www.ecobuild.co.uk
Search:
In Partnership with
In Partnership with
In Partnership with
Sponsored by

Design brief:
TOMORROWS TOWNHOUSE COMPETITION

Sponsored by British Gas
in partnership with FutureForm Building Systems
supported by RIBA, The New Homes Marketing Board, BRE and MBE KTN

invite submissions for a design competition for

"Tomorrow's Townhouse"

Standard Competition Conditions

1.0 Invitation

The Daily Telegraph British Homes Awards 2011 sponsored by British Gas in partnership with FutureForm Building Systems and supported by the New Homes Marketing Board, RIBA, BRE and the MBE KTN invite submissions for a single stage open design competition from an architectural practice for the visionary design of semi-detached or terraced townhouses that will create hospitable, safe and lively urban streets. Architects are encouraged to embrace innovative products and concepts while ensuring their submission is buildable and replicable and compliant with NHBC/Premier Guarantee standards. It is intended that the winning scheme will be built as a prototype and displayed at The Ideal Home Show 2012 as an exemplar of sustainable housing.

The competition is being organised by The British Homes Awards, who have taken advice from the RIBA Competitions Office. All enquiries should be made to the promoter through www.futureformltd.com and
www.britishhomesawards.com/designbrief.asp and not to the RIBA Competitions Office.  

2.0 Objective

Embracing FutureForm's innovative light gauge steel, volumetric, modular construction system, the competition challenges architects to design Tomorrow's Townhouse to a minimum of code level 5, with the objective of creating urban streetscapes that reflect the elegance of the classic 18th and 19th century terraces and with a design that allows occupants to maintain a 21st century lifestyle as they grow older. Designs are invited both of the individual home and group of homes to demonstrate how the design is capable of creating urban streets and squares with a judicious combination of private, semi-public and public space. Architects are encouraged to embrace innovative micro renewable energy to enhance performance and reduce carbon emissions.

3.0 Intention to build

It is the intention of The Awards Organisers and FutureForm Building Systems to develop the winning design as a prototype and build as a show house exhibit at The Ideal Home Show, Earls Court, London, April 2012. Concurrently the winning design will be offered to prospective build partners by FutureForm Building Systems.

4.0 Competition Format

A short-list of up to 10 designs will be selected from the open first stage and will be published in The Daily Telegraph in June in order that the readership can vote collectively for their winning design. Voting will also be online through the Daily Telegraph's property portal. The schemes will be published with the designs accredited to the architect(s). The scheme that receives the most votes will be declared the winner of the competition.
5.0 Full details of the FutureForm modular building system can be downloaded as a PDF from
www.futureformltd.com, where examples of existing designs and developments are available to view.

6.0 The Brief

All schemes submitted for the competition should be deliverable within realistic budget parameters and eligible for compliance for a building warranty through a recognised warranty provider to enable development. At this stage an indication of build cost is not required, as the Judges will assess all submissions against the following criteria:

Type of House

Method of Construction

Environment

Design

The design should consider the following key aspects:

7.0 Eligibility

The competition is open to all UK registered architects. Individual or team entries are encouraged and the participation of recently qualified architects is particularly welcomed.

No member or employee of the promoting body nor the assessors nor any partner, associate or employee of them shall be eligible to compete or assist a competitor.

8.0 Assessors

The following assessors have been appointed to adjudicate on submissions made and to select a shortlist of up to 10 deliverable designs:

In the event of an assessor being unable to contine to act through illness or any other cause, the promoter will appoint another assessor.

9.0 2011 Timetable

The Programme, which may be subject to variation, is:

Brief available 01 March
Questions deadline 25 March
Registration confirmation 01 May
Submissions by 13 May
First stage Assessment 23 May
Shortlist announced 23 June
Shortlist published 25 June

Result announced 22 September
Schemes published/exhibited 24 September

10.0 Questions

Any questions which competitors wish to ask must be addressed to FutureForm Building Systems at
bha@futureformltd.com before Friday 25 March. An explanatory memorandum based on the questions submitted will be presented to all competitors on the specific page dedicated to the Design Competition on
www.britishhomesawards.com/designbrief.asp and will form part of the Competitions Conditions.

