Louisiana State Museum, Eskew+Dumez+Ripple Studio / Photograph by Timothy Hursley 

OPEN CALL

PORCH: An Architecture of Generosity
2025 United States Pavilion
19th Biennale Architettura

OPEN CALL FOR PARTICIPATION

The Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, University of Arkansas, together with DesignConnects and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, co-commissioners of the 2025 United States Pavilion for the 19th International Biennale Architettura, are launching an Open Call for Participation for PORCH: An Architecture of Generosity, an exhibition representing contemporary American architecture and design with an emphasis on civic engagement, community building, and social and environmental resiliency.

The PORCH exhibition and program are informed by the 2025 Biennale Architettura’s title, “Intelligens: Natural. Artificial. Collective” focusing on the built environment and architecture’s contribution to the global climate crisis and the presentation of intelligent solutions toward adaptation and redemption. Building on the concept of the porch typology – a threshold between boundaries, an intermediary space, a gathering place, a tectonic and performative space – a contemporary manifestation of the porch will be constructed at the Pavilion and a selection of projects and practices centered on the ethos of the porch will be displayed within the building. A stellar inter-disciplinary design team of Marlon Blackwell Architects, Stephen Burks ManMade, and Julie Bargmann of D.I.R.T. Studio with TEN x TEN Studio are designing a welcoming new constructed PORCH around and through the US Pavilion.

We invite architects, landscape architects, designers and artists, design firms, practices, nonprofits, public agencies and individuals nationwide to submit design proposals that express and interpret the ethos of PORCH and its principles within the building. The Pavilion’s interior exhibition will allow for at least 50 participant displays, as specified in the Open Call project brief. Proposals for participation are encouraged from all citizens, states, and territories of the United States, and from design practices of any size from all disciplines. Please note that a separate call for participation from US students and schools of architecture and design (unbuilt and speculative projects) will be issued in mid-January.

This is a two-phase selection process. The Open Call period for participation begins December 3rd, 2024. The initial project brief and initial submission specifications can be found below.

Submissions through the designated web-portal below are due on 17 January 2025 at 12 pm EST.

The Open Call jury, consisting of the PORCH design team leads, together with leading figures in architecture, culture and journalism, will choose at least 50 proposals for further development into a designated exhibition format. Selected exhibitors will be informed and announced on 3 February 2025. Each selected exhibitor will then receive a modest stipend to support the final construction of their exhibit. Selected exhibitors will then have until 31 March 2025 to submit their fully constructed exhibit to the commissioners for installation in the Pavilion. The public opening of the Biennale and US Pavilion is 10 May 2025.

SUBMISSION SPECIFICATIONS

An Encouragement

Imagine your submission as a response to these open-ended questions: at the civic scale, what does it mean for American architecture and design to be “on the porch”? How does your project, or practice, or organization address the responsibilities and realities or incorporate the benefits and values of being “on the porch”? How does your project, practice or organization work “from the porch” to positively impact American civic engagement, the building of community, and have impact on social and environmental resiliency?

Selected proposals will seek to reflect and exhibit excellence in American architecture and design, as expressed through the ethos of PORCH: An Architecture of Generosity to:

  • Raise awareness of the value of this essential American building typology

  • Demonstrate the power of porch spaces and design on social and environmental resiliency

  • Elevate the aspirations, goals, concepts of PORCH on civic engagement and community building

  • Empower communities to embrace and actively engage in creating these types of spaces

  • Reflect regional context and diversity 

This is the preliminary phase, with subsequent detailed exhibit installation guidelines to be provided to the finalist group of selected exhibitors for the final display submission.

After receiving preliminary submissions, PORCH co-commissioners will present them to the jury in mid-January 2025 for review and final selection of exhibitors by 3 February 2025.

ELIGIBILITY

We invite architects, landscape architects, designers and artists, design firms, practices, nonprofits, public agencies and individuals nationwide to submit design proposals that express and interpret the ethos of PORCH and its principles within the building. The Pavilion’s interior exhibition will allow for at least 50 participant displays, as specified in the Open Call project brief. Proposals for participation are encouraged from all citizens across the states and territories of the United States, and from design practices of any size and from all disciplines.

