Participation criteria

Constraints

The competition is open to projects involving heavy timber frame structures, commonly referred to as post-and-beam. The design constraint is the use of the ALUMEGA connector family.

Permitted project types

Projects may be submitted in all phases:

• preliminary design;
• final design;
• executive design;
• projects already under construction;
• projects involving the adoption of this construction technique throughout the building;
• projects with a partial adoption of the construction technique.

TARGET AUDIENCE

The competition is aimed at players involved in the building sector, specifically the timber construction sector; in particular designers, builders, developers, university students, PhD students, researchers or university professors. No territorial limitation, the competition is international.

EVALUATION/SELECTION CRITERIA:

On the basis of these criteria and with technical-discretionary judgement the jury will choose a shortlist of 2 finalists in each category, candidates for the final prize:

• AUDACIOUS STRUCTURAL SOLUTIONS:

  particular attention will be paid to projects in which non-standard design solutions are used or which aim to exploit the full potential of ALUMEGA connectors, for example, with the use of structural meshes with particularly important spans;

• BUILDING DIMENSIONS:

  dimensions count, as large buildings allow large quantities of CO2 to be stored. For this reason, projects of buildings with a high number of storeys or with a particularly large volume will be favoured. For the same reason, buildings with predominantly timber structures will be preferred to projects with an important presence of reinforced concrete or steel;

• ARCHITECTURAL QUALITY:

  the use of columns, instead of walls, for the transmission of vertical loads, allows to free spaces and limit structural constraints. The designer has greater flexibility in the study of architectural solutions that may include open spaces, large glass surfaces, etc. The ability to exploit these qualities, from an architectural point of view, will be a preferential factor in the evaluation phase;

• TRADITIONAL-TIMBER RECONVERSION:

  very often projects that in the first analysis used traditional materials and/or technologies are subsequently transformed into innovative materials and/or technologies. Projects of this type will also be favoured.

NATURE AND VALUE OF THE PRIZE

Winning the competition means first of all making direct contact with the international community specializing in the timber construction sector. The professional and personal achievements of the winners of the 2 categories will be emphasised through Rothoblaas communication channels. The selected projects will be an inspiration for other future projects that, we hope, will be just as sustainable and of interest to the community.

Promotional activities and prizes

Finalists

Participants submitting the two most interesting projects in both categories will have the right to participate in the final selection of the BUILD THE (IM)POSSIBLE jury and will receive:

• the standard Mass Timber Seminar International 2024 package, including board and lodging;
• a contribution towards the travel expenses of the finalists who will attend the Mass Timber Seminar International 2024 during which the winner will be decided.

Winners

In addition to the prizes listed in the previous paragraph ("Finalists"), the following promotional activities are planned for the winners:

• 1 banner on the homepage of the Rothoblaas website for two weeks;
• section of the website dedicated to the competition where the detailed description of the project will be available for one year;
• 1 Facebook post and 1 LinkedIn post on Rothoblaas pages;
• 1 press release at the end of the competition with sending to one of the newspapers in the winners' country of origin;
• Entry ticket and visibility at FORUM HOLZBAU INNSBRUCK 2024, one of the most important events in the world of timber construction.