Bee Breeders has announced the Urban Zoo Coworking Design Challenge, competition participants are tasked with designing the interior concept for a new chain of coworking spaces set to launch their first location in the heart of Latvia’s capital city, Riga.

Coworking spaces have quickly become the new standard office environment, offering flexibility and freedom from traditional and costly office setups. In collaboration with the new coworking space due to open in the heart of Latvia’s capital city, the is giving participants the opportunity to create the interior identity of a brand new working environments.

Participants are given the chance to let their imaginations run wild in creating a distinctive aesthetic for the brand’s upcoming coworking spaces set to open first in Latvia, then Scandinavia, and eventually across Western Europe. They have the choice of working with two given layouts, on the condition that the designs can be adapted and applied to any of the future locations.

The Urban Zoo Coworking Design Challenge is open until February 8, and winners of the US $5,000 prize will be announced on March 1, 2019. 

Urban Zoo Coworking looks to be “a home for creative beasts”, and participants will be creating the interior identity of the brand, one that can be applied to each subsequent location to open.

For this competition, participants will be able to select from two different layouts to work with, however it is vital that the submitted designs can be adapted and are applicable to multiple locations and are suitable for both proposed example layouts.

Urban Zoo Coworking is looking to become the a internationally-recognised brand, known for promoting tomorrow’s concept of a dynamic and flexible workplace that focuses on sustainable, ergonomic design. Launching first in Riga, Urban Zoo Coworking has plans to quickly expand, opening coworking spaces in Scandinavia and then across Western Europe.

Eligibility

Competition is open to all. No professional qualification is required. Design proposals can be developed individually or by teams (4 team members maximum). Correspondence with organizers must be conducted in English; All information submitted by participants must be in English. 

Prizes

Total prize fund: $5,000+ Construction

1st prize: US $3,000 / Publications Certificate of Achievement

2nd prize: US $1,500 / Publications Certificate of Achievement

3rd prize: US $500 / Publications Certificate of Achievement

The competition will select 6 Honorable Mentions.

Publication: The winners will get international art and design media coverage and will be featured on the Bee Breeders website and social pages. 

Certificate: Bee Breeders will also acknowledge the outstanding performance of all winners and honourable mentions with Certificates of Achievement.

Jury panel is composed of Audrey McKee from Renzo Piano Building Workshop in France, Carlos M Guimarães – depA, correspondent of A10 magazine in Portugal, Daniel Jacobs from SHoP Architects, New York City, USA, Gemawang Swaribathoro from OMA, Hong Kong, John Paul Rysavy from SHoP Architects, New York City, USA; And-Either-Or Austin, Texas and Brooklyn, New York, USA. See the competition's full jury panel here. 

Key dates for the competition

Closing date for registration: 8 February, 2019

Closing date for project submission: 19 February, 2019 (11.59pm GMT)

Announcement of the winners: 1 March, 2019

Competition brief, photographs and 2D - 3D images of the site can be downloaded from the competition website. Contact Bee Breeders to receive special student rates for group registrations (discount applies for 3+ registrations from one university/school) and to receive further information and support for getting your students involved in architecture competitions. 

All images courtesy of Bee Breeders 

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