Architecture at Zero 2015 design competition names award winners

The winners of the Architecture at Zero 2015 design competition have been announced.

Teams of both students and professionals contributed entries to the contest, which is dedicated to the advancement of California Zero Net Energy (ZNE) building.

This year was the fifth edition of the event, and the task was to submit project plans that would develop the 113,300-sf Block 15 of the University of California, San Francisco Mission Bay campus into family-style student residential units over a ground floor of retail and community and support spaces.

Among the requirements, each project had to have  398,700 gsf of housing, 19,500 gsf of support services, and 774 beds in 523 units. Above all, each submission had to be as close to net-zero as possible, meaning it produces as much energy as it uses over the course of one year. A five-member jury evaluated the plans.

Student teams from the University of Cincinnati and Cornell University and a pro team from San Francisco’s EBS Consultants and AXIS Architecture + Design all won citation awards for their designs. San Francisco’s Mithun firm and Seattle’s Weber Thompson group each won honor awards. San Francisco’s BAR Architects earned a special recognition award.

Winners received up to $25,000 in prize money.

The University of Cincinnati's Transformer, a citation award winner. Redering courtesy University of Cincinnati and UCSF

Breeze Block, from Cornell University, was a citation award winner. Rendering courtesy Cornell University and UCSF

EBS Consultants and AXIS Architecture + Design won a citation award with Alveo. Rendering courtesy EBS Consultants and AXIS Architecture + Design and UCSF

Mithun won an honor award with Estuary. Rendering courtesy Mihtun and UCSF

BAR Architects' Mission Zero earned a special recognition award. Rendering courtesy BAR Architects and UCSF