3rd Annual SEED Awards for Excellence in Public Interest Design - Call for Submissions

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Design Corps, the Social Economic Environmental Design® (SEED) Network, and their 2013 partner, the University of Minnesota College of Design, are pleased to announce the Third Annual SEED Awards for Excellence in Public Interest Design.

The Awards seek out projects of “exceptional social, economic, and environmental impact” that “represent the forces needed to create truly sustainable projects and positive change in the world.” Last year’s winners, featured in the SEEDocs series of design documentaries at www.SEEDocs.org, include: the Bancroft School Revitalization in Kansas City and the Grow Dat Youth Farm in New Orleans, featured on ArchDaily.

The six winning projects will receive a $1,000 honorarium; an all-expense-paid trip for one team representative to present at the annual Structures for Inclusion (SFI 13) conference in Minneapolis; will be featured in a forthcoming publication, The SEED Field Manual; and will be profiled online.

Schedule Deadline for applications: Monday, October 1, 2012 Announcement of winners: Monday, November 12, 2012 Presentation of awards at the Structures for Inclusion conference, March 24, 2013

Eligibility Three broad categories of projects that have been designed or redesigned for the public good will be considered:

Products;

Places, such as buildings, landscapes, and other environments

Processes, such as services, systems, business practices, or public policies

Projects in progress or completed in the past three years are eligible. Submissions that communicate the voices of actual clients or users are strongly encouraged.

Student, professional, and DIY projects will be considered, including work undertaken by individuals, nonprofit entities, private firms, and universities. Work may be undertaken anywhere in the world.

Criteria

Participation: How and to what extent have community members and stakeholders been involved in the design and planning processes?

Effectiveness: How and to what extent does the project address the community’s critical needs and challenges?

Excellence: How and to what extent does the project achieve the highest possible design quality, relate with its context, and dignify the experiences of those it touches?

Inclusiveness: How and to what extent does the project promote social equity as well as reflect a diversity of social identities and values.

Impact: How and to what extent are the social, economic, and environmental impacts of the project known and being measured?

Systemic: How and to what extent might the project or process be scaled up to have a broader impact?

For more application details and guidelines, go to www.designcorps.org/awards.