Professional Practice
Better Block Foundation and Common Era Announce Design Competition to Foster Community Connections
Date: 2/7/2024 - 3/11/2024
Type: Competitions / Awards
Description:
The Better Block Foundation, in partnership with Common Era and Humancraft, announces "Creating Connections," a design competition aimed at addressing the growing epidemic of loneliness by exploring the impact of design on how people connect with others, the universe, and themselves.
Designers are invited to create a public infrastructure piece that reimagines public spaces as catalysts for creating moments of connection, empathy, and shared experiences. Creations should be a testament to the idea that design is pragmatic and bridges divides, fosters unity, and promotes connection with the world. Submissions should align with Better Block’s Wikiblock philosophy that anyone, anywhere can create meaningful designs. Designs will be added to Better Block’s Wikiblock library for members to access and add to their own public spaces.
Designers interested in the competition should submit a single 17x11 PDF document with 1–3 paragraphs describing their design by March 11, 2024. The document should visually represent the idea with embedded images, sketches, renders, or collages. The layout of the PDF is at the discretion of the designers. The Better Block Foundation will deliberate and choose 10 designs and announce those moving forward on March 19, 2024.
The installation will be completed and showcased June 13 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Thanks-Giving Square located at 1627 Pacific Avenue in Dallas. For more information, visit betterblock.org/creatingconnections.