Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville, in partnership with the Charlottesville Community Design Center (CCDC) is pleased to announce an open ideas competition for the transformation of Sunrise Trailer Court into a vibrant, attractive urban community called Sunrise Park. In communities where Habitat is accustomed to building single-family homes, the shortage of affordable land requires Habitat affiliates to build at a higher density. URBAN HABITATS is in search of innovative models that provide sustainable, affordable multifamily housing.

The competition integrates affordable and market rate housing into a medium-density, mixed-income, mixed-use community. The goal is to generate culturally and climatically responsive architecture through a sustainable continuum, from site development to energy efficient unit operation. The proposals should provide compact efficient floor plans that utilize innovative building technologies.

Design concepts generated by the competition will provide the baseline for a new national model of community development. The results will guide non-profit organizations, private developers, or public/private partnerships in the redevelopment of trailer parks while providing affordable housing for the current trailer park residents.

This is an open ideas competition. Individuals, teams, academic studios and firms in architecture and its allied fields are encouraged to enter. Exceptions are noted in the Rules section.

J. Max Bond, Jr., FAIA Partner, Davis Brody Bond
Lynne Conboy Vice Chair, HFHGC
Teddy Cruz Principal, Estudio Teddy Cruz
Marion Chapman Dudley Resident, Sunrise Trailer Court
Nevil Eastwood Director of Construction, HFHI
Julie Eizenberg, AIA Principal, Koning Eizenberg Architecture
James P. Grigg, AIA Board Member, HFHGC
Kendra Hamilton Charlottesville City Council
John Woodriff Belmont Neighborhood Association

Award funds in the amount of $25,000 will be distributed at the discretion of the jurors to a maximum of three Finalists displaying the highest level of response to the program challenges. Up to twelve Honorable Mentions will be awarded without compensation.

Finalists will be invited to meet with the Board of Directors of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville to discuss their ideas for Sunrise Park.

Competition entries will be on public display at the Charlottesville Community Design Center during the month of September 2005. Individual Finalists may be asked to give a lecture in conjunction with the exhibit.

A companion publication using the principles developed in the competition program and demonstrated in selected competition entries will be produced by the Charlottesville Community Design Center in collaboration with the University of Virginia School of Architecture.