Official Rules

Eligibility

• Open to all architects, designers, design firms, artists and students from around the world. Entrants must be over 18 years of age.

• Employees or firms represented on the jury, students from schools where a juror teaches and employees of traffic and their family members may not participate in this year's competition.

• Entrants may enter as often as they like, but each entry must be submitted separately.

• The Competition begins on November 5, 2009 and ends on March 6th, 2010. See below for important entry deadline information.

Judging Criteria

Entries will be judged on a points system with equal weight given to each individual criterion. A total high score of 50 and low score of 0 points are possible. The 10 highest scoring initial entries will become traffic ‘Nominees’, subsequently making them eligible to win the traffic design competition.

(Nominees will be required to submit technical drawings and renderings of their entries for which they will be given at least 2 months to prepare.)

Winning entries will show excellence in the following areas :

• Innovation; • General design aesthetic quality ; • Functionality; • Symbolic and emotional content; • Cultural relevance.

Entry Procedures & Deadlines

• Download your application form online at http://www.viatraffic.org/.

• Complete the entry form, being sure to fill in each required section. Save the application forms as two separate PDF files, one with your personal info and one with your designs (with no personal info).

• Submissions in any format other than the one mentioned above will not be reviewed or considered.

• Email your entry to competition@viatraffic.org by March 6th, 2010 at 11:59 pm UAE time.

All decisions of the Jury and traffic are final. traffic offers no guarantee as to the number and type of traffic awards given each year. All submissions become the property of traffic and will subsequently become part of its archives. By submitting an entry the participant agrees that traffic - and any other party authorized by it - shall have permission to publish any material contained therein. All submitted materials are to be considered public record and contestants must assume that no content will be treated with any special confidentiality.

Categories

The Award categories are as follows:

• A Mosque through Architecture • A Majlis through Interior Design• A Pattern through Graphic Design• A Public Installation through Experimental Design

1. Mosque Through Architecture A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. Muslims often refer to the mosque by its Arabic name, masjid.

Objective : An architectural approach to a Contemporary Mosque that can hold up to 500 - 1000 people in an area of 5000sqm. Applicants will be judged on their inventive re-interpretation of tradition as well as the responsibility with which the structure will be built and used.

The format of the mosque is up to the creativity of the architect, however the following are required in the design :

- Exterior and Interior Design- Women’s Prayer Room- Ablution Area- Communal spaces (parking, library…)

Required materials for 1st round :

- Concept description in less than 250 words- Floor plans - 4 Conceptual sketches/ views (2D, 3D or hand drawn) - Mood Boards

Required materials for 2nd round :

- Scaled model no bigger than 1mx1mx1m- Furniture design (If needed)- Material Samples- Lighting layout- Elevations- 4 X 3D renderings (if not already presented)

2. Majlis Through Interior DesignMajlis is an Arabic term for a room in a private home, used to entertain family and guests. In some homes there is a women’s Majlis and a men’s Majlis.

Objective : Interior Design of a Majlis that can seat up to 20 people. The multi-purpose space (for casual, formal, familial gatherings) must include a dining area. Key points are ambience, practicality and inventive use of space. The Majlis must work within a budget of USD 25,000.

Required materials for 1st round :

- Concept description in less than 250 words- Floor plans - 2 Conceptual sketches/ views (2D, 3D or hand drawn) - Mood Boards

Required materials for 2nd round :

- Scaled model no bigger than 1mx1mx1m- Detailed Furniture design- Material Samples- Lighting Layout- Elevations- 2 X 3D renderings (if not already presented)

3. Pattern Through Graphic DesignArabic patterns are well known for their complexity and geometry. They are often referred to as ‘Mashrabiya’ and are used in architecture, interiors and clothing.

Objective : Contemporary design of middle eastern and Arabic patterns with various applications. This pattern can be used in henna, stationery, textile etc. Designs will be judged on creative use of the patterns.