11.0 Registration of intention to submit

To be eligible for participation in the competition all entrants must notify the promoter of their intention to submit a design by May 1st 2011 by email to: mg@britishhomesawards.com

12.0 Submissions Method

The design of each competitor is to be contained in a single package and is to be sent, carriage paid, addressed to Mike Gazzard, British Homes Awards, Fairway House, Clandon Regis (Golf Club), Epsom Road, West Clandon, Surrey GU4 7TT and clearly marked 'British Homes Awards' to arrive not later than Friday 13 May 2011.

Competitors are advised that late entries will be disqualified.

Competitors requiring proof of delivery should enclose in their package a stamped, sealed self-addressed envelope. This will be posted upon receipt of submission.

13.0 Authorship

The author of the submission will not be disclosed at the first stage of the selection process as the Judges will want to assess the submissions without knowledge of the author.

Authorship of the designs will be disclosed at the short-list stage to the readership of The Daily Telegraph. A successful competitor must be able to satisfy the assessors that he/she is the bona fide author of the design he/she has submitted.

Competitors should retain copies of the designs submitted.

14.0 Submission Instruction

No models will be required. Competitors should submit their design proposals on a maximum of three A1 lightweight boards, with a short typewritten Design Statement of a maximum 750 words explaining how the design works, technologies and construction materials used and confirmation of Code Level attainment. The CGIs presented on the lightweight boards, together with the Design Statement should accompany the entries on disc(s). The CGIs should be of sufficient quality to enable the Promoters to present them on the appropriate websites and to achieve the required reproduction values within the printed media.

15.0 Copyright

The ownership of copyright in the work of all competitors will be in accordance with the Copyright and Patent Act 1988.

16.0 Announcement of Awards and Exhibition

To enable the selection process each entrant authorises The British Homes Awards (The Promoter) to present the entries in whatever medium and at such time or place that is considered appropriate but the Promoter will not be liable for any claims made against it resulting from any such viewing or publication.

The Promoter will communicate individually with each of the short-listed competitors prior to publishing the schemes.

The architects whose schemes have been short-listed by the Judges will be advised in confidence on Thursday 23 June. The short-listed schemes will be published in the Daily Telegraph Property on Saturday June 25.
The competition winner will be announced at the presentation of the annual British Homes Awards on Thursday September 22 at which time the winner will be advised.

All the designs will be retained by the promoter for the purposes of exhibition, and publicity and illustration.
The promoter may publish illustrations of any design, either separately or together with other designs with or without explanatory text.

The short-listed schemes will be featured in The Daily Telegraph to allow their readership the opportunity to vote for a winning design. The eventual winner will receive further publicity in The Daily Telegraph and all other schemes will be featured in the awards' publication - "Design. The key to a better place"

17.0 Disqualification

A design shall be excluded from the competition:

18.0 Appointment of the Architect

The author of the design placed first by the readership of The Daily Telegraph (selected from a shortlist of up to 10 agreed by the Jury Panel) will be appointed as the architect for the work. The fee for the work carried out in the creation of the prototype will be the subject of negotiation between the architect and FutureForm Building Systems and will be paid by them.

19.0 Enquiries

The Competition is being administered by Tee to Green Marketing Limited, the Proprietors of The British Homes Awards, Fairway House, Clandon Regis, Epsom Road, West Clandon, Surrey GU4 7TT. Tel: 01483 225221,
email: mg@britishhomesawards.com to whom any enquiries relating to the general conditions of this competition should be addressed.

20.0 Registration Fee

The registration fee is £100 incl VAT with cheques accompanying the submission to be made out to:
Tee to Green Marketing Limited.

in partnership with:

in partnership with

TOMORROWS TOWNHOUSE DESIGN CONCEPTS


General Annual Design Competition Partners Design Brief