Structure
From the Ground Up is a two-stage competition. Up to three teams will be selected to compete through this open call, joining four pre-selected design teams.
For this initial stage, design teams are invited to submit a booklet of relevant past projects and qualifications for consideration. A committee will review the received submissions and choose up to three teams to compete for the competition.
A competition packet with background information about the neighborhood, the proposed sites, and the building program will be sent to each team in advance of an information session so that they can familiarize themselves with the specific challenge and the resources available. Up to seven teams will travel to Syracuse for a day-long information session that will include a tour of the neighborhood and the selected sites. They will meet potential residents and hear presentations by community members and other project stakeholders. Teams will have eight weeks to develop designs for a low-cost, sustainable home capable of being built for $150,000, inclusive of fees and site work. (The Syracuse Center of Excellence has committed to additional funding for those aspects of the design that support the realization of sustainable features.) Each participating team will receive a $25,000 stipend for the competition. Submissions will undergo a technical and cost review before being juried by a committee of design professionals, sustainability and construction experts, city representatives, and neighborhood residents. The results of the competition will be exhibited in the city and series of lectures and forums will be organized in conjunction with the exhibition to show a survey of current work in the field and to elicit community response before the final selection.
The intention of the competition is to draw out the most advanced thinking about design, sustainability, and cost-effective building practices. The competition sponsors intend to see the winning scheme(s) realized and will endeavor to build the jury's top ranked design. However, competition sponsors reserve the right not to build any of the submitted projects, or to select one of the alternate designs, depending on the strength of the submissions, the resources available, and how the mechanics of the project unfold.