Judging Criteria, Selection and Prizes

Judging Criteria

Below are the top points that Build UP! views as necessary judging criteria. The judging process is formatted to be as a forum amongst judges.

Creativity (1=Very predictable, standard; 5='out of the box' thinking, innovative, original) Teams were required to conceive of new approaches and solutions to common problems. How did this team differentiate their design from other ones? Using designs seen in your profession, would this be considered fresh?

Adherence to design requirements (1=Did not follow the design requirements; 5=Met all of the design requirements) The coordinators of the event will ensure that the teams submitted their designs according to the rules.

Depth of research (1= Did not back up their claims of sustainability, simply copied and pasted information from websites, 5=Calculations included in presentation, use of academic journals or other sources besides the internet) Although teams were instructed to be creative as possible, their ideas had to be applicable to the real world or at least backed by empirical data, models and experiments. Did the teams include a list of sources? Did they site other models or blueprints from other real world structures? How well did they support their overall design?

Life cycle/Sustainability (1= Did not consider the entire life cycle environmental, social, and economic impacts; 5=Considered cradle-to-cradle design and after-life uses of materials and components) Teams are asked to consider the entire life cycle of the design. Did the team use sustainable and environmentally-friendly materials? Did the team think of sustainable ways to use the various components after the life-span of the house? Included in this evaluation, the team should mention health impacts of indoor air quality such as non-VOC paints and air flow. It is a bonus if the team mentions how some of the materials/components can be used in other applications.

Cost effectiveness ( 1=Wasteful use of budget; 5=Project showed thorough understanding of fully utilizing their budget) Did the team use its budget efficiently? Was the team able to cut costs while maximizing functionality? How did this team use low-cost alternatives without sacrificing quality and performance?

Overall presentation (1= sloppy presentation of project, 5=professional quality project board that is both clear, concise and visually pleasing) The final project submission is to be neat and easily understandable. Did the team's board properly convey their ideas? Were both the individual parts and overall look of the board taken into consideration? How well was the material prepared?

Selection Process

A consortium of industry professionals will judge design submissions. The winning teams will be announced within 4 weeks of submission. The judging criteria will be based off of how well teams adapted their creative ideas in accordance to the competition requirements.

Prizes

First, second, and third place prizes will be awarded based on sponsor contribution.  Winners receive the opportunity to work with Meadowlark Builders to put their design into reality on Mackinac Island.  All contestants are invited to participate in the construction process.
 
Build UP! provides an excellent opportunity for students to gain some exposure with professionals across the state as well as connections and recognition around campus. We are working hard to garner the most publicity for this competition to help expose the great amount of creativity and innovative spirit that exists in the State of Michigan. Please refer to Official Rules for terms and conditions.