John Shaw Award
Overview
The Midwest Great Lakes John Shaw Award is a regional architectural design competition intended to highlight good design that results from collaboration with educators, students, and community representatives.
Entry Format
The electronic portfolio and the application forms must be submitted in (PDF) electronic format. Entrants will complete and submit all application and corresponding materials to
Julie Fried. If your file is over 10MB, please submit via an FTP file sharing site.
Entry Fee
Click here to download the John Shaw Award Application
Deadline: December 31, 2022 by 5:00 pm Central
You must register your project online.
Registration is closed.
$150 for the first 2 panels
$50 for each additional panel (up to 4)
The entry fee is due by the submission deadline, December 31, 2022. Please make check payable to A4LE MWGL Region and indicate that the check is for the John Shaw Award entry fee.
Checks must be sent to:
A4LE John Shaw Award Submission
11445 E. Via Linda, Ste. 2 - 440
Scottsdale, Arizona 85259
Eligibility Requirements
The MWGL Region seeks applicants who meet the following eligibility requirements:
- The Architect of Record, the Engineer of Record and/or the Educational Facility Planner must be a member in good standing of A4LE and a member of the MWGL Region.
- The project must have been constructed in one of the following locations: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, or the province of Ontario, Canada.
- Projects to be considered are those that have been completed within two (2) years preceding the submittal.
Submission Requirements
The submission consists of two parts:
- The online registration, application forms and the electronic portfolio
- The Exhibit Display Boards
The application and electronic portfolio requirements will be accepted by electronic (PDF)
transmittal to
Julie Fried, no later than 5:00 pm on
December 31, 2022.
Award Schedule
| Deadline for Submittals |
December 31, 2022 |
| Award Selection |
January 31, 2023 |
| Award Presentation |
Regional Conference in Columbus, OH
|
John Shaw Award Selection Criteria
Selection of John Shaw Award recipient will consider the following criteria. The criteria will not fit all entries in the same way but will form a sound basis for judging.
The criteria are:
- Clarity of organization, from site planning to school planning
- Order in the design solution
- Expression and representation
- Conformity and contrast
- Structure, environment services and energy use
- Flexibility and adaptability
In addition, the evaluation will also consider the following:
- A thorough and comprehensive planning process
- Development of a comprehensive educational specification and/or program of requirements
The John N. Shaw Award will be presented for the project that exhibits the highest degree of excellence in both planning and design.
Note: The judging for the John Shaw Award will be based exclusively on the information contained in the Electronic Portfolio. The Display Boards are for exhibition only and should not influence the selection of the winner.
Electronic Portfolio Requirements
Project Narrative (400 Words Total)
- Project description clearly stating the educational vision
- Planning process identifying programming process or educational specifications development
- How the planning and educational vision is evident in the design solution
- Special challenges faced and solutions provided
- Cost effectiveness and matching the solution to community resources
- “Green” features of the design
- How does the project advance the development or awareness of effective/innovative learning environments?
Project Drawings
- Site plan
- Floor plans and sections (maximum 8.5” x 11”)
Project Photographs: (Color)
- 3 to 4 photos of interior and exterior
- Before and after photos for renovation projects
Submit in electronic (PDF) format by email or FTP site (over 10MB) to
[email protected].
Display Board Requirements
Panel Display Format:
- Plans: Site plan, floor plan, and one or more sections or elevations should be shown legibly
and accurately at scale, with numerical and graphic indication of scale. Reproductions of working drawings are not acceptable. Lettering should be kept at a minimum and be large enough for exhibit viewing.
- Photographs: It is important that most photographs include teaching areas and preferably contain people to help jury members with scale. Only one exterior signature photograph is required. It is better to have a greater number of smaller pictures rather than two large photographs. Rendered elevations or perspectives may be used but not substituted for photographs.
- Mounts: All entries shall be two dimensional and exhibited on a minimum of two and a maximum of four, 20” x 20” x 1/2” foam board mounts.
Composition of individual mounts shall be at the discretion of the entrant, provided that mandatory requirements are met. Permanent-type adhesive should be used to attach plans and photographs to mounts. Names of design firms may appear on drawings, photographs, or other materials to be judged. Lettering should be kept at a minimum and be large enough for exhibit viewing.
Display Logistics
- Panels are to be sent directly to the conference hotel with clearly marked packaging for A4LE. Name of hotel, address, and delivery information will be provided once submission deadline and applicable fees have been met.
- Supervision and Services: The exhibit committee reserves the right to assign exhibit space and to withhold from exhibition entries deemed to be unsuitable for display. Adequate general illumination will be provided; no special individual lighting or displays will be permitted.
- Return of Panels: Applicants will be responsible to pick up their display panels at the end of the conference. All boards not picked up will be discarded.
Submission Materials
- Register project(s) online
- Completed Application Form (Attachment 1)
- Completed Project Information Form (Attachment 2)
- Additional Relevant Information directly related to the submitted project