At our Under 40 Leadership Summit in San Francisco - coming up Oct 9-11 - we're premiering the "Vision U40 Competition," in which participating "under 40s" will compete for $5,000 in prizes for the best design-engineering-construction solutions to complex social, economic, and environmental problems, in these broad categories:
- Access + Mobility
- Human Health + Performance
- Aesthetics + Beauty
- Human Spirit + Quality of Life
- Climate Change
- Social Justice
- Environment
- Technological Innovation
Just to clarify, it's $5,000 shared by 5 winning groups: $500 to each of 4 runners-up, and $3000 to the winning group. Still, not a bad deal.
Here's an example of the kind of thing we're looking for: Public Architecture's Day Labor Station.
The civic design group Public Architecture looked at the conditions under which California's day laborers had to suffer every morning as they waited, hour after hour, to be chosen for work - intense heat, no shade, no toilet facilities, no place to keep a sandwich or a drink cold.
They designed the Public Architecture Day Labor Station, a compact modular facility with shading, refrigerator, toilet - see rendering.
That's the kind of progressive solution we're looking for in the Vision U40 Competition. We encourage Under40 Leadership Summit participants to address one or more of the broad social issues described above and offer a practical design/construction-related solution. U40 Summiteers will vote for the Top 5 Finalists, and the highest vote-getter will win the competition.
Sign up before September 13 and get the special Early Bird Registration rate of $195 (use Code U40SF).
NOTE TO AEC FIRMS: You are invited to "self-nominate" up-and-coming young professionals (under age 40) to participate in the U40 Leadership Summit, even if they were not "officially" designated as 40Under40 honorees by Building Design+Construction.
See you in San Francisco on October 9!
Related Stories
Women in Design+Construction | May 28, 2024
Commerce Department launches Million Women in Construction Community Pledge
The U.S. Department of Commerce launched its Million Women in Construction Community Pledge this month to boost the ranks of women in construction companies. Federal investments are creating a construction boom that is increasing job opportunities for construction and trade workers.
Laboratories | May 24, 2024
The Department of Energy breaks ground on the Princeton Plasma Innovation Center
In Princeton, N.J., the U.S. Department of Energy’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) has broken ground on the Princeton Plasma Innovation Center (PPIC), a state-of-the-art office and laboratory building. Designed and constructed by SmithGroup, the $109.7 million facility will provide space for research supporting PPPL’s expanded mission into microelectronics, quantum sensors and devices, and sustainability sciences.
MFPRO+ News | May 24, 2024
Austin, Texas, outlaws windowless bedrooms
Austin, Texas will no longer allow developers to build windowless bedrooms. For at least two decades, the city had permitted developers to build thousands of windowless bedrooms.
Resiliency | May 24, 2024
As temperatures underground rise, so do risks to commercial buildings
Heat created by underground structures is increasing the risk of damage to buildings, recent studies have found. Basements, train tunnels, sewers, and other underground systems are making the ground around them warmer, which causes soil, sand, clay and silt to shift, settle, contract, and expand.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | May 23, 2024
The Cincinnati Open will undergo a campus-wide renovation ahead of the expanded 2025 tournament
One of the longest-running tennis tournaments in the country, the Cincinnati Open will add a 2,000-seat stadium, new courts and player center, and more greenspace to create a park-like atmosphere.
Mass Timber | May 22, 2024
3 mass timber architecture innovations
As mass timber construction evolves from the first decade of projects, we're finding an increasing variety of mass timber solutions. Here are three primary examples.
MFPRO+ News | May 21, 2024
Massachusetts governor launches advocacy group to push for more housing
Massachusetts’ Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll have taken the unusual step of setting up a nonprofit to advocate for pro-housing efforts at the local level. One Commonwealth Inc., will work to provide political and financial support for local housing initiatives, a key pillar of the governor’s agenda.
Building Tech | May 21, 2024
In a world first, load-bearing concrete walls built with a 3D printer
A Germany-based construction engineering company says it has constructed the world’s first load-bearing concrete walls built with a 3D printer. Züblin built a new warehouse from a single 3D print for Strabag Baumaschinentechnik International in Stuttgart, Germany using a Putzmeister 3D printer.
MFPRO+ News | May 21, 2024
Baker Barrios Architects announces new leadership roles for multifamily, healthcare design
Baker Barrios Architects announced two new additions to its leadership: Chris Powers, RA, AIA, NCARB, EDAC, as Associate Principal and Director (Healthcare); and Mark Kluemper, AIA, NCARB, as Associate Principal and Technical Director (Multifamily).
MFPRO+ News | May 20, 2024
Florida condo market roiled by structural safety standards law
A Florida law enacted after the Surfside condo tower collapse is causing turmoil in the condominium market. The law, which requires buildings to meet certain structural safety standards, is forcing condo associations to assess hefty fees to make repairs on older properties. In some cases, the cost per unit runs into six figures.
