FAQ
You may submit a question to info@urbanSHED.org through 24 September. Please check that your question has not already been answered on the FAQ page before submitting. All questions and answers will be posted on this page.
REGISTRATION
What is my registration number?
Once you have registered and completed payment through Acteva you will receive a transaction number starting with the number 3. This is your registration number for the competition.
Once I register, what additional information will I be able to access?
After registering and paying the registration fee, you will receive online access to PDF versions of a site diagram, detailed site plan, and site elevations.
Can I submit more than one project to the competition?
You may register and submit as many projects as you like. Each submission requires its own registration and payment. Each registration will have a different registration ID number. Different registrations may include either the same or different team members.
Can I change my registration information or add a team member later?
You may change contact information and add team members by using the update registration page only through the end of the registration period (18 September).
I forgot to print the online registration form when I registered. How can I print it now?
We can email you your registration form. Please request this by email at info@urbanSHED.org
Will I receive additional information in the mail?
No. All information is available on this website. There is no additional printed information.
Do I need to send a copy of my student ID when I register or with the board to be submitted?
All student ids’ need to be sent along with your board submission.
My registration number does not start with 3760. Is it still a correct registration number?
If your seven-digit registration number starts with 3 it is correct.
May our team be credited by our firm name, instead of the name of the main registrant?
Write out on the copy of the registration form you submit with your board the order in which you would like your team credits to be listed.
ELIGIBILITY
I am not yet a licensed architect or licensed engineer. Am I eligible to enter this competition?
Yes, you are. This is an international competition open to students and architects/designers from all over the world. Stage II finalists will then be required to have a minimum of one licensed practitioner (either an architect or engineer) on their team to continue on in the competition.
I don’t live in the U.S. Am I eligible to enter?
Yes. This is an international competition open to anyone who has an innovative, cost effective and sustainable idea about sidewalk sheds and wants to participate.
Is it possible to register only for Stage II of the competition?
No. Up to three finalists will be chosen in Stage I of the competition. These finalists will be given $5,000 each to continue on the Stage II of the competition.
What is the first place award for the Stage II winner?
The winner will receive a monetary award in the amount of $10,000. The urbanSHED International Design Competition sponsors will seek to fabricate and install the winning project on a job site.
I graduated college in May but am not yet employed. May I register for urbanSHED as a student entrant and pay the student registration fee?
urbanSHED will extend the reduced student fee to recent college graduates who can provide documentation that they graduated in 2009.
We are architecture professors who plan to submit several teams from our college design studio. We will not be able to identify the team members until the actual submission deadline. May we register our students as a numbered team without identifying each student until we submit their entries?
Submissions from students in design studios from a particular university; college or design department may be registered under the name of the institution, studio class and a team number. The submission board itself must include a signed, sealed opaque envelope that lists the name of the institution, the studio class, the registered team number and the names and id.’s of all the students on the team. All team members must be students and must be registered in that particular institution and studio class. The class professor (s) will not be considered a member (s) of the team, but the institution and design studio will be mentioned in any project credits.
PROGRAM
Is there a budget for the project?
We have requested that the proposed design fall within the range of the current cost of sidewalk shed installation and maintenance. Please see costs under Program Requirements.
How technically developed must my proposal be?
Sidewalk shed design is complex. We encourage entrants to work in multi-disciplinary teams in an effort to generate the most informed proposal possible.
Are there any guidelines governing the use of color in my design?
We have not specified any color requirements. Of course, competitors should contemplate color (or lack thereof) as part of their design.
Typical heavy-duty sidewalk shed (300 psf live load plus 20 psf dead load) 12' wide would transfer 48 sf of load down each column; this alone would exceed the assumed value of the sidewalk at 15,000. Many bridges, including 280 Broadway are wider. This forces posting to be 8' on center or less. Is this your intent?
The value of 15,000 lbs was not derived from any specific code requirement but rather to eliminate the sidewalk and underlying soil bearing capacity as a variable from the competition design. It is true that the value was patterned on the common 12’ sidewalk span, but the competitors should not take it as a “lead“.
What occurs on the top of the shed that determines the 300 lb per square foot load requirement?
Various construction activities and installations take place on top of the shed and the load requirement is also intended to represent the value of the static load equivalent to the dynamic impact of falling debris.
Is the primary function of the outer shed wall to protect workers from falling off or to prevent large debris from bouncing onto the street?
The intent of the outer shed wall is to prevent debris from bouncing onto the street. In the presently approved designs the wall is also used to protect workers from falling. The competitors may indicate other means to protect workers from falling.
Must the shed sustain 300 lbs per square foot in all areas cumulatively or is the 300 lbs per square foot referring to an impact load only?
The shed must sustain 300 lbs in all areas. The design for the winning entry will have to demonstrate that the shed can sustain such vertical load both on local areas and cumulatively on extended areas.
Is DOT signage ever attached to the shed?
DOT does not currently attach its signs to sidewalk sheds. urbanSHED competitors are encouraged to propose design solutions that innovatively accommodate and provide visibility for diverse, miscellaneous street signs.
