Register: JAN/16/2019, Submit: JAN/16/2019, Eligibility: Professionals, designers with practice in the US or Canada; individually, teams; individuals or the team leaders must be in the licensing process or within 10-years of licensure, Fee: Free, Awards: Winner: 20,000 USD, 2 finalists: 10,000 USD each

The Forge Prize recognizes innovation in the use of steel. Established by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), the prize invites designers to submit proposals for visionary designs that embrace steel as the primary structural component. The Forge Prize is organized by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) and is intended to engage designers in developing imaginative designs that bolster steel as the 21st century building material of choice through a two-stage design challenge, culminating with a public announcement event of winners in Summer 2019. Projects can focus on Architecturally Exposed Structural Steel (AESS), Modular Construction, Long-Span, Reuse, Systems, Urban Density, etc, but are not limited in their scope or complexity. The Forge Prize is open to all innovative uses of structural steel.

THE CHALLENGE

Stage 1

During Stage One, a jury of experts will convene to identify up to three conceptual submissions that will be awarded a $10,000 stipend to continue onto Stage Two. To the extent possible, AISC will pair the three projects with a steel fabricator to help continue design development and work out further technical or structural revisions to refine and enhance the viability of the conceptual design in a real-world application.

Stage 2

Stage Two contestants will prepare a final submission and present to the jury in May of 2019. The contestants and jurors will participate in a public event, where each of the three finalists will present their designs, and the jury will announce the winner they selected and provide critical commentary on all three submissions. The overall winner will receive an additional $10,000 award.

AISC

The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), headquartered in Chicago, is a non-partisan, not-for-profit technical institute and trade association established in 1921 to serve the structural steel design community and construction industry in the United States.

ACSA

The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit association of over 200 member schools, 5,000 architecture faculty and 300 supporting members across North America and the World. The association maintains a variety of activities that influence, communicate, and record important issues, including scholarly meetings, workshops, publications, awards and competition programs, support for architectural research, policy development, and liaison with allied organizations.

Website: forgeprize.com