3. Submission Format and Process
4. The Judging Stage and Award Ceremony
6. Sample Brief Frequently Asked Questions
1. Background:
1.1. Who are Architects for Health?
The aim of Architects for Health is to promote and campaign for better healthcare environments through bringing together individuals and organisations who share an interest in excellence in the planning and design of healthcare facilities.
Architects for Health is a non-profit making organisation for architects, and anyone interested in the design and planning of healthcare facilities. Its inception in 1992 was a response to the considerable strategic change in the health sector. Since then, AfH have grown into an established organisation with a membership list of around 500 for whom it provides a national network of support, the means to influence policy and as a forum for new ideas.
The annual programme of activities promotes a better understanding of current issues in health planning and design and keeps members informed across the whole range of topics in the health sector. These events are wide ranging in scope and include joint events with clinical societies and royal colleges, or with representatives of organisations active in the procurement of health facilities. An event is held each year at the Reform Club to debate a topical issue such as design quality or the NHS plan, and one event each year has an overseas focus.
Arrangements are made to visit health facilities at home and abroad including presentations and discussion with their designers and management.
AfH is working to improve the quality of briefs for healthcare buildings and proactively to support the inclusion of healthcare sector buildings in the curricula of Departments and Schools of Architecture in the UK.
Find out more about Architects for Health at www.architectsforhealth.com
1.2. When did the competition start?
The competition was founded in 2007. The first winner was Jonathon Pugh, a student of the Glasgow School and the Royal College of Art. We are in the fourth year of the competition and the third sponsored by Brookfield.
1.3. What is the objective of the competition?
The competition was launched in order to breach the gap between practitioners and students and to introduce the exciting and challenging range of healthcare subjects to academic and abstract scrutiny.
1.4. Who are the sponsors?
The event is sponsored for the third time by Brookfield. AfH is extremely grateful for their continuing support and interest in the development of excellence in Healthcare design. Learn more about the Brookfield companies at www.brookfieldeurope.com.
2. Eligibility of Submission:
2.1. Am I eligible to submit a project?
If you are currently in full time studies, or completed your studies within the last 18 months, projects undertaken while studying or of your own volition using the Designing For Death sample brief will be accepted. Projects are not valid for resubmission having been submitted to a previous AfH student competition. The competition is open to students of architecture and interior design at all schools worldwide.
2.2. I am currently on a year out between degrees can I still submit a project?
Yes. If you completed your studies within the last 18 months projects undertaken while studying or of your own volition using one of our sample briefs will be accepted. Projects are not valid for resubmission having been submitted to a previous AfH student competition.
2.3. From which countries will projects be accepted?
The competition is open to students of architecture and interior design at all schools worldwide. If in doubt please consult other sections of the FAQ site and then contact us by email. At mail@afhawards.org.
2.4. Can groups submit projects?
Yes, however it is useful if a leader is selected for correspondence and to make the presentation should the project be short-listed. Group projects can be multi-disciplinary however must contain at least one student of Architecture or Interior Design.
2.5. Is my project eligible for submission?
Projects concerning recognized healthcare typologies or a proposal developed in response to investigation into a condition which may not result in an existing building type are acceptable. Projects do not have to be a resolved building but should demonstrate rigor and investigation, and will be judged equally on the requirements of wider architectural education as a specific health related issues. High quality graphical presentation is very important. Previously projects addressing social care typologies such as elderly care have been acceptable although strictly not a health condition. Ultimately the decision will rest with the short listing panel of judges. If in doubt please contact us by email at mail@afhawards.org.
2.6. What is a sample brief and how do I obtain one?
To enable students with inappropriate projects to participate in the competition AFH provides sample briefs to be explored and responded to by the entrant/s. The 2010 competition introduces the Designing for Death: Hell, Purgatory and Paradise brief to explore design matters relating to death. AfH may also be able to provide a professional ‘buddy’ from members not involved in the judging process to help develop ideas in the absence of tutelage. The sample brief will be made available for download or email us directly at: mail@afhawards.org. If there is sufficient interest we will consider convening a sample brief workshop day in London prior to the submission date.
