WALL ASSEMBLY
COMPETITION
Wall Assembly Competition
Student Edition
4th Annual -
Launching March 2023
What is Wall
Assembly 2023?
We put your wall assembly head to head against student submissions gathered from across North America.
Wall Assembly Competition is a single-stage international student building science competition held annually by BS* and Beer of Kansas City and The School of Apprenticeship and Skilled Trades at George Brown College.
Participants are tasked with designing a wall assembly for their given climate zone while considering six criteria with a focus on applied building science.
The inaugural 2020 competition, created as a way to combat boredom during the global lockdown pitted 16 assemblies against each other from professional Builders and Architects. This pilot year ran as a bracket with judging by the Instagram community to select a winner. Beginning in 2021, the competition placed emphasis on the work of skilled-trade, architectural, and design students from across North America. The competition now runs with a prestigious judging panel who elevates each submission with a defined rubric, and finally ward prizes donated by our amazing sponsors.
For 2023, we will be back for an exciting 4th running of the Wall Assembly Competition with a continued mission to champion the ideas of young tradespeople, designers and architects.
Wall assemblies are a pivotal aspect of envelope design in residential construction and the foundation of many students' initial application of building science. While the focus of the competition remains wall assemblies, critical attention must be paid to the connections and proposed assemblies of adjoining foundations, floors and roofs.
The competition is open to any high-school, college or university student in North America. There is no fee to enter.
Over $20,000 prizes last year!
In 2022 the Sweet 16 provided over $20,000 USD in cash, products and educational training to the winning entries. All student entrants also received a complimentary one-year digital membership to Fine Homebuilding.
This year's prizes to be announced March 2023.
Prizes
Submissions can be made by any current student as an individual, group, or class submission.
The entries must be submitted electronically as two separate PDF files not exceeding 10MB each. Each entry should contain, in order, the following documents (in English):
Document One: 8.5" x 11" - Project Summary
- 1-2 page(s) maximum (see template example)
- A maximum of 150-word text describing the project
- A maximum of 100-word text describing each response
to the six criteria
Document Two: 8.5" x 11" - Images and Drawings
- 5 pages maximum, with one image/drawing* per page
- Up to 4 views, drawings or images of your wall assembly (section, axonometric, perspective, photos of the mockup, etc.)
- A perspective of the wall assembly in its entirety (from the footing to the roof)
Submission
Guidelines
Scholarship Funds
Through the incredible support of our sponsors, we also offer funds to students who have communicated training and education goals to advance their design and building skills.
All entrants who complete the 'Scholarship Submission' letter will be eligible for education funding. You do not need to win a prize to be eligible.
This year's scholarships to be announced March 2023.
Education
Awards
Evaluation
Criteria
Performance:
An evaluation of the control layers to assess thermal performance & potential air-tightness
Buildability:
Ease of workability or installation on the jobsite and availability of material spec’d
Durability:
The longevity of the assembly given water shedding and vapor control, with a focus on reparability
Embodied Carbon:
Based on an 8’ wide by 10’ tall mock wall assembly and totaling the embodied carbon of the complete assembly
Cost:
Including labor and material (with the inclusion of special equip. like cranes for pre-built assemblies)
LCA:
Does the assembly allow for future
remodeling, and when the assembly is finally deconstructed what is the level of reuse, recyclability & toxicity of materials
Note:
Note: Criteria will be analyzed according to the submission’s local climate zone and material/labour economy
Meh OK Good Great
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Dates to be announced in March 2023 for the 4th Annual Wall Assembly - Sweet 16
Competition
Format & Dates
Platinum Sponsor
Gold Sponsor
Silver Sponsor
Media Sponsor