Further eligibility criteria are listed below.

  • Projects must be realized, completed works of artistic or architectural merit.  Projects that are theoretical, unbuilt, or under construction are ineligible.

  • Projects must be located in the United States or Inhabited Territories: American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

  • Projects must have been completed since 2000.

  • Projects completed by educational institutions as completed design-build projects are encouraged.

  • Projects must be public and civic in nature, therefore ‘confidential’ projects are ineligible.

  • Projects must be able to clear copyright so photographs and images can be published.

  • Entrants are allowed to submit ONE proposal per individual, firm or practice, non-profit or public agency. If entrant is a firm or practice with multiple offices, it may submit ONE proposal per office.

  • A primary author of the project must be a US Citizen or hold a Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) as defined by the US State Department.

SCHEDULE

  • December 3, 2024 / Open Call Submission Portal Opens

  • December 16, 2024 / Questions Due / opencall@porchusavenice2025.org

  • December 23, 2024 / Answers to Questions Issued

  • January 17, 2025 / Initial Submission Due

  • February 3, 2025 / Selection Notification and Announcement, Phase 2 Instructions Issued for Selected Participants

  • March 31, 2025 / Phase 2 Submissions Due in Venice, Italy

  • May 10, 2025 / Public Opening of the 2025 Biennale Architettura & US Pavilion

REQUIREMENTS AND JURY REVIEW

Registration is free of charge and entry can be completed via the submission portal.

Entrants are allowed to submit ONE proposal per individual, firm or practice, non-profit or public agency. If entrant is a firm or practice with multiple offices, it may submit ONE proposal per office. Please provide the direct contact information and name of the “Company, Organization or Agency” in the field on the registration form. 

Upload Materials for Jury Review

  • Proposals must be submitted in a single .PDF file, not to exceed 20 MB and 10 pages, including project title or motto, project narrative and description, and images. Pages MUST BE 11 x 17, landscape orientation. Any other size is subject to disqualification.

  • Portfolios must be anonymous: no individual or firm identities are permitted in the filename or on portfolio pages. Please do NOT reveal your name, firm or practice, organization name, or other identifying marks on the file name, proposal title or motto, written material, and visual components of the submission.

  • Upon the jury's final selection, if your proposal is selected, you will be contacted to provide high-resolution images. Without these your proposal will not receive proper recognition. 

  • Please note that all material submitted will become the property of PORCH and will not be returned. By submitting an entry, the firm or individual agrees that all the submitted material is cleared for release for use in publicity and publication. If necessary, PORCH will contact the submitting firm or individual for clarification or further information regarding their submission.

SUBMISSION SHOULD INCLUDE:

PROJECT INFORMATION

Project Title or Motto:  Please provide a title or motto for the project. This title or motto will be used in all announcements and publications should your proposal be selected as a final exhibitor. Please note that "Confidential" is not acceptable.

Project Narrative and Description:  Describe how the project expresses and interprets the ethos of PORCH and its principles (250 words maximum, min. 10-point font, Helvetica typeface)

Project Information:
Project Address
Street Address
City
State
Zip Code
USA or USA Territory  

Images that best describe your proposal. Images may be photographs, renderings, and drawings, and it is suggested to include the following:

  • A site plan, with north arrow, that shows the project in context.

  • Diagrams and graphics that support the conceptual drivers and organization of the project. These can be diagrams, sections or other images deemed appropriate by the design team.

  • Drawings that clearly explain the project, as appropriate.

  • Photographs that walk the viewer through the project and/or convey the experience of project. Clearly label photographs or provide location thumbnails. Include before and after photos if appropriate.

  • Composite pages are acceptable. Entrants are encouraged to keep composite pages to a minimum.

  • Text/notes on images/drawings are allowed.

  • 10-point text minimum, Helvetica typeface preferred.

QUESTIONS?

Submit your questions by December 16th to opencall@porchusavenice2025.org