The Great Big Home & Garden Show 2017: '20TH Annual Student Model Home Design Contest'

From Brecksville Public Schools: Cuyahoga Valley Career Center will be the site for the judging and awards presentation portion of The Great Big Home & Garden Show 20th Annual Student Model Home Design Contest. The judging will take place on Friday evening (1-27-17) at approximately 5:30 p.m. in the commons.

The speech and awards presentation will be Saturday morning (1-28-17) starting at 10:00 a.m., also held in the school commons. Scheduled to appear as keynote speaker and help present the awards will be a local industry professional. The presentation will conclude at approximately 11:00 a.m.

The top ten winning models and drawings will be displayed at The Great Big Home and Garden Show, February 3-12 at the I-X Center (booth #1683). The grand prize winner will be awarded a $1000 scholarship to further his/her education in a related technical field. Additional awards include the 6 specialty categories of “Architectural Design Award of Merit”, “Best Presentation”, “Best Model”, “Best CAD/3D Drawings”, “Best Green Building”, and “Best Smart Home Technology”.

Sponsored by the American Concrete Institute NE Ohio Chapter, Kertes Enterprises, Inc., The Home Depot,Brian Gilbert of Coldwell Banker, Northeast Ohio Technology & Engineering Educators Association, The Chas. E. Phipps Company, and Marketplace Events, these future architects, engineers, designers, contractors, and artisans were challenged to design a house that’s marketable, innovative, energy-efficient, and addressed the wants and needs of a family of four.

This year’s student contest theme is “The Great Urban Reuse House”. Students were challenged to design a functional and aesthetically pleasing full-time primary residence (adaptive reuse). The 2,200 sq. ft. house was to be designed for the purpose of accommodating a couple (millennial or empty nester) who plan to convert an existing structure in an older but walkable urban neighborhood to take advantage of nearby work and retail spaces, restaurants, and amenities including rec centers, bike trails, pocket parks, and entertainment venues. These developments are a growing trend in helping to reduce urban sprawl, rejuvenating abandoned eyesores, and preserving historical landmark buildings. The couple will be selecting one of the following for the conversion into their residence: unused warehouse; old brownstone; vacant church; empty storefront; old grain silo; or vacant schoolhouse. The couple also wanted a residence that incorporates “green” and “smart” technology.

The students were instructed to design the house featuring an above grade concrete home (ICF – Insulated Concrete Form) system, while incorporating appropriate and creative use of other building elements, such as energy efficient and environmentally conscious products and systems to reduce energy costs.

Concrete building technology design offers homeowners increased energy efficiency, lower maintenance and substantial cost savings. Because of their unique construction properties, concrete buildings can be designed with virtually any type of exterior and interior. Concrete is one of the most fire-resistant construction materials available, and the strength and durability of concrete walls offer unmatched resistance to the devastation of major storms.

Using their knowledge of architectural design, green building design technology, smart home technology, and concrete construction, student entries will include floor plan & elevation drawings as well as the much anticipated scale model homes. They will be judged in 15 separate categories, including design, planning and innovations, energy-conserving features, drawing presentation, model presentation, and exterior design. Schools entered this year include Auburn Career Center, Bay Village High School, Four Cities Educational Compact (Wadsworth), Excel TECC (Mayfield Schools), Orange High School, Theodore Roosevelt High School (Kent), Westlake High School, and host Cuyahoga Valley Career Center. A panel of building industry professionals from across the area will evaluate the student designs.

Image Via Pixabay