You may have heard about the Big Ten Student Design Challenge. UIUC and other Big Ten campuses, in collaboration with Herman Miller, have announced an opportunity for student teams to redesign an informal space on their campuses, and compete for close to $100K in prizes for the winning design.
More information is available at the Big Ten Student Design Challenge main website. (Note: Ohio State is the main organizer of the event so much of the branding including the main website points to OSU. This should not discourage our students from participating in the challenge.) You or your students must enter an email under the Competition tab to request a packet of materials about the competition and the UIUC space to be redesigned.
The space that was chosen for redesign on this campus is in the basement of the Foreign Language Building, an airy, well-traveled space that is easily accessible to anyone who wants to dream up a fantastic redesign solution.
Student teams of 3 or 4 undergrad or grad students in any discipline are invited to submit a proposal to be judged in this national competition by November 27. The top 3 teams in the final running will travel to Herman Miller headquarters for design consultation in February. One winning team/campus will receive up to $80K in Herman Miller furniture, a $20k stipend to cover building costs, and a $2,000 cash prize. The winning design will be installed in summer 2019.