120 HOURS, - one of the worlds most important student competition, for and by architecture students, challenge you to redefine the meaning of sustainability in architecture. The catch; you only have five short days, and you have to convince OMA-partner Ellen Van Loon. Still up for it?
If you are so lucky as to find yourself with a job after you graduate school, the leap from student life to professional architect can be quite a challenge. From working on projects with deadlines many months down the line, to working day and night on proposals due “yesterday”. This is the harsh reality for most young professionals.
In 2010, three students at the Oslo School of Architecture wanted to create a new arena where Norwegian students could acquaint themselves with life as a professional architect. The result was the birth of the competition 120 HOURS.
Find out more after the break.
Aiming high
120 HOURS introduced a brand new competition format, where students are given just 120 hours to solve a complex and socially relevant assignment. By addressing topical discussions in both public and architecture debate, the competition aims to be a contributor of new thoughts and discussions within both social and cultural discourse.
The competition was originally intended as a local event at the Oslo School of Architecture. Four years later, it has grown to become one of the most important arenas for architecture students worldwide, - along the way gathering praise from several leading figures in architecture. Former jury members include, among other, Julien de Smedt, Gro Bonesmo and Beatrice Galilee.
This year the organizers have set their sights even higher by recruiting OMA-partner Ellen Van Loon to head up an all-star jury with Eva Franch, Alfredo Brillembourg and Nanne de Ru as its key members.
Exclusive reveal
One of the most important aspects of the competition is the complete secrecy surrounding the assignment. This year the organizers have gone so far as to withhold the name of their main partner, in fear of students catching on to the assignment.
However, it has become a tradition that the theme of the competition is revealed two weeks before the launch, and this year is no exception. The theme is this year revealed exclusively here on ArchDaily. The keywords of 120 HOURS 2014 are sustainability and experience:
120 HOURS is open for students from all over the world. You can either enter as a single person, or in teams of up to three persons working together. The assignment will be released on February 17th 2014, at 14.00 (GMT+1) entry closes on Saturday 22th of February at 14.00(GMT+1). The sign up will close when the competition starts.
You can find more information on www.120hours.no or on http://www.facebook.com/120hours.
