The California Department of Transportation (CALTRANS) and The Great Valley Center, with the support of the American Institute of Architects, California Council, and private organizations, are partnering in an open one-stage international competition to select a design, and thereby a design team, for a self-sustainable and “off the grid” roadside GreenStop, the word coined to designate a green roadside rest area. The sponsors view this as a opportunity to create a “green” rest area that can serve as a model for current and future rest stops within the state system, with the ability to be customized so as to be regionally relevant for each location. The site, for purposes of the competition, is the Tipton rest area site along Route 99 in Tulare County, San Joaquin Valley, California. The site currently accommodates nearly 3 million travelers per year. While the design will be required to address the larger sustainability and interpretive issues, it will also be required to provide an image and identity reflecting the Central Valley region. While the competition is site-specific, the goal is to serve as a pilot project that will create a model that could be replicated elsewhere. The competition will address the redevelopment of the existing rest area, and will include interpretive elements that showcase the region’s unique qualities and products.
A $10,000 Grand Prize will be awarded along with other awards. The competition briefing will take place on January 26, 2006, and April 11, 2006 is the submission deadline.
The competition is open to all architects, landscape architects, urban designers, planners, engineers, educators, students and others interested in sustainability issues. Multi-disciplinary teams that include environmental specialists and landscape architects are encouraged. A briefing for competitors will be held at 1:00pm, Thursday, January 26, 2006 at:
Great Valley Center201 Needham Street Modesto, CA 95354(209) 522-5103
For more information, please visit www.greatvalley.org/greenstop, or contact Bill Liskamm, FAIA, Competition Advisor, at [email protected]