Australasian Student Competition: This Public Space
This Public Space (TPS) calls on students across Australia and New Zealand to work in teams to develop innovative design and programming strategies that make public spaces more inclusive.
Drawing on Van Alen Institute’s multi-year exploration of the theme Elsewhere: Escape and the Urban Landscape and its recent series of public programs about ‘hangouts’ in New York City, TPS asks participants to consider: why do we seek escape from the city, and what forms of escape can we find within the urban environment?
Hangouts – cities wouldn’t be cities without them. These informal spaces provide an escape from the tensions of congested urban life; they serve as venues for people to congregate and catch up, swap gossip, play games, organize meetings, share meals, fill time, and so on. For some, hangouts serve as places to unwind and relax, while for others they can be a refuge when there is nowhere else to go.
The competition is open to undergraduate and graduate students at all levels of higher education in Australia and New Zealand. Landscape Architectural entrants must be enrolled in an AILA or NZILA accredited program or at a partner university during the second semester of the 2015-2016 academic year at Bachelors, Masters, or Ph.D. levels. Submissions must come teams of up to four members, and should be multidisciplinary where possible; individuals may not participate alone.
All applicants must pre-register their interest at [email protected] by leaving a contact e-mail address. They may do so at any time until the competition deadline of Friday 25 September 2015, but must do so before submitting their final entry. Pre-registration ensures that you receive all relevant updates.
Three shortlisted teams will be invited to present their work at a panel at This Public Life: Festival of Landscape Architecture in Melbourne in October 2015. The Festival will award a total prize to the value of $3,000 to either one winning team, or to be split amongst the finalists.
Questions? Contact us at [email protected]