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Stage 2: Semifinalists

We are happy to announce that 25 contestants out of 101 entries have advanced to the Semifinalist round (Stage Two) of the Berkeley Prize 2004 competition. This includes thirteen teams of two or more persons. Architecture students from 28 countries entered this year's competition, including: Australia, Austria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Greece, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, Singapore, Spain, Uruguay, and the United States. Semifinalists are invited to submit a 2500-word essay based on their 500-word proposal by midnight, Pacific Time, February 26, 2004. The top five to seven essays will be selected for final judging by the Berkeley Prize Jury.

Auburn, Ryland, University of Southern California, USA: "A Tale of Tent Cities"

Badran, Abed Elkhaleq, University of Southern California, USA: "A Tale of Tent Cities"

Auburn, Ryland, Wizo-Canada College, Haifa, Israel, Israel: "VOLUTION AND NOT REVOLUTION: A paradigm of urban upgrading in Arab villages and refugees' cores in Israel"

Dhakhwa, Kamana, Institute of Engineering, Nepal: "A VOICE OF POVERTY"

Friend, Nicholas, Yale University, USA: "Design for the Displaced: Providing for an Unheard Voice"

Heatherton, Christina Yuriko Pablo Cid-Barraza and Chris Grabill, UC Berkeley, USA: "A Home in the Homeland?"

Hildebrand, Tracy, Savannah College of Art and Design, USA: "The Anatomy of Community"

Hoppenworth, Nicole, Iowa State University, USA: "Solutions?"

Hourigan, Kathryn, The University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia: "VISIONS for the displaced; displacing the role of the architect."

Hyde, Adrian, Deakin University, Australia: "URBAN SURVIVAL OF THE HOMELESS - Recognizing the Homeless as People of the City."

Koff, Daniel, Washington University in St. Louis, USA: "Architecture as a Tool for Building Community"

Levy, Barak, Technion - Haifa, Israel, Israel: "The Right Path"

Ling, Andrea, University of Waterloo, Canada: "Architecture for the Homeless: An exercise in lack of control"

Nkya, Angela, Iowa State University, USA: "At Home in the City"

Pesudo Casas, Jordi, ETSAB, Spain: "Immigration and public space in Barcelona"

Pupilli, Adriano, University of Sydney, Australia: "Paper House - Self-help, waste reuse and composite technology towards low-cost and sustainable housing"

Rea, John, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, USA: "Let's have dinner"

Riesser, Adriane, University of Michigan, USA: "Address Homelessness Within Ann Arbor, Not Without It"

Sauer, Dylan, University of Cincinnati, USA: "(Dis-, Mis-, Re-) Placement in the Urban Realm"

Surface, Susan, Parsons School of Design, USA: "Private Sector, Public Good: The Necessity of Economic Sustainability in Architectural Activism"

Thomson, Sandra, Dalhousie University, Canada: "Productive Lives: Eradicating the Barriers"

Tubic, Snezana Ana Jeinic and Tajda Dedic, Technische University, Austria: "CHANGING ARCHITECTURE"

Vergne, Eric, Savannah College of Art and Design, USA: "Homeless Integration into Society through Urban Farms"

Voreakou, Myrto-Maria, National Technical University of Athens, Greece: "DIS-PLACED PEOPLE REINHABITING THE CITY OF ATHENS"

Wong, Shujun, National University of Singapore, Singapore: "A more public public space"

Zelaya, Franyel, Savannah College of Art and Design, USA: "While the Music Lasts"

INSTRUCTIONS TO SEMIFINALISTS

The essays are due at 12:00 midnight, Pacific Standard Time (24:00 hrs. Universal Time), February 26, 2004 through the online submission system available on this page. 

We compliment all of the Semi-Finalists on the extraordinary diversity of ideas and approaches in response to this year's Question. Such responses indicate the depth of interest and concern for Architecture as a Social Art. As an essay competition, the Berkeley Prize encourages the translation of these interests and concerns into a format for communication both to those within the profession and the wider public. 

The Berkeley Prize Committee encourages Semi-Finalists to improve the crafting of their 2,500 word essays. As such, a few suggestions seem appropriate. First, and foremost, remember that the essay is a literary form that presents a specific opinion through a convincing argument. 

Remember: In answering this year's Question, the Berkeley Prize Committee is particularly interested in responses that speak to the general public. If social architecture is to become the norm, rather then the exception, the PUBLIC must be persuaded of the value of design that reflects human worth. If social architecture is to be built, rather then simply discussed, the PUBLIC must be persuaded that there is added value to building buildings much different then most of the architecture being built today. 

Remember: This is an essay competition and that you are presenting an argument about a certain question and you are attempting to convince the reader that this argument has merit. At the same time, you want your essay to be meaningful to the widest possible audience. This means selecting a voice that is both your own and one that is accessible to serious readers. Avoid jargon. Avoid assumptions about to the level of knowledge of your reader. Have fun. Essays by their very nature are somewhat formal, but the best are also a pleasure to read. 

Remember: Your essay is based upon your original findings of the situation of the displaced persons ---refugees, the homeless, the urban poor ---in the city you are investigating. Make sure that you inform your readers about the city(cities) you are referencing. Your proposal for bettering the situation of the displaced may have particular validity because you have discovered that there are individuals or agencies within the city which are already pursuing the objectives you, too, are interested in. If so, tell the readers about the support within the city which you would find for your proposal. Finally, before you begin to write the 2,500 word essay it is essential that you carefully consider the Reviewers' comments about your proposal for the essay. These comments are meant to help you write a winning essay. Please review your reviewer comments in your Author Portfolio.

THOUGHTFULLY CONSIDER YOUR IDEAS BEFORE WRITING
You have six weeks to produce your essay in final form. Use at least four of these weeks creatively to improve your writing abilities in English. Read some good prose written in English. Novels, poetry and architectural writing are great teachers. 

Use the internet connections listed below to improve the your vocabulary and syntax. Check your spelling and vocabulary when in doubt. 

refdesk.com
http://www.refdesk.com/index.html#cat

William Strunk, Jr. The Elements of Style 
http://www.bartleby.com/141/index.html

Guide to Grammar and Writing (Capital Community College)
http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/textonly.htm

Dictionary.com
http://www.dictionary.com/

Thesaurus.com
http://www.thesaurus.com/

TRY OUT YOUR IDEAS ON OTHERS BEFORE SENDING YOUR ESSAY
Ask a friend to read your essay before submitting it. Better yet, show it to two friends: one, a fellow architecture student; the second, a person not familiar with the discipline or profession. Use their input and if you can prevail on them, ask them to read your revised draft.