Architectural competitions are typically aimed towards generating ideas from the architectural community, and if you’ve seen any images from a recent architectural competition you may think that the purpose of these competitions is to answer the golden question – shall the building consist of lots of sharp angles or will it look like a giant blob?
I came across a competition – Design It: Shelter Competition – that I’m confident that anyone (and by anyone I mean any person that is capable of operating a mouse on his or her computer) can participate in. The goal is to create a 100 square foot shelter with no utilities (meaning no electricity, no gas, no anything), and you can place this shelter anywhere in the world you would like. It also requires to use Google SketchUp and Google Earth, both of which are programs that you can download for free.
This competition utilizes one of the greatest assets that most people have – their imagination. This shelter is for studying and relaxing, so where in the world would you like to study and relax – a tropical beach in the South Pacific? The summit of a mountain in the Andes? On the steps in front of the Lincoln Memorial? And how do you like to study – next to a roaring fire? Laying in a hammock? Hanging upside down like a bat?
I hope you consider participating in this. At worse you’ll learn how to use Google SketchUp and Earth, and stretch your imagination. At best you’ll spend a few days in New York enjoying a few museums and loving life.
Blue Architecture 