Call for Submittals: Design Competition in Historic Downtown Vancouver

Each year, the Clark County Historic Preservation Commission hosts outreach and educational events intended to raise awareness of preservation issues. In 2010, the Commission is holding a design competition with a historic preservation twist.

For this competition, the Historic Preservation Commission has been awarded grant funds, and has partnered with the City of Vancouver, the AIA, and the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation. The competition will generate inspired ideas for new development in historic, downtown Vancouver.

This design competition asks participants to submit designs for new construction that will complement and incorporate aspects of adjacent historic buildings. The Competition is open to everyone. Submissions will present designs for new development on the site of the parking lot adjacent to the Elks Building at Evergreen Boulevard and Washington Street. Designs should utilize the rich ornamentation of the Elks Building, built in 1911, and its architectural elements – polychromatic brick patterns, marble-based sconces, iron balconies – and approaches.

Planners, are you tired of seeing plans, designs, and renderings by architects; and thinking to yourself: "I could do better than that." Planners have training in urban design, historic preservation, and relating buildings to the street and surrounding context. Yet seldom do planners have creative outlets. Now is your chance. The Competition is open to architecture firms, other professionals, local artists, high school and college students, and any adult with a great idea and the willingness to share it.

For more information, please visit the Competition website: www.cityofvancouver.us/HistoricDesign or contacts: Derek Chisholm at 971-322-7942