2.7. Where can I review previous submissions?
Sample of last years submissions can be view on this website, previous years are online at:
http://www.architectsforhealth.com/library/studenthealthdesignawards/awards2008.html
and
http://www.architectsforhealth.com/library/studenthealthdesignawards/awards2007.html
2.8. My project is not a resolved building can I still submit?
Yes. The competition places equal value on the abstract explorations within architectural education as the need for resolution as a practitioner. As with all unresolved projects the success will depend on the quality of research and supporting argument presented. Please review previous short-listed entries for some suggestion of validity and contact us by email if you are still in doubt. at mail@afhawards.org.
2.9. I am still unclear whether I can submit where can I obtain clarification?
Please take time to read this page thoroughly before emailing us at mail@afhawards.org, please be patient as we receive hundreds of email queries and our volunteer team need time to process the questions.
2.10. Can I submit a project I have submitted before?
Strictly No. A project previously submitted can not be re-submitted under any circumstances. If a project is found to have been submitted previously it will be disqualified and entrance fee retained to cover administration costs.
2.11. My college/university does not have suitable projects can I still enter?
Yes. To enable students with inappropriate projects to participate in the competition AFH provides sample briefs to be explored and responded to by the entrant/s. The 2010 competition introduces the Designing for Death: Hell, Purgatory and Paradise brief to explore design matters relating to death. AfH may also be able to provide a professional ‘buddy’ from members not involved in the judging process to help develop ideas in the absence of tutelage. The sample brief will be made available for download or email us directly at: mail@afhawards.org. If there is sufficient interest we will consider convening a sample brief workshop day in London prior to the submission date.
2.12. I am working but recently finished a degree and not yet fully qualified can I enter a project?
Possibly, f you are currently a full time studies or completed your studies within the last 18 months projects undertaken while studying or of your own volition using the sample brief will be accepted. Projects are not valid for resubmission having been submitted to a previous AfH student competition. The competition is open to students of architecture and interior design at all schools worldwide. Contact us by email if you are still in doubt at mail@afhawards.org but please be patient as we receive many email questions to process.
3. Submission Format and Process:
3.1. How do I submit my work?
Register using the PayPal button - Registration for the 2010 competition costs £10GBP. AfH will forward you a reference number to be used to identify your work when submitted via email to mail@afhawards.org. The Format is strictly 4 number A3 portrait(Correction: either landscape or portrait) (297mm by 420mm), 300 dpi or less, JPG or PDF format for the boards. Boards can contain text and graphics. Additionally a 600 word narrative text only document describing succinctly the brief and the design response. The text carries equal importance as the boards and must be carefully considered as it will form the basis of the judgment made on he project. Please clearly identify all the submitted materials with your name and registration reference; also supply with the text your place of study and stage of study. These details do not count towards the work count limit. Please allow 48 hours to receive your reference number after registering
3.2. How much does it cost to register?
Entrance to the 2010 competition costs £10 (GBP) and payments can be made via this website using PayPal. If you do not have access to PayPal please contact us directly at mail@afhawards.org as there may be other methods we can receive payment although priority will be given to PayPal queries. You do not need to open a PayPal account, the email you register with for correspondence does not need to match your PayPal registration.
3.3. How do you make the registration payment?
Payments can be made via this website using PayPal. If you do not have access to PayPal please contact us directly at mail@afhawards.org as there may be other methods we can receive payment although priority will be given to PayPal queries. You do not need to open a PayPal account, the email you register with for correspondence does not need to match your PayPal registration.
3.4. What format can I submit my work?
Work must be submitted by email to mail@afhawards.org. The Format is strictly 4 number A3 portrait (297mm by 420mm)(Correction: either landscape or portrait), 300 dpi or less, JPG or PDF format for the boards. Boards can contain text and graphics. Additionally a 600 word narrative text only document describing succinctly the brief and the design response. The text is equally important as the boards and must be carefully considered as it will form the basis of the judgment made on he project. Please clearly identify all the submitted materials with your name and registration reference; also supply with the text your place of study and stage of study. These details do not count toward the work count limit.
3.5. I can not produce PDFs or JPGs can I still submit?
Unfortunately only the prescribed formats of PDf and JPG are accepted, freeware and affordable shareware programs are available on the internet to produce both formats. AfH does not accept responsibility for the performance or content of third party software.
3.6. Can text be included with graphics?
Yes. Please us boards as creatively as you wish, however the substantial text content should be included within the word/.txt document. In previous years projects that have overloaded the page with text and graphics have not proven to be successful. Please carefully consider the narrative of your boards to succinctly and alluringly depict your work.
