International Design Competition of Rural Revitalization and Regeneration (R3)

International Design Competition of Rural Revitalization and Regeneration (R3)

Type: Competition Announcement (Ideas), Open/International/Architecture

Organizers: Zhejiang University, People’s Government of Daxikou Township, Wuyi County
Coordinator: Kontest
Location: Shanxiabao Village, Wuyi County, Jinhua City, Zhejiang, China
Language: English
Registration Deadline: 20 December 2023, 11:59 PM
Submission Deadline: 20 December 2023, 11:59 PM
Price: $89 – 129 / Depending on the registration phase and participant types
Eligibility: Open to all
Prize: Prizes of a total of $5000, including Cash Prize + Certificate + Exhibition + Publication + Interview + Gifts + Voucher.

R3 Vision
The R3 (Rural Revitalization and Regeneration) is a strategic initiative aimed at promoting comprehensive rejuvenation and sustainable development in rural areas. It focuses not only on the economic development of rural regions but also emphasizes progress in social, environmental, and cultural aspects. The R3 Design Competition is conceived to develop a design strategy guided by “critical regionalism” or “contextualism,” intending to propose projects and designs closely related to local culture, architectural language, environment, and economy. The competition aims to integrate resources, improve infrastructure, encourage innovation, and foster community sharing without compromising local characteristics and cultural authenticity. The competition is open-ended, requiring participants to select a plot within the designated area of Shanxiabao Village, leveraging the tourism resources of the region. The designs should embody the principles of R3 from diverse perspectives. Throughout the design process, cultural resources, existing architectural language, and local urban features of Shanxiabao Village should be taken into consideration.

Challenge
The R3 competition invites architects, designers, planners, students, and participants who are passionate about sustainable rural revitalization. It encourages them to utilize the cultural and historical resources of Shanxiabao Village to create a space that promotes cultural exchange and heritage preservation, while driving the development of local handicraft industries and sustainable tourism. The competition accepts submissions of various types of architectural projects, including single-family residences, multi-unit buildings, public structures, adaptive structures, temporary living experiences, or any other scale of architecture. There are no limitations on the design process or construction techniques. The proposed designs should be selected within the designated area and consider their relationship with the surrounding environment. Designers are expected to respect local culture and architectural character, contemplate the integration of modern technology with rural history and culture, and propose future development strategies that align with rural conservation and revitalization. These strategies will also be crucial elements for project evaluation. The final architectural or spatial design should be driven by the development strategy, with the reasons and intentions behind the design clearly explained in the drawings.

Site Information
The project is located in Shanxiabao Village, Wuyi County, Zhejiang Province, China. This village has a long history and unique architecture, dating back over 300 years. Due to its distinctive cultural and historical value, Shanxiabao Village has been included in the first batch of China’s Traditional Villages list and has received national-level protection and recognition. The project site is located in the Duimenshan Natural Village within the administrative jurisdiction of Shanxiabao Village, which can be reached by walking up the mountain trail. Currently, the population residing in this area is relatively small, and there is a high vacancy rate. Some of the existing houses have serious structural issues, requiring renovation plans for future development in tourism and homestay industries. The competition allows participants to select a plot of land within the Duimenshan Nature Village area, with custom dimensions. It is permissible to demolish existing buildings on the chosen plot to create a virtual site to articulate design concepts. Alternatively, limited demolition within the designated area is permitted, with a requirement to respect the original landform and topography.

Please visit website for more details https://r3.kontest.xyz/

SCHEDULE
20 Sep: Competition launches
21 Oct – 20 Nov: Standard Registration
21 Nov – 20 Dec: Late Registration
10 Dec – 20 Dec: Submission Period
20 Dec: Registration Deadline, Submission Deadline
21 Dec – 25 Dec: First round jury review and deliberation
25 Dec: Announcement of longlisted entries
26 Dec – 31 Dec: Second round jury review and deliberation
31 Dec: Announcement of shortlisted entries
1 Jan – 10 Jan: Public voting, Final round jury review and deliberation
15 Jan: Results announcement for finalists
Spring 2024: Exhibition, publication, interview (TBA)

Note: All milestones are due by 11:59 pm (UTC+08:00)

AWARDS
Prizes of a total of $5000, including Cash Prize + Certificate + Exhibition + Publication + Interview + Gifts + Voucher.
Prizes will be divided and recognized into Professional Group, Student Group, and Idea Group, with 1st/2nd/3rd prize, Honorable Mentions, Public Choice Award, Special Award for Innovative Design, Design Communication Award, and Visual Performance Award.

JURY
President:
Luca Zevi, Architect, Founder and Head of Luca Zevi Studio di Architettura, Italy

Committee Members:
He Yong, Full Professor, Zhejiang University, China
Paolo Vincenzo Genovese, Distinguished Professor, Zhejiang University, China
Gianni Talamini, Associate Professor, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Marco Bovati, Associate Professor, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
Zhuang Ziyu, Architect, Founder RSAA GmbH/BUZZ Studio, China
Simon Bell, Professor of University of Edinburgh, Former President European Council of Landscape Architecture Schools, UK
Tatjana Schneider, Professor, Head, Vice President, Technical University of Braunschweig Institute of History and Theory of Architecture and the City, Germany
Sun Ziwen, Research Associate Professor, Director of International Joint Laboratory of Healthy Space, Beijing Institute of Technology, China
Li Zhixing, Lecturer, Zhejiang University of Technology, China
Florian Kossak, International Coordinator of Department of Architecture, TU Braunschweig, Germany
Ferdinand Ludwig, Prof. Dr. CEO, Technical University of Munich, Office for Living Architecture, Germany
Sherry Li, Founder, Chief Brand Consulting Officer, Archidogs, China

REGISTER NOW
Please visit https://register.kontest.xyz/r3
Save 10% on your registration. Please enter the promo code ACB10 during checkout.