Required materials for 1st round :

- Concept description in less than 250 words- Pattern (using any graphic design software) - Graphic application on different mediums

Required materials for 2nd round :

- Samples of 3 items with pattern application

4. Public Installation This category is open to interpretation in terms of subject, exact location, mediums and other. The only restrictions are that it needs to fit within 5mx5mx5m space and cost less than USD 10,000 to produce.

Required materials for 1st round :

- Concept description in less than 250 words- location recommendation within the UAE- 2 Conceptual sketches/ views (2D, 3D or hand drawn)

Required materials for 2nd round :

- Scaled model no bigger than 1mx1mx1m- Detailed design- Material Samples- 2 X 3D renderings (if not already presented)

Prize

traffic commits to the realization and production of all winning designs. A trophy designed by traffic will also be presented during the awards ceremony.

- A Mosque through Architecture : The winning entry will be built in the UAE. The winner’s details and name will be included on all literature and PR, as well as in the architecture of the building.

- A Majlis through Interior Design : The winning design will be built in the private home situated in the Nad Al Sheba area of Dubai. This anonymous benefactor guarantees the production of the design, within the budget specified. The winner’s details and name will be included on all literature and PR.

- A Patter through Graphic Design : The winning design will be produced with selected partners, and retailed at the traffic store and gallery.

- A Public Installation through Experimental Design : The winning design will be produced by shelter, a community workspace situated in Dubai and Sharjah. The design must work within the budget specified.

Award Notification By March 21, 2010 the Jury will select the award Nominees from the initial submissions list. These nominees will be contacted before March 25, 2010. The nominees will then be required to submit detailed technical drawings and a 2nd round entry of their design to traffic by May 29, 2010. The Jury will then select award winners ("Selected Entrants") who will be awarded on June 10 2010. All Selected Entrants will be required to respond (as directed) either by telephone and/or e-mail within one week of attempted notification. In the event of an entrant failing to respond in the allocated time period, his application may then be forfeited, in which case, the jury may re-score entries and select a new entrant. The entrant agrees to allow traffic, third-party vendors and agents to publish, display and use the submitted design as well as any additional information on the designer for media advertising and promotional purposes without additional permission or compensation. Each selected entrant will be required to complete and return a publishing waiver within the time period specified therein.

Entry Checklist

The following items must be submitted at the same time, in the same email. No partial or incomplete entries will be accepted. Please do not send your entry in multiple emails.

1. Entry Form Download and then print form: fill in all the fields. Conditions of agreement are written on the entry form so these should be read, noted and then signed.

2. Complete details in English and make sure files amount to less than 2MB.

2. Entry contact & Credits worksheet and signed declaration saved in one PDF file, total pages to not exceed 5.

4. One headshot (in color, JPG or TIF format only, 72 dpi, no larger than 5" x 7" in size on a solid white background).

5. Applicants who have made it to the second round will be contacted and given detailed instructions on materials required for judging.

• Please ensure that submissions are well packed in a sturdy box to avoid damage in the mail and in handling. Written clearly on the base of all materials, please indicate the project name, your given applicant number andtelephone number.

• Please note that the shipping of all entry materials will be by the applicant.

Hints & Tips

- Keep it short and simple: Explain your designs clearly and completely within the word limit. The write ups are the only information the jurors have, so help them experience your design with clear writing.

- Leave your name out of it: The names of the designers or design firm should appear only on the Entry Contacts & Credits page. They should not anywhere else.This error will disqualify your entry!

- Don't hesitate to ask: traffic staff can answer questions from 10am to 6pm (Dubai time) Saturday- Thursday by phone at 971.4.341.84.94 or by e-mail at competition@viatraffic.org

Conditions

Competition is subject to these Official Rules. By participating, entrants agree to be bound by these complete Official Rules and the terms of ethics on thetraffic website.