3.7. What do the sheets need to show?
Ultimately the choice is of the student submitting. Graphical description of the concept, the condition studied and conventional architectural techniques such as site plan, floor plans, sections and elevations. Please view successful project in previous years to inform the submission layout and content. Judges represent a wide range of interested stakeholder groups and will not necessarily be conversant in traditional architectural drawing styles, experimental, exploratory and special drawings are welcomed and ENCOURAGED.
3.8. How long and what format should my text be in?
Not exceeding 600 words not including title or details of submitting party. MS word .doc or cross platform .txt documents are accepted only. Not PDF or JPGs please for the text document. The text should not be a schedule of accommodation or a brief as provided by a tutor, it should describe your brief succinctly and the reasons for your chosen response with references and research defined.
3.9. Can I submit more than 600 words?
Strictly no under any circumstances. Submissions exceeding the maximum number will be abridged by AfH or refused. Crafting a concise narrative document is an important architectural skill, skilful brevity is an advantage!
3.10. Can I submit a thesis text?
Strictly no under any circumstances. Submissions exceeding the maximum number will be abridged by AfH or refused. If a project should progress to be successful in the competition the successful entrant will be invited to add additional material for exhibition purposes only.
3.11. Can I insert graphics in my text?
Please do not under any circumstances. Submissions with graphics included in text only document will be abridged by AfH or refused.
3.12. My files are too big to email can I send a disc or FTP?
Files appropriately formatted should not exceed email limits. Please flatten the pdf if necessary. Graphical manipulation is a core architectural skill and this is considered a manageable goal.
3.13. Is there an example submission?
No but previous submissions can be viewed on this site (2009) or for previous years at: 2009 and 2007
3.14. When is the deadline for submission?
The deadline for registration is 1200hrs on the 2nd of July 2010 and submission of documents is by the end of 5th July 2010. If you are experiencing any problems registering or submitting please contact us at mail@afhawards.org.
4. The Judging Stage and Award Ceremony
4.1. What are the prizes?
The size and allocation of the prize fund is to the discretion of the judging panel and can be awarded to a single or multiple submissions. The winner of the 2008 and 2009 competitions received £1000 first prize. The 2010 prize fund is the largest yet.
4.2. How is the process judged?
The judging process incorporates 6 steps:
PRIOR TO THE AWARD CEREMONY EVENT EVENING
4.2.1. Submissions received by AfH and validated for entry.
4.2.2. The qualifying submissions are reviewed by the AfH executive committee to condense the submissions to the shortlist. The projects not short-listed are available for review by the final stage judges on request.
4.2.3. The short-listed projects (typically 10) are dispatched to the judging panel in order to review prior to the event evening for review.
EVENT EVENING
4.2.4. Judges are to decant to another room to discuss and arrive at the proposed winner or winners. Any presentations on the evening by the students are inadmissible from the judging process; opinions must be developed on the quality of the submission material only as not to prejudice the process against students unable to attend.
4.2.5. The judging panel must choose to distribute the prize fund (TBC) between one, two or three students according to the consensus of the panel. The 2010 competition introduces a specific prize for the most successful submission using the Hell, Purgatory and Paradise sample brief.
4.2.6. After approximately one hour of deliberation the Chair will announce the 2010 winner to the congregation.
4.3. Can I update my text for the award ceremony?
Yes. We allow adjustment of the text for the award ceremony as it is expected to form the basis of the verbal presentation. This will last no longer than 4 minutes followed by a brief Q&A with the audience.
4.4. English is not my first language will this prejudice the process against my presentation?
No. The presentations are for the benefit of the event only and the judges are instructed to disregard the presentations and form their judgments solely on the submitted material. This is evident by the spread of winners over the previous 3 years.
4.5. What are the judging criteria?
AfH is particularly keen to celebrate when a proposal has engaged with the experience of staff and building users; what it will be like to be inside this building? and how will that effect healing on a one to one scale? A crudely ‘elevated’ massing model will not demonstrate this.
The individual projects should be judged against the brief provided with the submission. However when considering the submission we would like a number of points to be considered or disregarded by the judges.
