In these current economic times where new building design and construction efforts have been dramatically reduced, how do we start to define how to build cities and encourage the design talents of the next generation? In the “boom” times, there was always enough work to keep our students and young designers and builders occupied and afford them with opportunities to have their ideas realized. Now, as architecture and engineering firms and construction companies have reduced staff, it is often the young professional who is the first one out of the door. It is often the student who can’t get the internship or “first” job. This group of students and young professionals will be the ones who lead us in the coming years, so how do we give them a voice and a platform to express their talents?
To offer that platform, the Los Angeles Chapter of the US Green Building Council (USGBC-LA) in partnership with the Redevelopment Agency and Office of Sustainability of the City of Long Beach and in conjunction with the American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment (AIA COTE) have established a design competition for students and young professionals. The task is to create a sustainable design solution for an underutilized property in downtown Long Beach. Entitled “Emerging Talent Design Competition”, this 5th annual competition invites participants to postulate on how to redevelop an urban site to house a multi-use facility featuring an educational center, recreation space, office space, and temporary lodging.
The project site for the competition is located on the southwest corner of Long Beach Boulevard and Broadway. The site has excellent adjacencies including the American Hotel (a historic building), the Metro Blue Line, the East Village Arts District, the Pine Avenue retail and commercial corridor and the Shoreline village. Entrants are required to design a facility to meet a minimum of a LEED silver rating as well as the standards of the current CALGreen building code. Additionally the incorporation of renewable energy systems will be a critical element of all project designs. Finally, with the City of Long Beach’s history as a port city, the competition requires that all entries utilize modular shipping containers as a primary element of the design.
The design competition was released to the public on January 17th and all interested parties can view all of the requirements and criteria at:
There will be two categories of entrants: students currently enrolled in school and young professionals (30 years and under). Entrants will have to submit their design proposals by April 8th, with finalists selected at the end of April. Four finalists will be selected, two from the student category and two from the young professional category. The submittals from the four finalists will be on display at the Alt Build conference in Santa Monica in the beginning of May where the winners will be announced.
This design competition offers an exciting opportunity to envision what the future of urban redevelopment may look like in Long Beach and also serves as an excellent platform for our futures leaders in the sustainable design and construction industry to showcase their talents for all to see. It is from a platform like this design competition that our young designers and builders can hone their skills and have their voices heard. Stay tuned for updates on the selected finalists and winners to see the ideas that they have for our city.
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