Alcoa’s Kawneer Business and AIAS Invite Students of Architecture and Design to Participate in 2010 Student Design Competition

Alcoa’s Kawneer architectural aluminum building and construction products business and the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) invite architecture and design students to participate in the 2010 national student design competition. Sponsored by Kawneer and administered by AIAS, the competition challenges students to learn about building materials, specifically architectural aluminum building products and systems, in the design of a modern and creative school for students in grades kindergarten to sixth grade. The competition is open to all students of architecture and design in North America, with winning students/teams and their AIAS chapter receiving cash prizes totaling $7,225. This is the fifth consecutive year for the competition.

"This opportunity for students to engage with their work in such a professional way is a unique aspect of the Student Design Competition,” said Matthew Fochs, Director of Design and Outreach Programs, AIAS. "Students nationwide can expand their architectural and design experience, learn about new techniques and products on the market and have their work seen by several influential names in the AEC community. The partnership between AIAS and Kawneer shows both organizations’ commitment to education at all levels of civic and community involvement.”

The competition requires participants to research, respond to and highlight the unique aspects of designing an attractive and modern elementary school that will serve the needs of its community for years to come. In many areas, schools support the community beyond serving as an educational facility, but also as central meeting hall or building ground for future buildings, public and civic. Competition objectives also include building knowledge about materials, products and daylighting techniques that can help earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification points while creating a bright and fun atmosphere for learning. In addition, participants will be challenged to use green building principles in the development of an attractive and pleasing school and surround site for the selected community. Submissions will be evaluated based on ingenuity and originality, as well as appropriate use of sustainable products and overall design clarity.

The National Student Design Competition has been popular since it began four years ago. The competition receives several hundred submissions from dozens of schools and universities throughout the United States, with many universities adopting the competition as a class project. In 2008, the competition drew 441 registrations, making it the largest AIAS student design competition in over 20 years. Each year, three winning designs and three honorable mentions are selected by a jury, comprised of industry professionals relevant to the year’s topic. Previous year’s competitions challenged students to design a hurricane resistant campus-based recreation center, a library for the 21^st Century and a municipal courthouse, all with the intention of influencing the community at large in design scope and potential use.

Winners will be announced December 20, 2010 via the AIAS website. The winning projects will be displayed at the 2010 AIAS FORUM in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, December 29, 2010 – January 1, 2011 and at the 2011 AIA National Convention and Design Exposition in New Orleans, May 12 – 14, 2011. The top three submissions will also be featured in the Spring 2011 issue of Crit, the Journal of the AIAS. In addition, the AIAS chapter at each school will receive a cash grant. Registration deadline is Monday, October 18, 2010 and all entries must be submitted by Monday, November 26, 2010.

"Kawneer is excited to be a part of this competition again and hopes to influence a new generation of architects and designers looking to find sustainable solutions to everyday building challenges,” said Karen Zipfel, Director of Marketing for Kawneer North America. "We are dedicated to creating products and solutions that help architects make their sustainable visions a reality.”

To learn more about the 2010 Student Design Competition, visit www.aias.org/kawneer. For more information on AIAS, please visit www.aias.org. For more information on Kawneer, please visit www.kawneer.com.

About Kawneer:
With more than 100 years of innovation and experience, Kawneer North America is headquartered in Norcross, GA, and is the leading manufacturer of architectural aluminum products and systems for the commercial construction industry. Kawneer is part of Alcoa’s global Building and Construction Systems (BCS) business unit. Alcoa BCS manufactures and markets architectural systems and products in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Alcoa (NYSE:AA) is the world’s leading producer and manager of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum, and alumina facilities, and is active in all major aspects of the industry. For more information on Kawneer or its products, please visit www.kawneer.com.

About the AIAS:
Headquartered in Washington, DC, the American Institute of Architecture Students was established in 1956 and is an independent, nonprofit, student-run organization dedicated to providing unmatched programs, information, and resources on issues critical to architectural education. The mission of the AIAS is to promote excellence in architectural education, training and practice; foster an appreciation of architecture and related disciplines; enrich communities in a spirit of collaboration; and to organize students and combine their efforts to advance the art and science of architecture. The AIAS is comprised of more than 6,500 members at nearly 150 chapters around the world.