Award Winning Student Designs Incorporate Comfortable Homes, Easy Access Retail and Inviting Streets

Source: AARP Press Center | 2009-04-29

April 29, 2009

Contact: AARP Media Relations, 202-434-2560, media@aarp.org

WASHINGTON, DC – People of all ages and abilities would be drawn to live in three center-city developments designed to combine welcoming housing with retail and community features that encourage engagement in civic and social life, according to the judges of a national design competition. The three winning designs in the 2009 Livable Communities Student Design Competition were announced today by competition cosponsors AARP and the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS).

In naming the winners, the judges cited their designs’ cleverness, clarity and originality in accommodating the living needs of a wide variety of people. The judges said they personally would be delighted to live in the first place design for a mixed use complex in downtown Venice, CA. The home design featured an exterior overhang and custom rain and privacy screens to take advantage of Venice’s temperate climate as well as interior moveable walls to allow occupants to adapt the home to changing needs or lifestyle.

“The winning designs capture the spirit of livable communities;” said AARP Senior Vice President Elinor Ginzler, “they are places where people have easy access to what they need and can thrive whatever their age or ability.

The 2008-2009 design competition called for design of a mixed use facility incorporating housing, retail and community amenities with an emphasis on accessibility and universal design that would help make the neighborhood a “livable community.”

Winners are:
• John Vierra, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, First Prize, for “Flexible Framework”, a design for a mixed use development in Venice, CA

• Sandra Schwartz, Dan Reed, Alice Chiang and Anthony Maiolatesi, University of Maryland, Second Prize for “A Model for Aging in Place,” a design for a site Silver Spring, MD

• Kristy Swann, Auburn University, Third Prize, for “Livable Community at Camp and Girod,”a design for a site in New Orleans, LA

Honorable mentions went to two designs from Judson University (Elgin, IL) and one from the University of Idaho.

“As future design leaders, all participants have the unique opportunity to ensure all people, regardless of age or ability, are enabled to use the facilities they design with ease. For that, we are all winners,” stated Kevin Mulvaney, Director of Advancement for the AIAS. Sponsored by AARP and the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS), the annual competition is designed to challenge students to learn about universal design and designing for an aging population. “Through our partnership with AARP, students are challenged to consider the value of universal design principles both in and out of the classroom,” said Mulvaney.

The panel of design professionals judging the competition included Bradford Grant, Howard University Director of the School of Architecture and Design; Eric Zaddock, former AIAS president and urban planner in Washington DC; Louis Tennenbaum, universal design remodeler and contractor; and Scott Windley, architect for the US Access Board judged the competition. A total of $15,950 was awarded in prizes, including $6,000 for the winning design.

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with over 34.5 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP's 40 million members and Americans 50+; AARP Segunda Juventud, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) is an independent, nonprofit, student-run organization dedicated to providing unmatched programs, information and resources on issues critical to architectural education. The mission of the AIAS is to promote excellence in architectural education, training, and practice; to foster an appreciation of architecture and related disciplines; to enrich communities in a spirit of collaboration; and to organize students and combine their efforts to advance the art and science of architecture.