All decisions of the traffic design competition are final and binding; and entrants agree to waive any right to dispute decision made by these rules. By accepting an award, the winner agrees to release traffic and its partners without limitation, their respective advertising and promotion entities and any person or entity associated with the production, judging, or administration of the Awards, from any and all liability, loss or damage arising from or in connection with awarding, receipt and/or use or misuse of award or participation in anyaward-related activities.

traffic reserves the right to use the competition for publicity purposes in any media, and to use the name, likeness, entry materials and hometown name and/or award information of Selected Entrants as part of that publicity, without any compensation or prior review.

traffic may cancel the competition for any reason, at its sole discretion. This competition is void in any place where such competitions may be prohibited or restricted by law, and subject to applicable local laws.

traffic reserves the right to disqualify any participant found to be guilty of misconduct with regard to the entry process, the operation of the competition or of violation of these Official Rules.

traffic shall not be liable for: (i) late, misdirected, lost, incomplete, unreadable, inaccurate, or unintelligible entries or communication; (ii) any injuries, lossesor damages of any kind that may be caused through acceptance of an award or from participation in the Competition; or (iii) any administrative (be it printing, typographical or technological) errors in any materials associatedwith the competition.

traffic reserves the right to prohibit an entrant from participating in the competition if it determines such entrant is attempting to undermine operation of the competition or to cheat, deceive, abuse, threaten or harass any other players or Traffic's representatives. Disputes regarding these Rules and/or this competition will be governed by the laws of the United Arab Emirates.

Privacy

All personal information collected by traffic will be used for administration of the Competition. In addition, entrants opt in to receive email correspondence from, or on behalf of traffic, subject to traffic's privacy policy. Please refer to traffic’s privacy policy located at www.viatraffic.org for further information regarding the collection, use and disclosure of personal information by traffic.

FAQ About the competition

- Is the competition open only to professionals?The Competition is open to students, professionals as well as design studios and organizations.

- Can we enter as a group? Absolutely. Please inform us on the application form if you are applying as a group and identify who the principal contact person will be.

- How many entries can be submitted by each designer? There is no limit. Each entry will require a separate application form.

- What is a rendering? Can model photos be used? A rendering is a 3-dimensional perspective drawing of the product.

- Can the drawing be hand drawn? Yes. Dimensions will need to be clearly stated.

- There is a rule saying that 'entries are limited to works not yet published, can past works that failed to win competitions be altered for entry? Yes, these works are eligible provided they were not published by the competition.

- Can entries be faxed? No.

- Can I send my design entry online or by e-mail? Yes, this is the only format entries will be accepted.

- Will entries be returned? Please note that entry forms, models, materials and anything applied will not be returned.

- Can submissions be sent on CDs or DVDs? No. Entries are only accepted by email in a pdf format.

FAQAbout the announcement of the screening result

- When and how will the results be announced? Notices of results of the initial screening will be made by March 25, 2010 (only for applicants who have passed). We will announce the winners on our website in June 2010.

- When will the prizes be awarded? Prizes are scheduled to be awarded at an award ceremony on June 10th 2010. Exact date is to be confirmed.

FAQRealised designs

- Will winning designs be realised? traffic aims to put all winning designs into production as possible. However, factors such as technical viability and cost issues will need to be takeninto consideration.

- If my design is approved and built, will I be paid any fees?By awarding a winning entry design, traffic reserves all rights to the design. Prize winners will receive a detailed design fee upon production of designs.

- If my design is approved and built, will my name appear on the product or in any relation to the design? Yes, the winning designer's name with background information about designer will appear.

- I would like to visit your space, could you tell me where I can find traffic? We are located near Mall of the Emirates in the Barsha neighbourhood of Dubai. You can find a map online.

- I would like to promote the traffic design competition to our students, are you able to supply promotional material in English / Arabic so I can distribute them to our campuses?We are happy to send traffic design leaflets and posters. Please send an e-mail to us with your address to competition@viatraffic.org. Alternatively you can download all materials here.