The New Jersey Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA-NJ) Announces Winners of
Participants Find New Uses for Old Shipping Containers

Newark, NJ, Dec 23, 2008 - /FLIERWIRE/-- With thousands of unwanted shipping containers clogging our ports and the land around them, the American Institute of Architects' Newark and Suburban Architects chapter challenged innovative designers to "re-invent the box" in the "Live the Box: An International Design Competition" by using shipping containers as the primary design element in urban, multi-family, mixed-use projects for Newark, N. J.

The designers were asked to use standard shipping containers as the main building blocks. The containers could be used in any configuration or quantity and in whole or in part. One hundred and fifty participants from 13 countries, including those as far away as Turkey, South Korea and Romania, and from 26 states responded to the first Web-only international design competition.

The proposed site was located at the tip of Newark's Central Ward, once known as the Central Business District, near Broad Street Station. The site, which is within walking distance of the downtown and major cultural centers, was originally home to a Westinghouse Electric Corp. facility, which has since been demolished.

"I was surprised and pleased by the international interest we received," noted Kim de Freitas, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) School of Architecture instructor and co-coordinator of the event. "The international community was very eager to learn about the City of Newark and came up with a number of hopeful projects that required less security than might be appropriate for a large city today."

The winners were announced at an awards ceremony held at the NJIT School of Architecture Gallery last month. The first prize of $10,000 went to Felix Heidgen and Thomas Nagy for their design of "NewPark Station." Both are associates at RMJM Architects in Princeton, N. J., though they worked independently of the firm on this project. Noting the many neighborhoods that make up Newark, Haidgen said their goal was to create a project celebrating the "community within the community." Second place of $7,000 went to Modulaire of Miami, Fla., and third place of $3,000 to Tang & Yang Architects of Savannah, Ga.

Moving beyond the boundaries of familiar urban architecture, the competitors stacked the multi-hued containers in imaginative designs that took advantage of the modular nature of the building material by creating repetitive themes. Many of the designs aimed to reflect the cultural diversity of the city. The desire of urban residents for green space and places to exercise was expressed in the incorporation recreational elements and rooftop gardens. Sustainable elements included solar panels, wind turbines, rainwater harvesting and compost chambers.

Unlike most architectural competitions, the computer served not only as the drafting tool but the presentation tool as well. Without boards to embellish, designers had to translate the significance and power of their projects through the screen of a juror's laptop.

Juror Raymond Nadasky, FAIA, a principal of NK Architects in Morristown, N. J., said he was excited to see competitors use the shipping containers as building blocks, much as traditional construction uses brick.

"A lot of very interesting and innovative ideas addressed the issues of working with a module within the grid of a city, bringing new ideas and new life to Newark with a nod to the historic train station," he said. "Some of the most exciting projects completely blurred the block form of the container, using it as the starting point but not the face of the final product."

The competition was the brainchild of Christopher Stone, AIA, vice president of AIA Newark and Suburban Architects. The view from his window, he said, is of the containers near Newark Liberty International Airport, seemingly waiting to be used for a new purpose. The competition was a reflection of the mission of AIA Newark and Suburban, which for more than 100 years has worked to develop public awareness of the value of good design.

"As design standards change and evolve, AIA Newark and Suburban has demonstrated through the Live the Box competition that architects remain at the forefront of solving design needs as building resources become limited," said Justin Mihalik, AIA, section president.

The competition was held in conjunction with NJIT and "platinum" sponsor, Skanska USA Building. Other sponsors included "platinum" sponsor, National Portable Storage Association (NPSA); "gold" sponsor, Feury Image Group; "silver" sponsors, Allied Building Products Corp., NK Architects and Palin-Westerhold Properties; "bronze" sponsor, Benjamin Moore & Co.; and "steel" sponsors Extech Building Supply and GRA Architects.

To view the entries on the Web, go to www.livethebox.org.

About AIA and AIA New Jersey
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is the professional organization that helps architects serve the public's needs and builds awareness of the role of architects and architecture in American society. The organization, which was founded in 1857, celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2007. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., its 300 plus local chapters represent 83,000 licensed architects and associated professionals. AIA New Jersey, based in Trenton, is the state chapter and region of the national AIA. In 2000, AIA-NJ celebrated its 100th anniversary. AIA New Jersey has about 2,000 members in six regional sections. For more information, please visit www.aia-nj.org.

About AIA Newark and Suburban Architects
AIA Newark and Suburban Architects is a section of AIA New Jersey and a chapter and region of the American Institute of Architects. It is a non-profit organization that serves more than 500 members in Morris, Union and Essex Counties. Through public education and outreach, community redevelopment and government advocacy and partnerships, AIA Newark and Suburban Architects protects the professional interests of its members while working to create a responsive public environment for architectural and redevelopment projects.