New Harmony was founded almost two hundred years ago first as a spiritual community, then as a haven for scholars, scientists, and educators whose visions of a utopian communal society gave rise to many progressive ideas and philosophies and inspired social change. We’d like to hear from all of you what your ideal vision of “Utopia” would be and why.
In celebration of New Harmony’s bicentennial in 2014, Historic New Harmony and the New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, are sponsoring a 2011 Bicentennial House Design Competition. Individuals or teams are invited to submit designs inspired by the traditional Harmonist Construction with emphasis on sustainable, energy efficient and affordable housing.
Students must currently be enrolled in a full-time, accredited undergraduate or graduate program in the following fields: (i) architecture, (ii) architectural drafting, (iii) landscape architecture, (iv) building design, (v) interior design, (vi) urban planning, (vii) construction, (viii) construction management, (ix) engineering, (x) studio art, or (xi) affordable housing. Students must be 18 years of age or older at the time of entry.
Professionals must be employed in one of the following fields relating to residential design or construction (i) architecture, (ii) landscape architecture, (iii) building design, (iv) interior design, (v urban planning, (vi) construction, (vii) construction management, (viii)engineering, (ix) art, (x) affordable housing and (xii) real estate development. Professionals must be 18 years of age or older at the time of entry.
| Quality and creativity of interpretation of Harmonist homes | 20 points |
| Uses innovative ideas, systems and products | 15 points |
| Considers energy efficiency/renewable energy sources | 15 points |
| Ease of construction, ability to be replicated | 20 points |
| Environmental impact of building materials | 15 points |
| Provides a realistic cost estimate | 15 points |
| Event | Date/Time |
| Registration Opens | March 15, 2011 |
| Registration Closes, Submissions Due | August 1, 2011, 4 PM CST |
| Round 1 Winners Notified | August 10, 2011 |
| Bicentennial House Competition Exhibition/Public Vote | August 20–September 24 |
| Round 2 Winners Notified | October 1, 2011 |
All applicants must register by August 1, 2011 to be eligible for the Bicentennial House Competition. Registration fee is $50 and must be submitted with registration form.
Any entry that does not comply with submission guidelines can be disqualified. Obscene, offensive, or inappropriate competition entries will be disqualified with sponsor’s sole and complete discretion. Limit one entry per individual or team.
Entries must be received by 4 PM CST on August 1, 2011. Entries postmarked after this deadline with NOT be accepted. Submissions should be rolled and mailed in a mailing tube or hand delivered to:
Historic New Harmony
603 West Street
PO Box 579
New Harmony, IN 47631
800.682.4488
Entries must be 100% original work of the applicant(s). Any work that contains copyrighted material or is suspected of being the intellectual property of another person or entity will be disqualified.
Entrant agrees that by submitting a competition entry it was created by the entrant is free of any copyright trademark or patent rights, or other intellectual property belonging to anyone else. Entrant agrees that the Sponsor may use any or all of the information in the entry in any manner for the purpose of this competition without any payment of fees or royalties.
Except where prohibited, entry into the competition constitutes each entrant’s consent to use, publish or reproduce each winners name, city, photograph, image, and entry for all purposes, including promotion and advertising in any media, without further compensation, credit or right of review or approval.
By entering, Entrants agree to release and hold harmless sponsor and its parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, divisions, advertising and promotional agencies, wholesalers and retailers, vendors, contractors, sub-contractors, and each of the foregoing entities’ employees, officers, directors, shareholders, members and agents (collectively the “Released Parties”), from and against any and all claims, actions and/or liability for any injuries or death, loss or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with participation in and/or entry into the competition or acceptance, delivery, or use of any recognition, including without limitation, Recognition of the National Finalists. The Released Parties are not responsible or liable for any incorrect or inaccurate Entry information, and assume no responsibility for (i) typographical or other errors in the printing of the promotion materials or the offering or announcement of recognition; (ii) any error, printing error, omission, interruption, defect or delay in operation or transmission at any website; (iii) failure of any Entry to be received by Sponsor due to technical problems, printing error, human error or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website; (iv) communications line, hardware and/or software failures; (v) damage to any computer (software or hardware) resulting from participation in the Competition; (vi) theft or destruction of, tampering with, unauthorized access to, or alteration of Entries and/or Entry information; or (vi) Entries which are late, lost, stolen, damaged, illegible and/or unintelligible (or any combination thereof).
Round 1: All entries will be reviewed and judged according to the criteria and point system. Winners from the first round will be exhibited at the New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art from August 20–September 24, 2011.
Round 2: Top three finalists will be chosen by public vote at the New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art between August 20 and September 24, 2011. Prizes will be awarded as follows:
The winning design will be advanced to construction documents and become the property of the town of New Harmony. It will be given free of charge to anyone seeking to build within the town limits or immediate environs.
In addition to cash awards Historic New Harmony may solicit press coverage for the winning designs, and otherwise promote both the contest and the winners in local and national media sources. It also reserves the right to finance the construction of the winning entries.
In 1814 a group of German millennialists purchased 20,000 acres of land in Southwestern Indiana Territory to fulfill their destiny as proscribed by a biblical prophecy. Their second of three towns built in the New World, New Harmony, was designed with a perpendicular street plan and contained 180 structures built over the course of their ten year habitation there. In addition to churches, factories, granaries, and barns, the Harmonie Society constructed four community houses for single men and women and 28 single family dwellings made with half-timbered traditional construction and insulated with wooden boards covered with straw and mud. Painted plaster covered the interior walls, while either hardwood clapboards or bricks sheathed the exteriors. Wood shakes covered the roofs. A footprint of 20 × 30 feet was the norm in each two-story house. More historical background is available at www.newharmony.org.