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International Design Competition & TCA/PCA Fire Storm Housing 2008 Announced

TCA has announced their 2008 international design competition: Fire Storm Housing 2008. Graduate and undergraduate students in the field of architecture are invited to present conceptual designs for firestorm-resistant housing located in the Santa Ana region of California using site-cast concrete Tilt-Up panels for their shell components. The competition, held in cooperation with the Portland Cement Association, is an international, open, single-stage ideas contest that seeks to challenge entrants to creatively solve the problem of producing a custom, single-family residence for a model home. Current rebuilding efforts in this area of the country demonstrate that most homes will be reconstructed with the same combustible materials and little, if any, systems to limit or prevent future damage from firestorms. Recognizing this fact, entrants are encouraged to present prominent, architecturally-significant design solutions for this housing unit that can be placed in new rebuild communities that provide measurable improvements to long-term durability.

“Firestorms continue to devastate arid regions of the country, often wiping out thousands of homes each year,” said Ed Sauter, executive director of the TCA. “This devastation affects a broad economic spectrum and risks the lives of thousands of residents, while it displaces countless families and businesses. Tilt-Up has long been known for its effectiveness in such environments and the students who enter this competition will have the opportunity to explore all the advantages that Tilt-Up provides.”

A panel of judges will review entries for the following criteria:

  • Creative use of the design concept in the overall solution,
  • Application of the Tilt-Up construction method, and
  • Appropriateness of response in the context.

The registration deadline for entries is August 15, 2008. The question response deadline is Sept. 1 and the final submissions are due by Sept. 15, 2008. Winners will be announced at the TCA Annual Convention, to be held at the Arizona Grand Resort in Phoenix on Oct. 3.

Prizes will be awarded for award winning designs. The awards for the competition are:

  • First Prize: $4,250 (USD)*
  • Second Prize: $3,250 (USD)*
  • Third Prize: $2,250 (USD)*

Honorable mentions are at the judges’ discretion. * The prize package includes cash to students and sponsoring departments (if applicable) as well as one free registration ($750 value) to the 2008 TCA Convention (Oct. 3-6) and a $500 travel allowance. Student cash awards for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place equal $1,500, $1,000 and $500 respectively. Cash awards to sponsoring departments (where applicable) for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place equal $1,500, $1,000 and $500 respectively. Prize winners, Honorable Mentions, and any additional projects deemed deserving of recognition by the jury will be published in an issue of Tilt-Up TODAY after the conclusion of the competition. Sponsoring departments will receive recognition for their promotion and involvement as well as a complimentary copy of the TCA resource library consisting of one copy of The Architecture of Tilt-Up and one copy of the 6th Edition Tilt-Up Construction and Engineering Manual.

For more information and to obtain registration materials, visit www.tilt- up.org/students or call 319-895-6911.

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TILT-UP TODAY, a publication of the Tilt-Up Concrete Association, is THE source for Tilt-Up industry news, market intelligence, business strategies, technical solutions, product information, and other resources for professionals in the Tilt-Up industry. A subscription to TILT-UP TODAY is included in a TCA membership. Subscriptions for potential TCA members are also available. If you would like to receive a complimentary subscription to the publication, please contact the TCA.