2003

The 8th Designers 3D CAD Challenge

with Architectural CADD Systems

2003 Challenge of the Architectural CADD Cup


The 2003 Designers 3D CAD Challenge continues its role as a public service, while at the same time allowing us all to get a view of how the various different CADD programs work in a real design context, by taking on the added challenge of a "traditional charrette" - a pro-bono public service to solve a community problem. For over 200 years there have been dozens of architectural charrettes each year where architects and other designers come together for a marathon design session to solve an architectural problem for the public good. This year, instead of yellow trace flying about the room and flipchart presentations, we take advantage of the technology of architectural CADD and the Designers 3D CAD Challenge to allow the designers to do their designs faster and more comprehensively and to allow us all to watch the charrette in a better way with large screen projection of their digital work underway.


The Design Project


As of September 29, 2003, we have narrowed down the possible projects to the design of a PlaySpace at the Ronald McDonald House in Boston (a place where the families of children patients at the hospitals can live while their child/sibling undergoes treatment).   We will consider the other projects on this list as possible projects in 2004.

Since our initial appeal we have received numerous responses from architects, and communities, of possible candidates for the design project building or site. We are going to discuss the various projects at length, and, also, we are not yet closed to even more proposal possibilities. We will have a meeting of the BSA Committee on Design Software this summer where we will discuss and narrow down the possibilities (all are welcome to attend, meeting date not yet set). At least for this year, preference would be for a project somewhere in the Boston area. Also, there is a preference for a project involving a Building (whether new or adaptive use) and also one where it may be possible to actually come up with possible design solutions in just a few hours.

So far, we have received proposals for :
1.
Boston Central Artery - a public museum, library, or culturalcenter building on the land newly created by the removal of the highways
2.
The Pierce House in the Dorchester section of Boston - adaptive reuse as a history classroom forgrades K-5 of the Kenney School SPNEA
3.
The mammoth Kirkbride structure called Old Main at the Northampton State Hospital
4.
the David Tilden House, a very early 18th Century building in Canton, MA
5.
The Tappan House in Attleboro MA
6.
Shirley Eustis House, Tamsen George
7.
the Nathan Fisher House in Westborough
8.
St. Stephens church, Hanover Street, North End, Boston. It is was designed by Bulfinch. It is currently the centerhouse for the Missionary Society of St. James - a non-profit organization
9.
The Brewery Complex in Jamaica Plain, owned and operated by the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood
Development Corporation a not-for-profit organization. The Complex is a small business incubator, consisting of 16 buildings on 5 acres of land -  to be designed is the remaining vacant 40-50,000 SF of undeveloped space,  and developing the Amory St. entry to the site.
10.
The Victory Theatre
11.
Holyoke Catholic High School
12.
LEx Historical Commission house
13.
the Benjamin Brown School, Somerville's oldest remaining school building
14.
The Town of Framingham Senior Center
15.
The Fred. C. Adams Library, Kingston, which was just placed on the list of Historic place and is in major need of renovation.
16.
The Kingston TOWN HOUSE  which is an issue of being abandonded when the Town offices move to the NEWLY constructed building.
17.
The Maple Street School, Maple Street, Kingston,  used only limitedly for a small town office.
18.
Surprize Hose, Main Street, Kingston, probably the oldest wooden Fire House in the area.
19.
Govenor John BRADFORD House, Landing Road, Kingston, supported and maintained privaitely by the Jones River Village HIstorical Society.


Also see the page for discussions on these and other various proposed projects -  Project2003 Discussions