A team of CSM architecture students was awarded the “Biologic Award” for “Best of Show” at the prestigious Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Design Village 2014 competition. Design Village, a weekend-long event, challenges students to design and construct a theme-based temporary structure to house their teammates for the duration of weekend. This year’s theme, “Biologics,” inspired teams to take their designs from nature.  The competition draws architecture students from colleges and universities from throughout the state. CSM is honored to have captured one of only five awards that are presented at the event.

CSM’s winning design featured a canopy cover of folded and stitched plastic-potting flats and a structural frame of mechanically-joined galvanized steel pipes used in chain link fence construction.  Members of CSM’s team were: Fede Albarracin, Ricki Andersen, Krongkan Klabkaeo, Gino Orlando, Guillermo San Miguel, and Joaquin Tobar.

According to CSM Architecture Instructor John Lucchesi, “Conceptual designs for the competition are initiated in CSM’s Architecture Studio course. Student teams then develop rough models and drawings into buildable full-scale shelters, guided by Studio Instructor George Sun.” The competition presents students with additional complexity related to the site of the event. Teams are required to transport their materials approximately 1.5 miles down a narrow dirt road in Poly Canyon, build their structure on the site –a  hill with a slope that varies  from 10 to 30 degrees— and then live in it for the weekend. Lucchesi adds, “The challenges of the site encourage teams to design lightweight structures and to employ innovative solutions to transporting the materials.”

Design Village is an annual event that is part of Cal Poly SLO’s annual campus open house weekend festivities.