2012 ACUI Facility Design Awards

Statement of Purpose

To encourage excellence in the design of student-centered facilities that support campus community building and student learning.

Eligibility

All entries must be college union or campus life facility projects built anywhere in the world; must have been completed, occupied, and in service prior to entry in this program; and must have been completed since Dec. 1, 2006. All entries must be submitted with the consent of the owner in the manner specified herein. Previous projects winning an ACUI Facility Design Award of Excellence are not eligible.

Categories

Awards may be given for four budget categories of new college union buildings, additions, renovations, restorations, outdoor environments, interior dining environments, interior or outdoor recreation environments, and interior redesign and refurbishing. The total cost of the building or individual environment is the determining factor.

• Less than $10 million
• $10 million–$25 million
• $25 million–$40 million
• More than $40 million
• Another award may be given for a campus life facility other than a college union regardless of the cost of construction.

Online Entry Form

Enter online. FILL OUT THE ENTRY FORM COMPLETELY. Please provide information as completely and concisely as possible.

Provide a full description of the project (up to 1,000 words) and a 100-word summary. The following questions are offered to help provide a framework for your response:
 

• How did the planning and design process involve students and the campus community?
• Did the planning process include partnerships with other campus departments or external agencies? If so, how did those partnerships affect the design?
• What aspects of the campus community's goals and program shaped the project and how does the design reflect those goals?
• Describe different and effective uses of space that support building community and student learning.
• How do the architecture and/or design incorporate technology to support the project goals?
• How did the architecture and/or design fit into the existing context of the campus architecture and master plan?
• What creative use was made of materials and building systems?
• Describe the strategies for passive and active energy efficiencies.
• Describe other sustainable design materials, methods, or practices implemented in the project.
• How did the design minimize short-term and/or long-term maintenance?
• If the project used existing building infrastructure, what imaginative design features evolved?
• How did the architect make a difference in making the project happen?

METHOD OF SUBMITTING ENTRY

The entry form must be completed online. The narrative should be provided for upload as a Micorsoft Word or PDF document. All photos should be submitted online in 72 dpi .jpg format with a maximum width of 500 pixels (6.9 inches). Any photos larger than these specifications will be automatically resized during the upload process.

Photographs

Include up to 16 color images of the project illustrating the following:

• Exterior views together showing all the principal facades of the building including a view of the exterior entrance
• For renovations, at least one photograph before renovation
• For additions, detailed photograph and the connections to the original building
• Interior view of facility from entrance area
• Interior view showing a major public services position (dining service, lounge, etc.)
• Interior view showing a typical user area
• Interior view of general lounge area, if applicable, using existing lighting only
• Interior view showing a major function in a public area, if applicable
• Interior view of student activities spaces
• Interior or exterior views of the completed facility in use
   
• Any additional views explaining special design features that capture the uniqueness of the project

Supplemental photographs or informal snapshots may be submitted with the support materials as these may be necessary to evaluate fully the project and its environment. It is emphasized that the objective is to evaluate the facility, not to reward a photographer’s skill in concentrating on photographic composition. Concise captions on all photos and other images help tell the story. Be certain that full photo/rendering credits are noted.

Descriptive Data

Please use the online form provided for recording entry data. To simplify the jury's task of studying a large number of entries, it is requested that these data be stated as precisely as possible.

Concealed Identification

Please do not conceal the firm or institution name in the support materials. All requested contact information must be included in the entry. Should the entry receive an award, the information provided will be used for notifications and news releases and certificates. There will be no further communication about any submission regarding verification of the facts as outlined on this form. Therefore, please be certain the following are absolutely accurate:

Architecture Firm Credit

(at the time of the design of the facillity)

All designations such as:

• Consultant
• Associate architect(s)
• City and state locations
• All spelling
• All punctuation  

Support Materials

The following supporting materials are to be sent to ACUI by the entry deadline:

• One print-quality (300 dpi or greater .gif, .jpg, or .eps format) photographs should be submitted on CD-ROM.
• Seven full-color copies of the printed materials (photos and descriptions) with no more than two photos on each 8 1/2" x 11" page. A printed copy of the 1,000 word description shall accompany the CD-ROM. Entries that do not provide seven copies of the printed materials may be deemed ineligible.
• All entries become the property of ACUI.
• Note release requirement listed in the Publication section.
• One copy of the photo release form.
• Contact renovate@acui.org for a copy of the form.

Entry Fee

Each submission must be accompanied by a check, money order, or credit card payment to the Association of College Unions International. The nonrefundable fee for the first submission is $600 for ACUI associate members and $1,200 for nonmembers. This fee includes one 8' space in the Architecture and Design Showcase for firms registered for the ACUI Expo at the conference in Boston. The fee for each additional entry by the same architect or firm is $500 for members and $1,150 for nonmembers. Additional space for firms in the Architecture and Design Showcase is available for an extra fee. No entry fees will be refunded for entries or participation in the Architecture and Design Showcase that do not materialize.

Please send payments to:

ACUI Facility Design Awards Program
One City Centre, Suite 200
120 W. Seventh St.
Bloomington, IN 47404-3839   
812.245.8070
renovate@acui.org 

Award Selection Process

Jury

The jury will be appointed by ACUI. Any project that credits any 2012 ACUI Facility Design Awards program jury members or their firm as architect, associate architect, consultant, or client is ineligible. The jury reserves the right to create new entry catagories as needed to suit the entries. The jurors' decisions will be based on the material submitted. No field trips will be taken.
 

Awards

The entrant should bear in mind that the project will not be judged in competition of other entries, but on the basis of the solution of the problem presented and its worthiness for an award for excellence in the category. The jury may select up to two entries in each category for an award. Award recognition will be presented to the architects and owners of all design awards during the ACUI annual conference.

Exhibition

Award recipients will be required to prepare two 36" x 36" exhibit panels to be displayed with the other category awards during the ACUI conference in Boston. In addition, award-winning architectural firms are required to submit a high-resolution digital rendering of the winning entry, participate in the Architecture and Design Showcase, and to purchase a minimum of one 10' x 10' booth in the 2012 ACUI Expo.

Publication

The entrant must clear all drawings, photographs, and descriptive information included in entry for reproduction and articles related to the ACUI Facility Design Awards program. Entrants are responsible for any royalties, copyright, or photographic fees. Release forms for the signatures of the owners of this material and the authors of the drawings and photographers who hold any copyrights must be included with entry payment. The drawings, photographs, and descriptive information of each winning entry will be used for unrestricted publicity; credit lines and copyright notices (if any) will be used on drawings and photographs published by ACUI.

Time Schedule

Completed entries must be received no later than noon on Nov. 4, 2011. The jury will review all entries and will select the award winners in each category. The jurors’ decisions will be based on the materials submitted. No field trips will be taken. Winners will be notified in January 2012. The award-winning projects will be displayed at the ACUI annual conference in Boston, March 18–22, 2012.

Print these submission guidelines [pdf]

Print the photo release form [pdf]