The Second “Natian” Cup International Design Competition： A New-tech Led Intelligent Urban Life

The rapid development of technology and popularized digitalization is imperceptibly influencing the evolution of cities. As a new trend and an inevitable choice of this era, the “Intelligent Revolution” led by technology and innovation is sweeping all over the world and transforming looks of and life in the city. Urban public environment, as the ‘common home’ of city dwellers, needs to be built by a collective effort. Public facilities are significant to secure the comfort and safety of people's daily life.

The topic of the competition is “A New-tech Led Intelligent Urban Life”, with a focus on how new technology will improve urban life by taking public facilities as the object of design, aiming at soliciting creative design proposals all over the world.

The Second “Natian” Cup International Design Competition is sponsored by Suqian Municipal People’s Government, organized by Suqian Urban Planning Bureau, CBC (China Building Centre) and Urban Environment Design (UED) Magazine. This competition is open to professional designers and college students from the fields of urban planning, architecture, landscape architecture, art design and relevant disciplines at home and abroad, besides, interdisciplinary practitioners, new-tech and new energy research institutes are also welcomed to participate. Participants are encouraged to select the site and do researches on their own will within the city of Suqian. However, the design should be adhere to the current development of the local area. The subject and topic can be self-determined, but the feasibility of the design should be justified. After jury review, winning entries have the possibility to be implemented in compliance with municipal standards.

II. Introduction of Suqian

Suqian, situated in North Jiangsu Province, is part of Yangtze Delta economic circle, and at the cross radiation zone of east Longhai industrial zone, the coastal economic belt and the economic belt along Yangtze River. Suqian, as one of the most dynamic cities in east China, possesses great natural conditions and potentiality. Since ancient times, Suqian had the topographical privileges of lying between Shandong Province and the South China, between the Yangtze River and the Yellow River, and between the two capitals (Beijing and Nanjing). Although having a long history, Suqian is the youngest prefecture level city in Jiangsu Province, with a booming developmental trend. (See appendix for details)

III. Theme of the Competition and Interpretation

A New-tech Led Intelligent Urban Life
The competition aims to discuss the merging point between various new technologies, city infrastructure and citizens’ daily life, with the trans-boundary model of “New-tech +”to stimulate more practicable and unique designs. Public spaces, facilities and citizens’ daily life will be the main focus of this competition. Through the transformation of the mundane object in daily life, it is to effectively improve the convenience and safety of the city, enhance people’s sense of identity and reduce the cost of city’s operation and maintenance. The ultimate goal of this competition is to offer citizens with a better living environment and artistic experience.

IV. Organization

Sponsor: Suqian Municipal Government
Organizer: Suqian Urban Planning Bureau
CBC(China Building Centre)
Urban Environment Design (UED) Magazine

V. Jury Committee

Jury Chairman

YANG Baojun President of China Academy of Urban Planning & Design, National Engineering Survey and Design Master
VI. Competition Requirements

It is free for participants to select the site of project and the category of design in Suqian city. Design should be public facilities but the category is not restrained, such as intelligent pedestrian, smart public toilet, newsstand, and bus station etc. New materials and the creativity of design should be considered, as well as the feasibility. After jury review, winning entries have the possibility to be implemented in compliance with municipal standards.

1. Design Principles

1. Creativity: Create diverse and interesting places for Suqian citizens and tourists. Design must be original.
2. Locality: Project should be designed with a comprehensive consideration of local history, culture, and natural environment.
3. Sustainability: The sustainability of design, materials and operation should be considered.
4. Feasibility: This is not only a conceptual competition. The selection of material, the form of construction and the requirement of craftsmanship should all be feasible.
5. The application of new technology and new materials: In the design, new technology and new material are expected to play a leading and innovating role in the development and implementation of public facilities.
6. Originality: Participants should ensure the originality of the proposal and make sure it hasn’t been submitted to other competitions.
7. The design should be able to enhance the identity and design quality of the area, and add new functions.

1. Design Categories
   It is free for participants to select the site of project and the category of design in Suqian city. Design should be public facilities but the category is not restrained, such as intelligent pedestrian, smart public toilet, newsstand, bus station, public bench, intelligent rubbish bin, and intelligent street lamp etc. New materials and the creativity of design should be considered, as well as the feasibility.

