The New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) and the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIANY) has announced the launch of the urbanSHED International Design Competition, with support from the Alliance for Downtown New York, ABNY Foundation, Illuminating Engineering Society New York City Section (IESNYC), and the New York Building Congress.

The competition challenges the global design community to create a new standard of sidewalk shed design that improves the pedestrian experience while maintaining or exceeding the required safety standards in New York City. The urbanSHED International Design Competition is open to architects, engineers, designers, and students from around the world, allowing for the widest possible participation. Sidewalk sheds are typically built over public space to protect pedestrians during construction activity, and there are currently more than 6,000 sidewalk sheds installed and in use today at New York City's buildings and construction sites, spanning more than 1,000,000 linear feet.
 
"Sidewalk sheds play a critical role in protecting New Yorkers during ongoing construction projects, but they can also hide the City's breathtaking architecture and one-of-a-kind streetscapes," says DOB Commissioner Robert LiMandri. "That's why we are inviting the leading architects, designers, and students from around the world to develop a new kind of sidewalk shed— one that is not only safe and functional, but is also pleasing to the eye. These sheds should complement the beauty of our city’s neighborhoods, not take away from them. I look forward to serving on the jury and seeing the solutions that address this great challenge."
 
"The urbanSHED competition provides a unique opportunity to rethink these ubiquitous and unsightly structures.  Raising the standards of design excellence and bringing more light and air onto the sidewalk will not only improve the pedestrian experience but will also benefit retailers and their customers," says DCP Commissioner Amanda M. Burden.
 
Nine architects, engineers and civic decision-makers will serve on the jury for the urbanSHED design competition. The jury is comprised of NYC Department of Planning Director Amanda M. Burden, FAICP; David M. Childs, FAIA, of the Municipal Arts Society; Craig Dykers, AIA MNAL, of Snøhetta; NYC Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri; Jean Oei of Morphosis; NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan; Craig Michael Schwitter, P.E., of Buro Happold North America; Frank Sciame of the New York Building Congress; and Ada Tolla of LOT-EK. Susanna Sirefman of Dovetail Design Strategists is the competition advisor overseeing the development and management of the competition.

The urbanSHED International Design Competition will take place in two stages. During Stage I, the jury will select up to three designs based on criteria such as the design's safety, sustainability, and constructability. Designs also will be evaluated on their impact on the streetscape and pedestrian experience, use of both natural light and the required electrical lighting, and improvements to structural components. Competitors must enter their submissions no later than 5 p.m. on Fri., Oct. 2, 2009. The finalists will be announced during the AIANY's Architecture Week in October 2009. Following Stage 1, all of the submitted designs will be featured on the competition's Web site at www.urbanshed.org, including the finalists' proposals.

The finalists, who will be awarded $5,000 each, will participate in Stage II, where they will further develop their designs to meet or exceed current technical and structural requirements to assure safety and stability. They also will receive recommendations from a technical advisory group of leading design and construction industry stakeholders. The finalists' designs also must be cost-effective to produce, install, maintain, and reuse over time. During Stage II, the jury will select a winning design and announce their decision in December 2009. The winner will receive a $10,000 cash prize, and as a part of the top award, the Alliance for Downtown New York will facilitate the construction of a full-scale prototype of the winning entry on a job site in Lower Manhattan as part of its RE: Construction art program.
 
Competitors must submit illustrations of their design concept as it would appear when installed at the DOB headquarters at 280 Broadway in Manhattan. The current sidewalk shed installed at 280 Broadway exemplifies many of the complexities that shed contractors must face when erecting these structures, including heavy pedestrian traffic, car passenger access, street parking, public doorways, loading docks, parking garage entries, bus shelters, coffee carts, storefront, retail and DOT signage.
 
To register for this competition, submit a completed Online Registration Form at www.acteva.com/go/aianyc. Further information on the competition, including details on eligibility, schedule, and judging criteria, is available at www.urbanshed.org.