WorkPlay Questions
Please submit your questions below. As they come in, we'll post them here, with answers, to create a rolling FAQ page.
Has a location been set aside for the final WorkPlay project? What is the ideal, specified or allowable "site" in the North Campus Area?
The competition organizers anticipate your team's proposal will be situated somewhere in the blue zone, indicated on the North Campus Map. Obviously there should a logical relationship between what is proposed and where it is placed, but the exact location is up to the team.
An email distributed to my academic unit says prize money for First Place is $20,000, while the website says First Place is $10,000. Which is accurate?
A total of $20,000 in prizes will be awarded. First Place will be 10,000, Second 5,000, and an additional 5,000 will be distributed among others winners for special prizes.
Can I get course credit for entering the competition?
No. The competition is an optional, extracurricular activity above and beyond the course load of students and/or faculty members.
I know that teams are limited to only one submission, but can an individual be a part of more than one team?
Yes, an individual may participate on more than one team. However, multiple members (i.e. two or more) from one team cannot participate together on another team.
Can our team's proposal be a temporary structure?
Yes, you can propose a temporary structure and/or one that has limited use.
The competition brief asks entrants to "aim for a project budget of up to $500,000." Can you clarify what you mean by this?
In reviewing submissions, the jury will use their best professional judgment to gauge which projects fall within a reasonable range. Teams are not required to have a professional cost estimate done, but must have a reasonable sense of their project would cost to realize.
Do we need to factor in maintenance costs as part of the project budget?
No.
I am a planning student. I am thinking of teaming up with an architecture student. Would we meet the minimum eligibility requirements?
No, you would still have to team with someone from outside the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. The brief states "Teams submitting proposals for consideration must: … have at least 2 student members who are pursuing degrees in different North Campus units. Unites are defined as the College of Engineering; the School of Music, Theater and Dance; the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning; the School of Art and Design; and the School of Information. Teams must represent at least two disciplines, although more are encouraged."
Is there a way I can find people in other units who might be interested in forming a team?
We are looking into creating an online bulletin board so that people who want to form teams can find people outside their discipline.
Can you explain what will happen after the competition is over?
At the end of the competition, the jury will identify a first and second prizewinner and as many honorable mentions they as they decide to award. The first prizewinner will be awarded $10,000. The second prizewinner will be awarded $5,000. The honorable mentions will receive awards totaling up to $5,000.
The University plans to move forward with the winning project. The Winning Team will remain involved in the development of the project in a capacity commensurate with their level of expertise and experience.
It is possible that more than one project or a hybrid borne out of a number of different submitted proposals might be developed, with the consent and participation of the respective teams. The exact logistics and protocols would be worked out once the sponsors have a clearer sense of the strength of the entries and the number of ideas they would like to advance. Teams may elect to not participate in the development of the realized project, but will continue to be credited for the contributions they have made up to that point. The terms for compensation for any work after the competition will be negotiated in accordance with the scope of the work.
Can enrolled students who are not taking classes in the spring term still participate in the competition? What about students who graduate this December?
Please revisit the Eligibility requirements. We have clarified the language to address these sorts of questions.
I missed the Information Session. Is there a summary available of what was discussed? Am I at a disadvantage because I didn't go?
We are sorry you were not able to attend and no, it doesn't put you at a disadvantage. During the session we provided an overview of the competition – essentially reiterating the information that appears on this website. We also fielded a number of questions, which we have incorporated into this list. If you take a moment to review the materials online you should be up to date.
Is the cost of the structure included in the $500,000? Or rather, once the structure is built, does the money go toward the interior? For example, I'm envisioning an ambitious building with a mostly-glass exterior. Would the construction materials be paid from the budget?
The total construction budget is $500,000. The full build-out of the project – exterior and interior – should be within the stated dollar amount.
Could an alumni and/or retired professors be consulted by an eligible team? Could they be part of a team?
The competition does not restrict a team from getting outside input on their project. There is no way that the competition's sponsors could police this sort of informal input. However, to qualify as an official team member, you must meet the criteria stated in the Eligibility section of the competition brief. A retired professor or someone who graduated prior to Fall 2007 would not be eligible to serve as a team member and cannot be credited or awarded prize money.