What is the maximum member weight that a scaffolding crew can handle?
Such member weight is not indicated in the Building Code, nor is such weight a limitation for the competition although ease of installation will be noted.
What is the minimum distance from the face of the building to the outside edge of the shed for each façade?
For the purpose of this competition this requirement should be interpreted as requiring the design to be within one to two inches from the face of the building. In addition the proposed design should provide some flexibility for adding material to close such a gap with additional coverings.
What is the maximum lateral deflection allowed?
The competition technical requirements do not include specific limits on lateral deflections as various materials and load combinations would have different maximums. In general the lateral deflection should not distort the frames and should be no more than 30% higher than allowable drift or deflection for a comparable permanent structure.
Is the maximum concentrated load of 15,000 lbs at the base of the column just an average/assumption or is it a set load constraint?
The 15,000 lbs at the base of the column is a maximum concentrated load to be used in this competition. The competitor can use a value of 3,500 psf for distributed load on the sidewalk.
Does the width of the sidewalk shed need to cover the entire width of the sidewalk? For instance, if the sidewalk is 17’ wide, can the shed cover only the 12’ next to the building while the 5’ of width next to the street is exposed?
The sidewalk shed must cover the entire width of the sidewalk.
Can we assume that the maximum concentrated load of 15000lbs at the base of the column is considered a point load and that a use of a base plate to distribute the load is acceptable (if load exceeds 15000lbs at certain areas)?
The 15,000 lbs at the base of the column is a maximum concentrated load to be used in this competition. The competitor can use a value of 3,500-psf capacity on the sidewalk for load distribution.
Should the design of the shed accommodate the additional scaffold above as part of the same design system, or can it be treated separately?
The design of the shed shall provide space to accommodate a scaffold above.
Does the sidewalk shed need to resist the full wind load for NYC of 110 mph?
The New York City Building Code requires design for 98 mph winds.
Please confirm design wind and seismic loads are based on the current New York City Building Code and there is no reduction accepted for a new temporary shed design?
Wind design shall be per ASCE -7 and per NYC Building Code. As above, The New York City Building Code requires design for 98 mph winds. This value can be decreased by a factor of .8 per ASCE 37.
For the purpose of this competition seismic design does not need to be considered.
Does an anchoring system need to be considered at the top of the shed for the scaffold against upward wind force and lateral seismic force?
Upward wind effects need to be considered in the design and if necessary anchorage shall be provided. For the purpose of the competition seismic design is not required.
Please confirm that the weights of the 4ft wide scaffold and the workers are included in 300 pounds per square foot?
For the purpose of this competition the scaffold and the weight of workers are included in the 300 pounds per square foot.
Please specify an allowable bearing pressure (psi) at the base of the column(s) at the sidewalk? In other words, if 3 or 4 columns are next to each other (say 4” apart), each still can take 15,000 lb?
The combined total load on columns inches apart cannot exceed 15,000 lbs.
We have inspected the mechanical anchors into the sidewalk concrete at the bottom of some columns of the existing shed, how much can each anchor take in a tension (uplift) force?
The competitor should consider a sidewalk consisting of 4” thick 4000 psi concrete and calculate the anchor capacity accordingly.
Is there a limited size of each element for the shed assembly to fit into a storage system?
No. Ease of storage and transportation should be considered.
May the sidewalk shed sides and outer edges vary in height?
Three feet six inches, (3’ 6”) is a vertical dimension to be measured from the top of the deck. This dimension must remain the same in relationship to the top of the deck throughout the project.
Does the roof surface of the shed need to be horizontal and level or is a pitch - parallel and/or perpendicular to the building roof surface allowed? If yes, what is the maximum pitch?
The roof surface can have any pitch in areas not used for scaffold installation and access. Note that rain water management is a concern.
Is it necessary to maintain a continuous elevation of the shed walking surface or may there be elevation changes? What is the maximum elevation change?
There is no such requirement except if the surface is actually used for people to walk on it should meet general worker or pedestrian safety rules.
Some of the existing sheds have cantilevering netting or plywood attached to the vertical plywood guard, which is at 45-degree angle. Is this an additional requirement for the proposed design?
The cantilevering portion extending past the sidewalk area is not a requirement.
SITE
What is the site for this competition?
We have chosen the Buildings Department’s current location at 280 Broadway as the competition site. Please note that although we have provided a site, we envision proposals that are flexible and would be able to be erected and utilized on a diversity of sites throughout the City.
The competition site is landmarked, yet you have requested innovative anchorage systems. Can my design affix and penetrate into the exterior of 280 Broadway?
Although 280 Broadway is a landmarked building, for the purpose of this competition, submissions should assume that building anchoring is permitted.
Are the site drawings available in AutoCad or Illustrator?
No, the site drawings are only available as pdf’s, but entrants are welcome to convert them into other software.
Are there any other high-resolution photographs of 280 Broadway available to competitors?
No and please note that under Presentation Requirements, under drawing a, in the Competition Brief, we require entrants to incorporate the high-resolution photo provided in the Competition Site section of the competition brief.
