Eligibility
The VSAIA Prize for Design Research & Scholarship will be awarded to a faculty member at a Virginia institution of higher learning OR a licensed practicing architect in Virginia for outstanding design research and/or scholarship in the field of architecture.

Options for submission include:

• Papers or articles that have been published in a journal or conference proceedings within the past two years
• Papers or articles that have been submitted to journals or conferences, but have not yet been accepted
• Research projects completed within the past three years and summarized in a paper or article
• Innovative project case studies, completed within the past three years and summarized in a paper or article

Important Note: This is NOT a prize for design projects, unless the project is being submitted as a representation or extension of the work described in an accompanying paper or article. Design projects should be submitted for consideration through other VSAIA design award programs (i.e., Inform Awards or Virginia Society AIA Awards for Excellence in Architecture).

Criteria
This prize will recognize relevant design research and/or scholarship in the field of architecture. It must be timely, preview new trends and/or address industry-wide topics that impact the future of architecture. Work must have the potential to advance architecture or the practice of architecture. (Note: For the 2008 Prize, submissions must be limited to current or forward looking work. A category may be added in future competitions for work based on historical, preservation, or adaptive-reuse issues.) The criteria that will be used to judge the work will include:

Originality: To what extent does the work presented add to the existing body of knowledge?

Impact: Will the work advance architecture or the practice of architecture?

Purpose: Is the purpose clearly stated and is its importance discussed?

Methods: Are the methods sound?

Conclusions: Do the conclusions follow from the results presented?

Topics may relate to theories in design, technology, processes, materials and methods, building codes/standards and specifications. Innovative theories for the practice of architecture will also be considered including firm management, administration, and project management. The advancement of specific building types and technical expertise may also be submitted.

Judging
Entries will be reviewed by the jury and one Prize and up to two honorable mentions may be awarded. Entries will be carefully reviewed according to their potential to contribute knowledge to the field of architecture. The jury may elect not to award a prize in any given year if none of the entries are judged to be of sufficient quality.

Jury recognition for the Prize and honorable mentions will be given by the Virginia Society AIA in the form of a $2500 award and certificate. Recognition of the award will take place at Architecture Exchange East (ArchEx), the VSAIA annual conference and expo, held November 12-14, 2008, in Richmond. The recipient of the Prize should be prepared to present the work at a session during ArchEx.

The jury will be comprised of prominent architects, educators, and/or researchers from outside Virginia. The jury will meet in September to make final selections. The recipient will be notified by October 1 and the official presentation will be made at ArchEx.

Submissions
Submissions are due August 1, 2008

Material must be submitted using Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) with a page-size of 8½ x 11 inches. Images are to be at 150 dpi in a jpg format. Each submittal shall contain the following in the order specified below.

Entry Form (this information will be concealed from the jury)

Information Sheet (concise, double spaced, 12-point type):

Title of the paper

The topic of the submission

A maximum 250-word abstract describing the significance of the work

Paper or Article (there is no limit to length but preferably no more than 4,000 words):

Presentation of the paper or article

Optional supporting diagrams, drawings and/or photography, limited to 10)

VSAIA may seek permission from the author(s) to publish submitted papers or articles. The submitter of the winning entry should be prepared to present the work at Architecture Exchange East, November 12-14, 2008. Individuals who are submitting papers or other entries that have been previously published, are in press, or are under consideration for publication should include any existing copyright restrictions on the work with the submission.

Entries should be submitted electronically, via PDF, to jwalker@aiava.org.

Registration
There is no registration fee for this prize.

Submissions and entry forms must be received in the Society office no later than 5 p.m., August 1, 2008. Submissions will not be returned.

Send all entries to jwalker@aiava.org.

Entrants will attest to the fact that all materials submitted are cleared for exhibition and publication (subject to copyright restrictions in the case of work published or submitted for publication to a journal) by the Society.

The submission must not identify the author of the submission; only the entry form will identify the author.

Entry form
Click here to download and submit an entry.

Contact Wayne Conners at (804) 644-3041, ext. 303, for additional information on this program.

The 2008 VSAIA Student Prize

The Challenge: The program for the competition rotates among the state's architecture schools, and for 2008 it was designed by Sarah Robertson of Hampton University. Fort Monroe was the site of the famous "contraband" decision during the Civil War, which determined that any escaped slaves reaching Union lines would not be returned. Students were asked to design a temporary architectural installation utilizing the fortification's three distinct environments: the watery exterior; the voluminous interior of the massive wall; and the protected interior lawn of the fort. In a successful design, the three spaces should work together to form an edifying experiential resource celebrating the cultural history of the site.

Each school juried its students' submissions, forwarding up to eight winners per school to the Virginia Society AIA for final adjudication. The prize jury convened on February 26 and included Paul R. Erickson, AIA, of LeMay Erickson Architects; H. Randolph Holmes, Jr., AIA, of Glavé & Holmes Associates; and Bruce Wardell, AIA, IFRAA, of BRW Architects. The identities behind the individual submissions and their respective schools were not revealed to the jury until after the adjudication process was completed.

• 2008 Virginia Society AIA Prize: Marisa Brown, Virginia Tech
• Best of School - Hampton University: Mark Paulo Ramos Matel
• Best of School - Virginia Tech - WAAC: Lesley Golenor
• Honorable Mention: Nikkolas Smith, Hampton University
• Honorable Mention for Graphic Presentation: Jon Gabriel Gaines, WAAC

Contact Wayne Conners at (804) 644-3041, ext. 303, for additional information on this program.