The Reward
*All participants with submissions that are found technically complete by the jury will be awarded a participation certificate.
Download Interior Design Brief
INTERIOR DESIGN COMPETITION
More than half of the world's population is now urban. In India, the figure for the urban population is nearly 40%. With growing urbanisation and expansion of built-up spaces, the vulnerability of our cities has also significantly increased due to the complexity of new challenges ranging from economic to social to ecological. The need for a healthier and more responsible discourse within architecture and design cannot be more pressing.
Responsible design involves consciously designing spaces that respond to the climate and context, consider the needs of the community, and improve the quality of life of its users. To design responsibly, one must acknowledge challenges such as socioeconomic inequalities, varied mental and physical abilities of users, diversity in culture and thought, access to resources - both natural and manmade, and climate change. Responsibility also means designing to inspire the current and future generations to create more opportunities for an inclusive, accessible, and sustainable world. Designers have the ability to address all these aspects in a holistic manner through their design decisions and delivery.
Within the context of Transparence, “Responsibility in Design” involves taking care of every single aspect of design, right from the choice of the site to the end of the life-cycle of the building. Participants will be able to showcase their capabilities in creating intelligent designs, improving the functionality of spaces, and ensuring the comfort, well-being and safety of the users and inhabitants. It will also be important to minimise the carbon footprint, and if possible, achieve a carbon-negative site. The brief encourages the adoption of lean and light construction practices, reducing wastage of resources, the reuse and recycling of materials, the use of prefabrication and dry construction techniques, and the adaptive reuse of built structures.
Participants may pick any of the mentioned building typologies or combine more than one function if the site selected seems suitable.
Public/Civic buildings (libraries, museums, cultural and convention centres, town halls, administrative centres, etc.)
Public buildings have a unique responsibility attached to them to not only be useful to the staff and the public but also to provide comfort, instill pride and represent the community values and identity. They are places that provide connection, safety and security, and implement the principles of equal opportunities, inclusivity and accessibility.
Multi-unit Housing (apartment complexes, institutional housing, student housing, mixed-use residential complexes, etc.)
Housing, beyond a shelter, is also important for the physical, mental, social and economic well-being of people. Multi-unit residential buildings take this one step further and create a community. Well-designed housing can also uplift its inhabitants and improve their quality of life.
Institutional buildings (educational campuses, research institutes, science centres, performing arts centres, hospitals, sanatoria, reformatories, etc.)
Institutional buildings represent our responsibility to take care of each other - through education, healthcare, cultural celebrations, reformation and rehabilitation, etc. They are also the places to turn to in crises like natural disasters and mishappenings, providing safe shelter and community support.
SITE SELECTION
Participants should choose their sites as a response to the program among the typologies given above, i.e. intervene with a design where it is needed. There should be a direct correlation between the rationale for choosing a particular site and program, and the response in terms of the typology(s) and the design strategies formulated as the solution to the challenges proposed by the site.
- Select a site within an urban context
- The design footprint should be a maximum of 10,000 sq. ft
- Consider ease of accessibility, response to neighbouring spaces and buildings, and a desirable community of users as per your program
- Refer to the locally applicable by-laws and building codes
- Give references to the architecture, landscape and urban contexts
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS:
While formulating your project and the area programme, make sure to cover at least 3 of the 5 aspects discussed below
DESIGNING RESPONSIBLY :
Through your design schemes, showcase responsible design practices by creating innovative designs that prioritize environmental stewardship, social equity, and long-term viability. Consider accessibility for people with disabilities, inclusive spaces that cater to diverse user needs, and community integration. Participants should explore ways to foster social interaction, create flexible spaces, and promote a sense of belonging for all occupants.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIVENESS
Designs should showcase a deep commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility. Consider incorporating renewable energy sources, energy-efficient HVAC systems, optimising passive design strategies, site planning that minimises disturbances to the natural ground, rainwater harvesting, and other green building practices to minimise the building's carbon footprint and resource consumption. Think of the reversibility and recyclability of materials and spaces.
