What is it about a space that makes one feel they belong? Students must be able to bring their whole selves to campus and into living and learning spaces. By employing inclusive design strategies, we can provide calming and engaging spaces to foster the community and creativity essential to the fabric of higher education.

For this competition, entries should consider a space – a residence hall suite, a group of classrooms, OR a student study/social space – (suggested size = 4000 sf) to explore the ways diversity, inclusion, and equity can take a physical shape on campus. You can either choose a space on your campus or use one of the provided templates. Your design should consider equitable use, flexibility, physiological comfort, and belonging for all users regardless of difference.

Your design ideas will help create a roadmap for institutes of higher education to address these issues in a way that is meaningful, authentic, and creates a more inclusive and student-centered campus environment through thoughtful, informed, and provocative design considerations. Preferred solutions will be repeatable and scalable for institutions of various sizes and student populations.

Eligibility

Open to students who live or attend college in New Jersey, Delaware, Pennslyvania, Maryland, DC, Virginia, and West Virginia. This competition is open to individuals and teams of four or fewer. Interdisciplinary teams are welcome.

Submission Requirements

This competition encourages creativity and exploration and therefore entries are open to whatever drawings or materials entrants feel are needed to convey the breadth of the idea. Proposals may be presented using any technique of your choice (sketches, diagrams, 3d visualizations, model photos, cad drawings, etc). Though not required, suggested deliverables include:

• (1) Floor plan with labels and dimensions as necessary to communicate the basis of design ideas
• (2) 3D impressions (renderings, hand-sketches, collages, models, and other methods accepted)
• (1) Written proposal of 1,000 words or less explaining the main ideas of the design and how it promotes belonging and inclusivity for users

Prizes

The team will select four winners: a first-place overall winner, and then an honorable mention in each of the three categories – residence hall, learning space, and study/social space.

The winning entries will be included in a presentation at SCUP’s annual conference in July. All entries will be considered for inclusion as part of the SCUP fellow research report, Peripheral Vision: Planning and Designing Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Learning Environments.

The winning entry will receive a prize of $300. All honorable mentions will receive a prize of $75.