Example points to be considered:
4.6. Who are the judges?
The judging panel has not been announced for the 2010 competition. When announced, the panel will include representatives from the healthcare design community, medical staff, academics and tutors from schools of architecture and previous winners. The panel this year will include professionals with experience valid to the sample brief topic: Designing for Death: Hell, Purgatory and Paradise
4.7. When and where is the award ceremony?
The award ceremony will take place at the RIBA in August 2010. The date is yet to be finalized and will be announced on this site. The evening will start at 1800hrs with drinks and the opportunity to view the short-listed works. The students who have been short-listed will be invited to briefly present their projects and field a question from the congregation. The Judges will then retire to an adjacent room before announcing the awards approximately an hour later.
4.8. Who can attend the award ceremony?
We encourage all members of AfH to attend but we are particularly pleased to see students, tutors and medical practitioners. Short-listed students will be invited to attend and make a short presentation based on the submission text. There is a travel fund to assist short-listed students in attending the evening event. Unfortunately the fund is not sufficient to cover all travel costs of short-listed students and is dependent on the spread of travel needs of the short-listed candidates. In 2009 most travel costs were covered on a stepped allocation depending on distance. Accommodation for 2 nights in student halls of residence was also provided.
4.9. Are there travel funds available for finalists to travel to the event?
There is a travel fund to assist short-listed students in attending the evening event. Unfortunately the fund is not sufficient to cover all travel costs of short-listed students and is dependent on the spread of travel needs of the short-listed candidates. In 2009 most travel costs were covered on a stepped allocation depending on distance. Accommodation for 2 nights in student halls of residence was also provided.
4.10. I can not attend the awards event can I nominate a substitute to present my project?
Yes. In order for all the short-listed projects to be represented on the evening of the awards in some cases presentations can be made by substitutes either nominated by the candidate or provided by the event organizers. This will be arranged in the month leading to the award evening. Attendance of the students is key to the success of the event and AfH will endeavour to support attendance as much as feasible including providing evidence for VISA applications.
4.11. How is the final shortlist judged?
Judges are to decant to the ante room to discuss and arrive at the proposed winner or winners. Any presentations on the evening by the students are inadmissible from the judging process, opinions must be developed on the quality of the submission material only as not to prejudice the process against students not attending.
The judging panel must choose to distribute the prize fund between one, two or three students according to the consensus of the panel, but will include at least one project responding to the sample brief. The final split is ultimately the decision of the judges, for example, the prize could be split into a first place and two runner up positions or equally it could be rewarded to one submission only. It is not advised that the fund is split beyond a maximum of three students.
After approximately one hour of deliberation the Chair will announce the 2010 winner to the congregation.
5. Miscellaneous:
5.1. Who can I contact if I have any further queries?
Please contact us directly at mail@afhawards.org but please be patient to receive a response as our volunteer team are often inundated with queries.
5.2. Who has Copyright of submitted work?
AfH retains the right to reproduce and use the submitted projects as necessary and reasonable.
5.3. What happens to the work after the competition ends?
Historically the work of all short-listed candidates have been exhibited at industry events such as the IHEEM conference in Harrogate.
5.4. What if I disagree with a decision or would like to raise a grievance?
Please explain your position and grievance clearly and send to AfH via mail@afhaward.org. our intention is to run a fair and transparent competition and we are pleased to hear your views in order to improve the competition. The responsibility and grounds for all decisions rests with and can be determined by AfH, who can clarify positions or decisions at any stage of the competition. The ultimate decision of AfH and their agents is final.
5.5. Who are the organisers and staff of the event?
The competition is staffed by volunteers who dedicate time from their busy professional schedules, as consequence we request your are patient and respectful when corresponding with the team via email.
6. Sample Brief Frequently Asked Questions:
6.1 Is there a site?
No. Please select a site or existing hospital, community or building based on your research.
6.2 Can I select a site in my country of residence?
Yes. We are very interested to learn of the cultural and geographic differences the affect the sample brief topic.
6.3 What should we design?
There is no absolute guidance, it is for you to determine, eg you can design;
6.4 What will the judges be looking out for?
6.5 Can a model be submitted?
No, but photos of a model can be. And models of the projects can be displayed at the RIBA at the final event in the Summer.
More answers to questions will be posted here..
2010 Short List|Registration|Sample Brief|2009 Results|Help/FAQ|Contact|Sponsors
