Introduction

In the District of Columbia and across the country, storms are increasing in frequency and intensity. These storms severely impact low-lying communities, causing billions of dollars in damage. It is recognized that these catastrophic events are becoming commonplace and require proactive solutions. With this recognition comes the opportunity for open discourse and design leadership.

The Open Architecture Collaborative – Washington DC : Resilience by Design Committee is pleased to present the National Treasures Design Competition (NTDC) to promote mitigation in National Capital Region. NTDC is an open design competition aimed at developing proactive mitigation strategies for low-lying waterfront areas of the National Mall. Participating teams are encouraged to be multidisciplinary with members from architecture, landscape design and/or engineering disciplines. Project proposals are intended to be creative and visionary. The competition will culminate in a reception where innovative ideas will be shared, discussed, and evaluated with a diverse group of stakeholders, city representatives, and design professionals.

Competition Overview

NTDC represents an ambitious effort to produce innovative ideas, but does not specify detailed requirements, such as projected budgets or construction timelines. Proposed design solutions should incorporate the existing historical context while
promoting innovative environmental solutions for vulnerable areas of the National Mall. The National Mall is a complex area that is governed by multiple agencies and represents one of the most culturally-significant areas in the region and the nation as a whole. Sensitive water and ecological networks in conjunction with a high-density urban environment create an added level of complexity for the project sites.

This competition process will involve two components:

1. Open Ideas Design Competition: Encourage creative mitigation ideas that add to a shared vision for the site.
2. Public Engagement: Design Teams will present design concepts during a public presentation as a way to mediate ‘bottom up’ and ‘top down’ aspirations and values, and to encourage further discourse throughout the city.

Timeline

The dates noted below are subject to change by the competition organizers, and will be posted on the competition website.

June 20, 2016: Registration Opens
July 31, 2016: Registration Deadline
August 5, 2016: Submission deadline, due by midnight (PST)
August 10, 2016: Finalists announced
August 18, 2016: NTDC Reception [Public Presentations & Final Judging]