NEWH - Summer 2018 - 34

SUSTAINABILITY | POINT OF VIEW

NEWH's Student Sustainable Design
Competition, Revamped
By Rachel Long, Director of User Development, Material Bank

After more than a decade
vice president of scholarship Brittany H. Johnson, Cuningham Group
of annual competitions,
Architecture.
this year's NEWH student
To develop 2017/2018 project criteria, Johnson teamed with
sustainable design
NEWH Board of Directors scholarship director Becca Kundysek, also
competition hit the refresh
of Cuningham Group Architecture, and NEWH Board of Directors
button. Most visibly, NEWH
internet communications director and past president Helen Reed,
changed the name, and added the option for entrants to choose LEED
president of Helen Reed Design. Together, they rethought the entire
or WELL standards for their projects.
competition scope, seeking the best of old, new, and adaptive reuse
Now called the NEWH Green Voice Design Competition, taking its
by incorporating 40-foot shipping containers into project framework.
cue from the NEWH Green Voice seminar and conversation series,
Entrants chose a secondary or tertiary urban location for converting
the contest attracts top talent vying for scholarship monies totaling
a non-hotel site or structure into a lodging concept featuring a main
$15,000 (divided among two $7,500 winners
lobby, rooftop bar, and guest suite.
enrolled in four-year undergraduate or graduate
Reed says the idea stemmed from a recent
programs). NEWH targets students as well as
real-life challenge presented by one of her clients.
accredited design programs that include the
It's always amazing for
"The program needed a refresh and I had a client
competition in annual curriculum and select topwho was trying to do a container bar on top of an
us
to
see
the
talent
that
of-class projects for consideration. The top-five
existing structure. We wanted students to think
projects among all entries are then judged by
our students have and to
literally outside the box, so we added the boxes,
a jury of sustainable specialists and advocates.
trying to make it more creative."
award
the
scholarship
This year's judges, sustainability experts in
The NEWH Green Voice Design Competition
money. It is a personal,
their own right, were: Andrew Tisue, Cuningham
has NEWH's combined mission of scholarship,
Group Architecture; Amanda Rosenfeld, HKS; and emotional experience for
networking, and education at its core, providing
Kelly Knowles, Degen & Degen architecture and
us-I'm really proud to be
students the opportunity to showcase their
interior design.
design skills and critical thinking, utilizing the best
fulfilling our mission for
Thanks to the generosity of NEWH
in sustainable design products and practices,
competition founding sponsor JLF | lone
scholarship."
and ultimately connecting them to industry
meadow, and partners Valley Forge Fabrics and
professionals throughout the process.
Florida Seating, winners earn scholarships and

"

air-and-lodging travel stipends to Las Vegas for
HD Expo in May, where winners are announced. At the show's Social
Hub, creators engage in a project-driven panel discussion among
sponsors, jurors, and NEWH competition developers led by NEWH

"It's always amazing for us to see the talent that
our students have and to award the scholarship money," Kundysek
adds. "It is a personal, emotional experience for us-I'm really proud to
be fulfilling our mission for scholarship."

Thinking Outside the Box: Thanks to Our Green Voice Jurors
Kudos to the volunteer jurors, our sustainable experts, who narrowed the finalists to two winners and shared their experiences with us.

"It was impressive how the submittals were really thorough, from site selection to finishes. Messages were quickly and clearly articulated,
telling the story with critical thinking on sustainability." -Andrew Tisue, Cuningham Group Architecture
"The entries really focused on branding and how the hotel would portray itself to the public. This concern for branding is typically done
by the flag and not the architect, so the fact that the entries understood the importance of branding and actually incorporated ideas
shows a recognition of meeting the needs and wants of their client." -Amanda Rosenfeld, HKS
"After spending four great years on the NEWH Northwest board of directors, it is important to me that I remain active within the NEWH
community. Participating as a judge for the NEWH Green Voice Design Competition allows me to do just that. The competition gives
students the ability to showcase their sustainable practices and talent, and I am honored to be a part of an event that merges a passion
of mine with scholarship opportunities for hardworking students." -Kelly Knowles, Degen & Degen architecture and interior design

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