LIFE CYCLE CONSIDERATIONS:
Aim to address the entire life cycle of the building spaces, from construction to operation and eventual demolition or reuse. Consider the environmental impact of materials, construction techniques, and energy consumption throughout the building's life cycle. Emphasize strategies for reducing embodied carbon, promoting circularity, and enabling future adaptability
USER EXPERIENCE
Prioritize the comfort and well-being of the building's occupants. Create spaces that promote natural light, optimize views, and provide a healthy indoor environment. Consider factors such as acoustics, thermal comfort, public amenities, and ergonomic design principles to enhance the overall user experience. Provide universal accessibility to people with diverse abilities, for all genders and ethnic backgrounds
COMMUNITY, CONTEXT AND AESTHETICS
Practice cultural sustainability with a focus on community-centric designs. The design should harmonize with its surroundings, taking into consideration the cultural, historical, and architectural context of the site. Explore innovative forms, patterns and motifs, materials, styles, textures and finishes that interact with light in unique and visually compelling ways, while respecting the local context
MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS:
While deciding on materials and construction methods to feature in your project, consider the points below:
USE OF LIGHT AND SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
- They help reduce the weight of the overall building by about 6%
- They also drastically bring down the lead time of project construction. With a faster payback period, they make for a sound investment
- They offer lower energy consumption and have significantly reduced carbon emissions, leaving behind negligible carbon footprints
- They are light and sustainable materials, which help conserve natural resources for the future and keep the planet going forever
RECYCLABLE MATERIALS
- With consideration to the life cycle of the building, carbon neutrality, and adaptability with changing times, do incorporate recyclable and reusable materials that do not end up in landfills as waste
SALIENT UTILIZATION OF GLASS
The overarching theme“Light is right” may be viewed from the prism of This interpretation as well:
- Optimise natural daylighting and visual accessibility wherever appropriate using different types of glass - natural daylight and ventilation are key to the performance of built space
- Glass is reusable (if carefully handled and unbroken) as well as recyclable
- Glass helps create more usable space in construction, with no compromise on aesthetics. Its installation and dismantling can be easily done. Show us interesting and innovative uses of glass in your design
Please refer to the reading resources mentioned at the end of the brief to know more about using glass effectively and responsibly.
- Transparence 18.0 is open to undergraduate students of architecture and design. Recent graduates from 2023 are also eligible to participate
- Teams should include a maximum of three members. You are allowed to make teams with students from different batches or even different colleges
- It is an ONLINE SUBMISSION. Plan your content to be viewed accordingly.
- A maximum of twelve A3 sheets are to be submitted (in landscape orientation), with a readable scale of drawing and legible text. Please compile all your sheets into a single PDF of 20 MB maximum
- Your name and identification should not appear on any of the sheets
- Your PDF file should be named in the format abc_xyz, where abc is the participants’ first names, and xyz is the name(s) of the institution. In the case that abc is sending multiple entries, the subsequent files will be named "abc1_xyz", "abc2_xyz", and so on. We will assign ID numbers to each submission to ensure anonymity
- Restrict the word limit for your text per sheet to 100-150 words
- DON’T FORGET to put the North arrow and a graphic scale on all your sheets
- Include a summarised area statement of your design with reference to the by-laws on no more than a single A4 sheet (within the submission document itself)
- Site selection and programmatic justification
- Concept and evaluation of the design
- Formulating the problem statement and defining the impact of the ‘responsible’ design intervention
- Incorporation of the design considerations
- Response to site and context in reference to the theme
- Implementation of the design considerations in the scheme - Architectural, Environmental, Material, `Experiential, and Aesthetic and Contextual cues for a responsible design product
- Originality and innovation
- Clarity and comprehensibility of the design
- Design delivery and presentation-appropriate graphics, scale of drawings and visual communication with technical information
Important Dates:
- Last date for Registration: January 7th 2024
- Last date for Submission: January 10th 2024