Competitions :Current Architecture Competitions

"We yearn to be closer to nature and experience its beauty, while we are being increasingly brutalized by its harshest elements"

BACKGROUND

The year 2020 was officially the most active Atlantic hurricane season on record.

Since 1950 the National Hurricane Association has assigned names to each qualifying storm beginning with the letter A and working towards the end of the alphabet. Tropical Storm Arthur began the Atlantic hurricane season in May 2020 and five months later the alphabetical naming system had been exhausted with the formation of Tropical Storm Wilfred. 2020 is only the second year where the Greek alphabet has been required to supplement additional storm names.

Both literally and figuratively, humanity resides in the midst of two distinct trends. While we yearn to be closer to nature and experience her beauty, we are being increasingly brutalized by her harshest elements. We watch as the changing climate brings natural calamity and damage to a larger group of people and a wider swath of geography. We watch the increasing frequency and strength of nature wreaking havoc among our communities. We watch as those who lose their homes to hurricanes and natural disasters rebuild and hope that when the next storm comes, it will not be their home that is once again destroyed.

CHALLENGE

arch out loud challenges participants to design the hurricane resilient home of the future.

Category five hurricane winds commonly reach speeds between 160 and 190 miles per hour, causing widespread destruction in a matter of seconds. Yet with the implementation of fundamental engineering and principles in design techniques, coastal residential structures that implement structural shells have proven the ability to withstand the strongest storms.

This relationship between form and function isn’t new. However, how might we harness this relationship to create a better living environment, one that is both protective and unique? How might designing within the form of a proven hurricane-resilient structural shell provide new opportunities within the creative process and a new perspective for how residents might live in coastal environments?

SELECT YOUR SHELL

Proven techniques for constructing hurricane resistant homes have been in practice for decades. Circular designs assure that hurricane strength winds do not build up enough pressure on any side of a home to cause catastrophic structural failures. Radial support systems work in unison, reducing weak points. Superior prefabricated parts outperform construction materials that are commonly used in on-site assembly.

How do you design within a dynamic structurally proven system while providing an inviting coastal living opportunity? SHELTER provides designers the opportunity to explore emerging cultural trends. Participants may select one of the three unique structural shells below to design within. Upon registration you will receive the digital models for all three shells.

SELECT

AWARDS

OVERALL EXCELLENCE AWARD

$5,000
+ CERTIFICATE & PRESS PUBLICATIONS

MINIMAL HOME AWARD

$1,000
+ CERTIFICATE & PRESS PUBLICATIONS

VERTICAL HOME AWARD

$1,000
+ CERTIFICATE & PRESS PUBLICATIONS

EXTENDED HOME AWARD

$1,000
+ CERTIFICATE & PRESS PUBLICATIONS

10 HONORABLE MENTIONS
CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT
+ PRESS PUBLICATIONS

DIRECTOR'S CHOICE AWARDS
(HIGHEST RECOGNIZED PROPOSALS BY ARCH OUT LOUD)
CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT
+ PRESS PUBLICATIONS

PROCESS

Step 1

Register your team here

Step 2

Select one of three shells and start designing within :
Minimal Home Vertical Home Extended Home

Step 3

Create your submission materials

Four (4) 12" x 12″ (30.48cm x 30.48cm) graphic representations and one (1) 12" x 12" project text summary. All materials are to be submitted as a combined PDF document.

Graphic representations may not include text other than number labels (ex. ① ② ③). Graphic boards will be reviewed by jury members alongside their respective text summaries, where number labels may be defined.

Submission materials may include perspective renderings, axons, plans, sections, or other drawings that best describe the design.

Step 4

Submit your proposal for selection consideration of the Overall Excellence Award, Minimal Home Award, Vertical Home Award, Extended Home Award.

OUTLOOK

As coastal storms grow even more powerful, we continually see an expansion of communities living within their path. The very environment that provides such a desirable lifestyle also creates increasing dangers. This positions architects, engineers, and problem solvers to study our existing single family home structures, the evolution of building techniques, and the role that design can play in creating the future resilient home.

arch out loud has partnered with Deltec Homes in the SHELTER exploration. Deltec Homes is a certified Benefit Corporation that has continuously pushed the limits of resilient coastal homes for over 50 years. Deltec has developed a panelized structural shell system that has outperformed other hurricane oriented structures in the midst of some of the most destructive storms on record.

Deltec is focused on innovation and advancement with a mission to lead cutting edge solutions for coastal living. How will your designs help shape the hurricane home of the future?