2. Site
   Participants are free to decide design boundary and subject, and they are encouraged to organize field survey within the Suqian city by themselves. The site should be real and images such as photos and satellite images of the site are required in submission materials. Participants can also select one of the recommended sites that are provided by the organizing committee to design; Whether the participants choose the provided site will not be the consideration of the jury review. (The information of the provided site can be downloaded from the official website)

VII. Competition Procedures

1. Registration

1. Registration starts on 24:00(UTC+8) March 5, 2018. This competition is open to professional designers and college students from the fields of urban planning, architecture, landscape architecture, art design and relevant disciplines at home and abroad, besides, interdisciplinary practitioners, new-tech and new energy research institutes are also welcomed to participate.

2. For registration, please log on the competition website: http://natiancompetition.uedmagazine.net, click “Registration” and fill in the information; or follow Facebook page “Urban Environment Design Magazine” for updated information.

3. Registration Deadline: 24:00(UTC+8) June 30, 2018.

1. Submission
   All participants are required to submit digital files, including drawings and other information to NaTiancompetition@163.com before 24:00(UTC+8) July 30, 2018. The competition committee does not accept any hardcopy.

2. Selection Procedure
   With the aid of the competition committee, the jury reviews the projects and determines the prize winning projects. Prize winning projects will be officially announced by August 18, 2018.

3. Q&A
   Please do not hesitate to email your questions about the competition to NaTiancompetition@163.com.

VIII. Submission Requirements

1. Please submit the digital version of drawings and related documents to NaTiancompetition@163.com. Please include “Natian International Design Competition” in the e-mail subject line. If the entry is too large to attach, please upload to File Sharing Softwares such as “WeTransfer” or “Google Drive” and provide the download link in the submission email. Entries will be printed and laid out by the committee.
2. Language: English
3. Scale and dimensions must be in the Metric System
4. Documents: Recognizable scanned copy of passports should be attached in the e-mail. Participants themselves are responsible for the authenticity of the documents.
5. Entry Requirements
   a. Specification: The layout of the 841mm x 594mm drawing should be horizontal. Each work should be composed of 3 drawings as follows (unqualified drawings will be invalid):

b. Content: The drawings should include:

1. Basic features of the site
2. The relation between design and site
3. The relation between design and new technology & new materials
4. The relation between design scale and nature
5. Detailed design
   Such as a site-plan that can fully express the design intention; plans, elevations and sections; perspective drawing, illustration and a design description of about 500 words (to be integrated in the pictures and drawings). There is no limitation on proportion.
   c. A TXT document must be attached in the e-mail of the submission, which include participants’ name, registration number, e-mail address, mobile phone number, name and contact information of the advisor (if any), the full name of the school /design institute, title and brief introduction of the submitted work.

Submission list:

1. Three A1 (841mm * 594mm) panels in horizontal version
2. Booklet in A3 size (420mm*297mm), no more than 20 pages (construction material list and total cost should be included)
3. Supplementary documents (like model photos and videos) if necessary

IX. Awards

First Prize (1 team): Honor certificate + Bonus 400,000RMB (before tax, around 60,000USD)
Second Prize (3 teams): Honor certificate + Bonus 100,000RMB (before tax, around 15,000USD)
Third Prize (5 teams): Honor certificate + Bonus 40,000RMB (before tax, around 6,000USD)
Honorable Mentions (several teams): Honor certificate and full year UED magazine

One or more prize winning projects might be implemented on site and local government has the final say. The fee of design development and construction are not included in the award.

X. Regulations

1. Individual participants and groups must agree with and follow the competition requirements and regulations. The organizing committee reserves its right of final interpretation.
2. Entries with words or pictures relating to the name or department of participants in the digital drawings will be disqualified from the competition
3. All entries are accepted (while including author’s name) with the explicit free right of publication, reproduction, and promotional use by competition organizers and sponsors without need for further approvals.
4. Entries that have been submitted to other competitions, published on other public occasions or found to be similar to other works in terms of design ideas will be disqualified from the competition.
5. Any participant that contacts jurors about the competition during the entirety of the competition process will be disqualified from the competition.
6. Juries cannot act as advisors to participants, otherwise participants will be disqualified from the competition.

XI. Appendix

1. Assignment of the Second “Natian” Cup International Design Competition
2. Introduction of Suqian City
3. Design Scope
4. Photos of the 20 recommended sites