About Drawing of the Year 2018

Aarhus School of Architecture proudly announces the sixth joint venture competition: Drawing of the Year 2018. We invite architecture students from all over the world and call for drawings that demonstrate their ability to dream and create drawings that inspire for change.

Shaping new realities

This year’s bold theme is Shaping New Realities. Around the world, leaders, politicians, scientists, NGOs and architects discuss the overwhelming amount of challenges that need answers. Depending on your political orientation, climate, war, migration, unequal distribution of resources and power are among the biggest issues. The origins of these challenges are highly contested, making it difficult even to agree on what problems we need to solve and who should solve them. To this we can add lack of transparency on how the world is ruled and the power of algorithms and fake information. The more numbers and figures the more we are left indifferent and immune.

We need to invent a new story. A story – economic, social, political, artistic, and architectural – that makes us believe, act and shape changes.

Technology is a protagonist in this story. Apps outnumber large traditional corporations. It is possible to share homes and cars with strangers; social media gathers groups of interest across the globe and fosters friendships, innovation, revolutions and conflicts simultaneously. Driverless cars are old news, renewable energy is developing rapidly, 3D printing is beginning to compete with mass production, and AI is entering our lives, buildings and cities.

What is the role of architecture in this story?

The rapid changes and the huge challenges question our ethical positions and force us to rethink society. For the architect’s part, this means engagement, critical involvement, and shaping images and solutions that take into consideration spatial consequences and possibilities. It means rethinking our physical world, adapting to the new realities, and pushing the boundaries of architecture.
The drawing is one of the architect’s oldest and most important tools. The drawing process leads to new thinking and to the development of ideas for the one who draws. Furthermore, it is a medium that disseminates thoughts and ideas to colleagues, clients, and a broader audience. The drawing can communicate, seduce and convince. And initiate a dialogue.

The aim of the competition is to continuously explore new tendencies in architecture through architectural drawing and to challenge the use of new techniques and mixed media. We, therefore, invite bold, inspiring, and provocative proposals for Shaping New Realities. On all scales and in all environments – from the smallest structure to complex facilities; from rural outskirts to suburban environments; from nature to expanding megacities. From Earth to Mars.

Prizes

• 1st prize: 5000 Euro
• 2nd prize: 2000 Euro
• 3rd prize: 1000 Euro

The announcement of winners will take place 30 November 2018 at DOKK1, Hack Kampmanns Plads 2, 8000 Aarhus.

A curated selection of the submitted drawings will be exhibited and a curated selection of the drawings will be presented in a book in spring 2019.

Drawing requirements

Only digital works are accepted. Max size of drawing: 88 x 88 cm. File format must be PDF with a recommended resolution of 300 dpi. Max file size: 100 Mb

Deadline

It is important that we receive your drawing no later than 1 November 2018 at 12.00 noon (CET). Entries received after the deadline will not be considered for the competition.

Drawing of the Year is a collaboration between Aarhus School of Architecture, schmidt hammer lassen architects, VOLA and the Danish Arts Foundation.