Submission and Judging

Submission Information

August 1, 2007 — Deadline for Pre-Registration

September, 4, 2007 — Deadline for competition submissions (postmarked). Download submission form [pdf]

Entries must be mailed to:

Connecting Market East
c/o Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission
190 North Independence Mall West, 8th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Eligibility

All information and materials needed to participate in the competition are contained in the program document and drawing files. There is no entry or submission fee required to participate, though students must register their intent to submit by August 1, 2007. Competition entries may be the work of an individual or team, however all participants must be registered students of a university at some point during the course of the competition. The Ed Bacon Foundation will e-mail you an acknowledgement of receipt of your pre-registration. Please keep this for your records.

Evaluation Criteria

In addressing the specific issues of the design challenge, submissions will be evaluated on the following:

• Demonstrating they have met the objectives
• Clear and bold presentation of the submission
• The strength of the design idea
• The ability of the entrant to devise an effective solution to a particular design problem
• Vision and creativity

Required Drawings

• Site Plan showing the area of focus within the full boundary area
• Detailed Plans, Sections, Elevations and/or Axonometrics of program elements
• Perspective Vignettes and photo simulations as needed to fully establish and communicate the design concept
• Design Essay (see below) describing and complementing the visuals and the use of urban design principles (250 words)
• Optional: diagrams showing design process and intentions, photographs of models, diagrams illustrating connectivity

Design Essay

A 250-word essay should appear as part of the submission, describing the most important concepts of the design project. The essay can be integrated into the presentation or submitted as a separate document. The essay should be concise and explain the underlying concept for connecting Market East, as well as the major design elements of the project, including any pertinent information that is not readily apparent from the presentation. The presentation should, however, graphically convey the design solution as much as possible, and therefore it should not rely on the design essay for a basic understanding of the project.

Judging

• Elinor Bacon (Washington D.C.)
  President, E.R. Bacon Development, LLC
• John Gallery (Philadelphia)
  Executive Director, Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, Partner, Urban Partners
• Paul R. Levy (Philadelphia)
  President and CEO, Center City District, Executive Director, Central Philadelphia Development Corporation, Lecturer, University of Pennsylvania, Department of City and Regional Planning

Submissions

Entries must be submitted on no more and no less than two 24"x36" boards and may be foamcore or similar material. Any other type of presentation (un-mounted, three-dimensional, or mounted on wood, metal, or glass) will be disqualified.

Shipped entries should be packed in sturdy wrapping, like cardboard. Wood crates and other excessive packaging materials are not permitted. Do not tape any type of protective materials to the individual boards; do not use excessive shipping materials or packing peanuts; do not use excessive amounts of tape on interior or exterior wrappings. These requirements are designed specifically to reduce waste and energy and must be adhered to strictly.

The names of participants or their schools must not appear on the front of any board. An unsealed envelope holding a copy of the completed project, submission form, and design essay must be affixed to the back of each board. All boards should be numbered on the back in the order in which they should be viewed (i.e., 1 of 2, 2 of 2).

Entries may be either originals or high-quality reproductions. If original drawings are submitted, please make sure that adequate reproductions are made before submission; the Ed Bacon Foundation will not return submissions.

A compact disc (CD) or flash drive with electronic copies of the design boards (.pdf or .tiff) format only) and design essay (.doc, .pdf, or .rtf format only) must be included with the entry.

This competition is strictly for the purpose of generating ideas and dialogue about the revitalization of Market East. Students will not retain ownership of the ideas presented.

Awards

The winners and honorable mentions will be announced at the awards ceremony on November 5, 2007 in Philadelphia. Following the ceremony, the winning entries will go on public exhibition.

Cash prizes total $6,000. The distribution will be as follows:

• First Prize: $2,000
• Second Prize: $1,500
• Third Prize: $1,000
• Three Honorable Mentions: $500 each

The Ed Bacon Foundation reserves the right to publish and use photographs of all entries and names of student entrants, without further compensation.

Schedule and Deadlines