and Call for Proposals Mushroom® Blocks outdoor art installation This September, Beakerhead will erupt onto the streets and venues of Calgary with clever and creative works of engineered art. This is a call for proposals to build a large-‐scale public installation out of Mushroom® Blocks that will be unveiled on September 16, 2015, at a designated site in the Kensington district of Calgary, Alberta. What is Beakerhead? Beakerhead is a registered Canadian charity whose mandate is to advance education at the crossroads of art, science and engineering. Beakerhead envisions a world where the creative is as valued as the rational, and both realms interact. Beakerhead brings art, science and engineering together to fuel creativity and innovation. Year-‐round activities encourage collaborators in art, science and engineering from across the city, province, country and world to build works of interactive entertainment. They all come together for a spectacular five-‐day phenomenon every September. Partnership with the Trico Charitable Foundation Beakerhead is partnering with the Trico Charitable Foundation to increase understanding of and provoke conversations about how art, science and engineering can come together to solve the world’s great challenges. The Trico Charitable Foundation was established in 2008 by Wayne and Eleanor Chiu, founders of Trico Homes, to support initiatives that are both financially successful and improve the communities and planet we call home. The Foundation’s focus on social entrepreneurship emerged from the Chiu’s passion for innovation and keen awareness of the need for creative solutions to ensure sustainability in the non-‐profit sector. About the building material: Organic mushroom bricks For this project, Trico Charitable Foundation wanted to give more than a few high fives to social entrepreneurs. Trico is supporting a series of “Beakerhead for a Better World” initiatives to provide concrete examples of viable companies whose innovations are improving our planet. Beakerhead will educate visitors about the creativity and engineering involved. An art 2 installation or structure made of Mushroom® Blocks opens an entertaining door to the world of science and engineering. It’s all about starting conversations! The company at the heart of this Call for Proposals is Ecovative Design. Ecovative wanted to eliminate plastics in the world so they started an enterprise to make bricks using a cost-‐
effective, waste eating, sustainable and fully compostable alternative – mushrooms! The product is a grown building material made from agricultural waste and the mushroom, mycelium. Mycelium digests crop waste and grows into a solid block within a pre-‐formed mold. The first large scale structure to use this mushroom brick technology, based on a technique developed by Ecovative in 2007 and, until now, generally used to make packaging, was exhibited at Museum of Modern Art’s PS1 in New York in June 2014. This organic Mushroom® Blocks tower, called Hy-‐Fi, was designed by David Benjamin of New York architects The Living; the tower was designed as part of MoMA’s Young Architects Program. Photo Cecil Barnes V Call for Proposals This project will support the design and build of a delightful and inspiring site-‐specific installation to be shared with the world during Beakerhead, September 16 to 20, 2015, using Mushroom® Blocks created by Ecovative Design. Who is eligible All architects and architecture firms are invited to apply. The team may include students, interns or emerging architects. The successful proposal must commit to engaging a structural engineer to ensure the installation meets safety and permitting requirements for a public venue. 3 Design Criteria The successful proposal will meet the following criteria. Location The installation will occupy the cul de sac where 11 Street NW meets the north side of Kensington Road in Calgary, Alberta, Canada Dimension Scope The dimension of the installation space is approximately 25.5m long and 15.25m wide. Please note a six metre fire lane through the cul-‐de-‐sac is required within the space. There is no height restriction for temporary structures. Up to 10,000 Mushroom® Blocks can be grown specifically for this installation with each block a maximum of 18" x 18" x 6" in volume. The shape of the blocks can be proposed by the applicants and developed in partnership with Ecovative. Preference will be given to installations that are both arresting to view and interesting to experience first-‐hand. 4 Install and Deinstall About the Material §
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Other Materials Budget Up to two days can be provided to install (September 14 and 15). Some pre-‐assembly off-‐site may be required. Deinstallation day is Monday September 21. The successful team must be capable of installing and deinstalling with volunteer crews and minimal assistance from the event organizers. Ecovative Mushroom® Blocks are to be primary material used. A mold can be tooled by Ecovative’s manufacturing team and used for the mushrooms to grow into a specific form of building block. Each block can be up to 18" x 18" x 6" in size. It takes one week for the mushroom materials to grow into the mold. The facility can grow 10,000 Mushroom® Blocks in two months (July and August). The winning team will work closely with Ecovative on block production. The mushroom building material technology uses agricultural waste, no glue or adhesives and is fully compostable. A structural engineer must be involved in the design process concerning the infrastructure and supports. A structural engineering stamp of approval may be required prior to installation for building permits. It is recommended to include to following in the budget (maximum $60,000 and must include a contingency): 1) Cost of Mushroom® Blocks (http://www.ecovativedesign.com) (anticipated but not necessarily approximately $40,000 -‐ $50,000) 2) All infrastructure, materials, labour, contractors, consultants, equipment rental, and other costs to fully realize the project 3) $5,000 design fee The budget may not include: Travel and accommodation costs Salaries and wages Additional Preference will be given to projects that consider: • Relevance of topic to community, innovation and sustainability • Use of the specified public space • Ease of assembly and strike • Engagement of a large volume of viewers • Durability for five days of interaction • Use or recycling of the Mushroom® Blocks after the event 5 Important dates May 24 June 1 June 10 September 14-‐15 September 16 Sept 21 Deadline for proposals is at midnight (MST) Shortlisted teams notified and interviewed by the jury Winner announced Installation Public opening Deinstallation How to submit Please send your submission as a single PDF (up to 5 MB) to [email protected]. All submissions should include: • Name of project • Name of project lead and contact information • Additional team members • A brief description of the idea (maximum 250 words) • Accompanying plans, elevations, images (included in the PDF, max. size of 11” x 17”) • Renderings of the installation in daytime and nighttime (included in the PDF, max. size of 11” x 17”)) • Brief description of building/technical process • Timeline • Budget Selection Proposals will be reviewed and assessed by a selection jury that includes representatives from: Beakerhead Creative Society, Trico Charitable Foundation, RAIC Architecture Canada, Alberta Association of Architects, and Ecovative Designs.