Welcome to the Birmingham Architectural Foundation

AIA Birmingham

Introduction

Program

AIA4SHELTER / Aletheia House DESIGN COMPETITION

PROGRAM/BUDGET

A 3-bedroom, 1½ to 2-bathroom, single-family house up to 1,400 SF and appropriate for four people. If a garage is included, its SF must be included in the total number of SF of the project. Carports need not be included in SF but will add to construction cost. Two parking places are required, but they do not have to be covered and can be one behind the other. The design should be flexible and appropriate for construction.
All entries should address the following considerations:

   • Maintenance and material life span
   • Energy efficiency (www.energystar.gov)
   • Affordability (approximately $100,000 construction cost)
   • The principles of Social, Economic, Environmental Design

Houses may be of pier-and-beam or slab-on-grade construction. Houses may be constructed on-site or may consist of modular units, constructed off-site. Houses may not exceed two stories, shall have space for a stacked washer and dryer, a 30" cooking range, and a 36" refrigerator. Appliances should be included in the construction budget.
The successful competitor will use sustainable building practices and materials with a special concern for affordability, longevity, energy savings benefits, and appropriateness for the local Birmingham, AL climate. All entrants should design with as many energy-efficient standards as possible. The winning design should use the fewest resources (labor and materials) to achieve the highest design impact.

While the competition provides a specific site, the house design should demonstrate its adaptability to other site conditions and orientations.

You may download the site files below. There is a map file (jpg format) that is not to scale, an aerial photo image (jpg format), and a pdf file of the survey. A CAD file in dwg, and dxf format will be e-mailed to you along with your registration number after you register.