EARTH FIRST: LIVING PLACE
In 2014, Tyler Kobick and Diane Gayer as independent architects and fellow instructors at The University of Vermont (UVM) ran an Ecological Design Competition as part of the UVM – University Heights “GreenHouse” program. This was, and is so far, the first and only University of Vermont’s ecological design competition—LivingPlace.
The LivingPlace Competition is a student-designed / faculty lead ecological design competition which encourages teams, student-initiated projects, community artists, ecological practioners, innovative architects, and others keen on delving into sustainable applications, to apply their creative thinking to three particular sites in the Burlington area. The competition was open to both local and non-local participants. The competition judges were invited community leaders, ecologists, biologists, and architects. LivingPlace Competition was sponsored by the University of Vermont Ecological Design Collaboratory and supported by a grant from the Thoreau Foundation and Rubenstein School for the Environment and Natural Resources.
The Competition theme was to create a design confluence around Water, Food, and People. Competitors were tasked with creating a holistic design submission that integrated stormwater management, sustainable food production, and community engagement. The entries were due 4pm February 11, 2014. And the Awards Ceremony on February 22 featuring Dr. John Todd as guest speaker was held at Main Street Landing, Burlington.
Three “forgotten” sites were selected as the place for the design interventions. A competitor could pick between the three based on given information. All information was posted on a publicly accessible website. This was an opportunity for designs to include multi-disciplinary team collaborations. It was an opportunity to try out ideas and put visions to paper. Cash prizes were awarded to the top three designs and there was the potential for one of the winning designs to be prototyped in the UHS GreenHouse courtyard [this did not come to pass].
The following 14 design panels were submitted by designers, students, and various practitioners from across the USA and several other countries, plus two on Earthworms from South Africa. These are now on exhibit in the GreenTARA Gallery as part of the Earth First exhibition running Fall 2020.
