Competition brief for the international garden architecture award

“best private plots 10 – Die besten Gärten 2010”

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I Awarding authority

The Lower Austrian government agency “Lebensqualität - Aktion Natur im Garten” is funding the international garden architecture award “best private plots 10 – Die besten Gärten 2010” in order to foster and recognize achievements in the design of private outdoor spaces.

The award highlights gardens as places of innovation, as spaces for creative expression and action, and as contemporary dialogue between architecture, ecology and landscape. The competition is an important component of the discourse on the design of sustainable private outdoor spaces.

Competition Management
Team private plots
Dr. DI Karin Standler, landscape architect
DI Robert Froschauer, architect
Assistant: Felicitas Konecny
info@privateplots.at

II Theme of the Competition

The international competition best private plots 10 – Die besten Gärten 2010 is being held for the fourth year. The prize honors exceptional achievements in the design of sustainable private outdoor spaces and gardens. The award criteria include: idea, artistic and conceptual quality, ecological quality, use of plants and materials, relationship between inside and outside, delimitation of space and organization of open space, and sustainability. Special attention will also be given to diversity of individual uses and functionality. The outdoor spaces must be clearly identifiable as intended for private residence and use.

The outdoor spaces must have been completed after January 1, 2000. Awards are given in recognition of newly designed gardens or of the redesign of existing gardens.

Submissions may include roof gardens and terraces, extensions of living space, courtyard gardens, gardens, shared gardens, landscape gardens, water gardens etc.

III Eligibility

The competition is open to landscape architects, architects, designers, artists, gardeners, florists, landscaping firms and plant nurseries, as well as to garden owners, or teams consisting of a combination thereof.

IV Language of the Competition

Official language of the competition: English

V Entry Requirements

Each entrant may submit only one project. Multiple entries will be disqualified. Each project can be submitted only once. Projects that have already been submitted for “best private plots” in 2006, 2007 or 2008 will be disqualified.

1. Poster

Entrants are required to submit a poster to be used for presentation (rolled), A0 vertical or A0 horizontal, featuring plans, photos, a project description, with optional supplementary sketches, sections, detail drawings, elevations, plant lists etc.

Please ensure that the name(s) of the entrant(s) and the location of the garden or the private outdoor space are clearly visible on the poster.

The posters depicting the approx. thirty projects nominated will be shown in the exhibition “best private plots 10 – Die besten Gärten 2010”.

2. Poster as Handout A3

A handout (one sheet) with the same content as the poster serves as the basis for assessment by the jury, A3 format is required.

3. Project description

A portrait of the garden, unique aspects of the garden, information to the location of one A4 sheet (500 words). In case of nomination this text will be the basis for the description of the project in the catalog which will be written by Peter Zöch (editor of topos landscape architecture review).

4. CD – Digital Submission

In addition, all materials must be submitted in digital form (CD, flash drive):

• 5. Statement of Authorship and Declaration of Consent

Download: >> download: www.privateplots.at/en/download.html

VI Submission of Entries

Please submit all competition documents using the keyword best private plots 10 – Die besten Gärten 2010 to

Verein für Lebensqualität
Landhausboulevard Haus 1 / Top 1
Postfach 28
A-3109 St. Pölten
Austria
Europe

Entries must be dispatched no later than May 31, 2010 (postmark). Entries must be sent postage paid and at no cost to the recipient. Please note that the organizers reserve the right to exclude incomplete entries during the pre-assessment phase.

VII Assessment and Competition Jury

Five expert judges have been nominated as the competition jury. These individuals have demonstrated their competence in judging garden design and landscape architecture. In case a jury member is unable to fulfill his or her obligations, a substitute will be nominated, if possible, else the chair of the jury will have two votes.

Jury
Bart Brands (NL)
Andrea Cejka (A/CH/D)
Xavier Perrot (F/USA)
Neil Porter (GB/USA)
Judith Wieser-Huber (A)

The jury’s decisions are made by simple majority vote. All decisions by the jury are final and indisputable. Legal action is ruled out. Event organization staff and persons related to the organizer are not eligible to participate in the competition.

VIII Publication

The public announcement of the winners will be made on September 25, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at Loisium, Loisium Allee 1, A-3550 Langenlois, Austria.

The projects nominated by the jury will be published in the catalog “best private plots 10– Die besten Gärten 2010. Internationale Beispiele zu Gartenarchitektur”. The catalog will be presented at the award ceremony. The best outdoor spaces and gardens will also be shown in an exhibition.

IX Awards

Prize money totalling €15,000 will be awarded for the top three projects.

X FAQ

Questions regarding the competition may be addressed to the organizer until May 3, 2010 at info@privateplots.at. The responses will be posted on the website www.privateplots.at beginning May 10, 2010.

XI Timeline

The entrants’ presence at the award ceremony is encouraged. Please book your accommodation in a timely manner by email to info@privateplots.at.

XII Catalog

At the award ceremony, each nominee will receive a free copy of the catalog. Catalogs can also be ordered at info@privateplots.at.