I downloaded the elevations and they appear to be stretched out horizontally and not to scale. Are they correct?
We have re-uploaded the 280 Broadway elevations. Please base all ground plane dimensions on the site plan and use the written height dimensions indicated on the elevations to scale your drawings accordingly.
SUBMISSIONS
Am I allowed to use the downloadable images of the site on my board?
Yes. We have requested that the perspective of 280 Broadway and Chambers Street taken by Michael Daddino be used. When this image is incorporated you must properly credit the photographer as follows: Photo: Michael Daddino. The rest of the photos and drawings may be incorporated at the discretion of the entrant.
What scale should my submitted drawings be?
The elevation and transverse section must be at ¼ inch = 1 foot (1:50). The sidewalk shed outer sides and ends detail must be at ½ inch = 1 foot (1:25). The lighting detail must be at ½ inch =1 foot (1:25).
The perspective of Broadway and Chambers should be at a scale chosen by the entrant but must be the most prominent drawing on the board. All other drawings should use a scale that best communicates your design ideas.
Can I write more than 250 words about my proposal
No. Each entry must include a text statement that is NO MORE than 250 words describing your design concept. This does not include captions or image labels. You are not required to write 250 words but cannot write more than 250 words.
Am I required to include the competition title urbanSHED on my board?
No. The competition title as it appears on our website or in any other form is not required on your submission. Please note that should your project have a title DO NOT INCLUDE the name of team, company or of any individuals involved in the project.
Can we have text in captions adjacent to drawings that are separate from the 250-word description?
Yes. You may include caption labels or image labels that are under ten words each.
Is it possible to submit electronically?
No. All submissions must follow the exact format and requirements found in Submission Requirements on this website.
How does the deliverer (individual or organization) of a mail submission remain anonymous?
Please see our Rules section under Anonymity, we state:
“Submission boards may only have the registration number; submissions may not have any mark or number that could identify the project or competitor.”
We are entering from abroad, but having our board printed in New York. This makes attaching an envelope that has been signed across the seal by the registrant difficult to coordinate. Is it possible to submit the envelope without the registrant’s seal?
If you are an entrant from outside New York City but are having your board printed and delivered from within New York City, you may send the signed, sealed opaque envelope, labeled with the registrants registration number containing a copy of the printed online registration form listing the name of the registrant and ALL team members under separate cover from the submission board, but it MUST be received (this is not a postmark deadline), at the Center for Architecture at 536 LaGuardia Place, New York NY 10012 in Manhattan no later than 5:00pm EST, Friday 2 October, 2009. Please write – Attention: urbanSHED on the outside of the envelope.
How can one fit all three building elevations on one 30” x 40” board?
As outlined in our Presentation Requirements the one elevation we are asking for is of Broadway which is 151 feet long. Elevations along Reade St. or Chambers St. are not required.
If I include the entire length of the sidewalk the Broadway elevation does not fit onto the 40” board. Please advise?
The competition has requested an elevation of the building length along Broadway which measures 151 feet and will fit onto the 40 inch board at 1/4"=1'0" scale. The corner condition of each proposal is meant to be illustrated by the large perspective. Competitors may include any additional drawings that further communicate their design concept.
Do you need to see the entire height of the Broadway façade as part of the longitudinal elevation?
No. This elevation should illustrate the entire height of the proposed sidewalk shed as it relates to 280 Broadway.
May we use both sides of the 30” x 40” board for presentation?
No. Only the front of the Board is to be used for your presentation as illustrated in the Submission Layout under Submission Requirements.
The Jury will not be shown and will not review any material beyond the single board submission, however on the presentation requirements you state additional optional drawings can be included. Can you please tell me how this should be submitted?
The jury will only look at the front side of the 30” x 40” board, as demonstrated on the website under Submission Layout. Any additional drawings you wish to include must be included on the front side of the board along with all the other requirements.
We are from Europe and would like to know in which units we should present our drawings?
You may use the metric system that is equivalent to the required scales.
Is it a requirement of the competition that the entire photographic image be incorporated into the submission board?
Please use this photograph to clearly illustrate your proposal and choose the information that you determine to be the most important to demonstrate.
The online description of the jpeg to be included on the CD requests a 600 x 400 pixel jpeg, while the printable competition brief asks for a 100 x 100 image. Should we include both?
No. Include only the 600 x 400 pixel jpg.
There are a number of separate boards being submitted from the same area. Is it allowable to combine the individual boards in one package to save on shipping costs?
Absolutely. Just make sure that each board in the group package has an opaque envelope with each teams registration form attached directly to its corresponding board.
AWARDS
Will the winning design team be given a waiver and indemnification clause from the City of New York as well as the competition sponsor who will be constructing the mock-up?
No, urbanSHED cannot provide a waiver or indemnification clause. The design will be evaluated by Office of Technical Certification and Research (OTCR) for compliance with the NYC Construction Codes and an OTCR Bulletin will be published with acceptance criteria which will include design and installation requirements.
The sponsors reserve the right to issue updates during the competition process.