Results
AARP AND AIAS ANNOUNCE 2008 “HOUSE OF FREEDOM” NATIONAL STUDENT DESIGN COMPETITION WINNERS
AARP and the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) announce the winners of the Ethel Andrus Percy House of Freedom Design Competition. The program challenged students to learn about universal design and designing for an aging population while creating a single family home. Total prize money is $7,225, including $2,500 for the winning design.
The objectives of this competition included researching, responding to and highlighting the unique aspects of designing a home that allows a person to age in place with dignity; building knowledge about materials, products and installation related to universal design and design for aging; and designing a home that accommodates the needs of a family regardless of age and ability. The competition received entries from high schools student through graduate level architecture and design students, coming from as far away as Hawaii and France. Teams from over 40 schools participated in the program.
Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, a retired high school principal, founded AARP in 1958. Since its inception, AARP has grown and changed dramatically in response to societal changes, while remaining true to its founding principles:
In 1960, Dr. Andrus supervised the creation of the “Freedom Home” in Washington, D.C. She was a pioneer in adapting architectural details used in the “Freedom Home” to the needs of the aging population. This concept would later come to be known as “Universal Design.” Universal design is the design of products and environments that are usable by all people regardless of age or ability. It includes home design features and products that make a home safer and more comfortable for all residents, even when their needs and abilities change.
AARP, in association with the Douglas Fir Plywood Association, Washington, D.C., built a full scale model of the Freedom Home in Washington, D.C. for the 1961 White House Conference on Aging. Freedom Home was viewed by many, including President Dwight Eisenhower. To honor Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus’s vision as exemplified by the Freedom Home and in recognition of the AARP’s 50th Anniversary in 2008, AARP and the AIAS are pleased to present the House of Freedom design competition winners.
The prizes were awarded to:
Monique Reid – Andrews University
First Prize ($2500)
The judges felt that this project was the most thought out, from the urban setting to the clear presentation. With its sustainable aesthetics, this entry honed in on all of the appropriate ideas of aging in place and excelled in reaching all of the competition criteria. The house resolved the conflicts between traditionally built homes and universal design principals.
Jessica Drake and Ashley Snodgrass – University of Southern California
Second Prize ($1500)
The judges were impressed by how well connected this project was to the earth. The well thought out story puts people in the house showing how the house met the criteria. The adaptability of the building was impressive as well.
Christine Sanchez– University of South Florida
Third Place ($750)
The judges appreciated the interesting envelope around the house, given the inventive and playful exterior. The opportunity for multiple solar panels contributed to the sustainable nature of the house. The jury enjoyed that you could “wheel” around the entire property.
The AIAS chapter at each school also receives a cash prize.
The jury awarded Honorable Mentions ($500) to the following:
Omar Munante, Martha Maria Henkle, Nick Jaworsky and Hector Hernandez – University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Rachel Islin – Virginia Tech
Jorge E. Trevino, Jr. and Josephine Fitzgibbons – University of Texas at Arlington
The award winning entries will be displayed at the 2008 AIA Convention and Design Exposition in Boston, May 15-17, 2008 and at AARP’s 50th Anniversary Life @ 50+ Member Event and Expo in Washington, D.C., September 4-6, 2008. The winning projects will be published in the Fall 2008 issue of Crit, Journal of the AIAS.
The jurors included Ingrid Fraley, ASID of Design Services, Inc, AIA Design for Aging Knowledge Community Vice Chair; Bradford C. Grant, AIA, NOMA, Professor and Director of the Department of Architecture in the School of Architecture and Design at Howard University; Mark Sullivan, AIA, LEED AP, Project Manager/Project Architect at Michael Graves & Associates; Louis Tenenbaum, CAASH, CAPS, Independent Living Strategist for Aging in Place - Universal Design at Louis Tenenbaum, LLC; and Scott Windley, an Accessibility Specialist at the United States Access Board.
AARP and the AIAS congratulate all the winners and thank all the competition participants.
