Expert judging panel for student contest announced

Previously a partner at Foster & Partners, Ken has worked on some of the world’s most iconic buildings including the Gherkin. Also joining the panel will be Antony Wood, Executive Director at the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. Based in Chicago, USA, Antony will be joining the panel remotely, lending his extensive expertise in skyscrapers to help choose the best entries in this year’s competition, which requires students to design a tower to be located in the Greenwich South district of Lower Manhattan, New York.

The building must be designed in accordance with Isover Multi-Comfort principles, encompassing Passive House performance levels to create a sustainable, multi-use building. Judges will be assessing entries against three main criteria: design and functional concept, incorporation of Multi-Comfort House elements and overall sustainability. They will be looking for a tower which not only demonstrates creativity but also works on a practical level, enhancing the surrounding area and providing a comfortable and efficient multi-use environment.

The initial stage of judging will take place at the end of January, with the best teams invited to showcase their designs in the Passivhaus Pavilion at Ecobuild, which takes place at ExCeL in London from 1 – 3 March 2011. The second stage of judging takes place at the exhibition, with the winners announced at the live final on 2 March. The three winning UK teams will receive cash prizes of up to £1,000 and will go on to compete in the seventh international final, which takes place from 18 – 21 May 2011 in Prague and features a top prize of €1,500.

We’ve had an excellent response to the competition, with 29 teams registered to take part. With the final date for entry submissions just days away we will be on hand to offer teams advice to help them put together a successful submission. Our next online tutorial takes place at www.multicomforthouse.co.uk on January 13 from 13.00 to 15.00 where students can log on and take advantage of this session and our online experts and academic consultants from Nottingham University’s School of the Built Environment.

The Isover Multi-Comfort House concept illustrates how energy use can be minimised and demonstrates how energy efficient living can be achieved both comfortably and economically. It builds on the Passive House principles of delivering the highest thermal comfort while reducing energy use and CO₂ emissions by considering occupants’ wellbeing, taking into account acoustic and safety features as well as energy saving measures.

For more information, visit www.multicomforthouse.co.uk, follow us on Twitter @IsoverUK or join our Isover UK group on Facebook.