrastructure: road verges, set-asides, laneways,
roundabouts or traffic circle, a bus stop, each may come
with specific bylaws and design requirements. While we
highly recommend that you consider all appropriate bylaws
for the use of the public property (particularly for
purposes of submitting a realistic design idea), the actual
permitting and bylaw requirements are not necessary to
include in your submission.
Can we submit more than one entry? Individuals may
participate in more than one team, but teams may submit
only a single submission. Each registration number may
submit only one proposal.
Can I submit as an individual or must I be part of a
team? Due to the complex nature of the site, a team
approach is encouraged, but not necessary. An individual
may register and submit an entry.
How will the competition be managed? The project

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administers will manage the competition. The Jury and

advisors will not see submissions until adjudication
process commences. The administrators will filter
submissions which do not fulfill the competition criteria
only.

==>DOWNLOAD THE PDF

DESCRIPTION HERE.

POWERED BY SQUARESPACE

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