The 2013 VSAIA Prize Competition was held over the weekend of Feb.1-4, 2013. The competition has a new partner and Corporate Sponsor, the Virginia Housing Development Authority, who collaborated with faculty from Virginia Tech’s Washington Alexandria Architecture Center to develop the 2013 competition program brief.
Students in Virginia’s architecture schools were given the program brief Friday, Feb. 1, at 5 p.m. The students worked over the weekend to create a board presenting their design solution by 9 a.m. the following Monday.
The 2013 Prize program called for a mixed-use fire station combined with dwelling units for the Beauregard neighborhood in Alexandria. From the program:
“The building should consider the well-being of the community, enhancing a sense of place by designing this mixed use building for dwelling and fire protection. Mixed-use/mixed-income developments are important in the revitalization of older communities, complementing existing communities, traditionally designed in proximity of housing to goods, services, transportation and jobs. Giving new life to older communities such as Beauregard will come about by introducing new dwellings and protections (such as a fire station) to these communities. In this design competition you are asked to consider the powerful qualities of both fire and dwelling as you devise a design that reaches beyond pragmatic and efficient means. Your design should emphasize the power of home and fire while creating a potential for happiness, comfort, and security within this new community.”
Faculty from the four participating schools — Hampton University, Virginia Tech-WAAC, Virginia Tech, and the University of Virginia — will review all the submitted boards and select ten finalists from each school to send to the jury.
The jury, chaired by Mary Patton Cox, FAIA, will meet in early March to select the 2013 VSAIA Prize winner as well as Best of School boards from each of the three remaining schools.