2025 Otto Zenke Student Design Competition

COMPETITION OBJECTIVE 

The objective of this project is to test students’ interior design skills. The format has been modeled after the NCIDQ practicum exam. Creativity is encouraged, and meeting the minimum requirements for this project is necessary.  

PROJECT CRITERIA

Projects submitted must be produced individually, and can be Residential, Commercial, or Mixed-use in nature. Group projects are not eligible for submission. Any projects entered in other competitions, local or national, are eligible for submission. To be eligible for submission, all projects must meet the criteria below. Minimum project square footage is 2800 square feet. Evaluation of your design will 
be based on how creatively and successfully you have accomplished the objectives within the restrictions/criteria for the design.

CODE REQUIREMENTS

Code requirements listed are for the purpose of this project only. Your project will be juried for compliance with these code requirements. Using the following codes, develop your design solution for the total space as necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public.

1. Interior doors shall NOT project more than 7" into the building corridor.
2. Provide at least 2 means of egress for spaces with estimated occupant load of 1-500, 3 for estimated occupancy load of 501-1000, and 4 for estimated occupancy load of 1001 and beyond.
3. Egress (exit) doors in a commercial setting MUST open in the direction of exit travel.
4. Egress (exit) doors in a commercial setting MUST be a MINIMUM of 25’-0” apart, measured along the interior path of travel.
5. ALL paths of travel MUST be accessible (barrier-free) and provide a 5’-0” turning circle (shown as a dotted line) at changes of travel direction. (Turning into a room does NOT require a 5’ turning circle.) You must consider the open dimension of storage elements such as closet doors and file drawers if you choose to locate them along the interior path of travel. (In a commercial setting, this open dimension may NOT restrict the MINIMUM required clear width of the path of travel).
6. Paths of travel leading to an exit may NOT pass through a secondary space subject to closure by doors, containing storage materials, or with items that project into the path of travel.
7. The minimum corridor width shall be 44 inches. Exceptions:
   1. Twenty-four inches—For access to and utilization of electrical, mechanical or plumbing systems or equipment.
   2. Thirty-six inches—With a required occupant capacity of less than 50.
   3. Thirty-six inches—Within a dwelling unit.
   4. Seventy-two inches—In Group E with a corridor having a required capacity of 100 or more.
   5. Seventy-two inches—In corridors and areas serving gurney traffic in occupancies where patients receive outpatient medical care, which causes the patient to be not capable of self-preservation.
   6. Ninety-six inches—In Group I-2 in areas where required for bed movement.
8. ALL door openings shall be a MINIMUM of 3’-0” wide with a 1’-6” clear space on the pull side of the door and a 1’-0” clear space on the push side of the door.
9. ALL restrooms/bathrooms MUST be accessible (barrier-free) or provide accessible stalls with a 5’-0” turning circle (shown as a dotted line). Any door swing may encroach into a turning circle a MAXIMUM of 12”. At least one bathroom (residential projects) MUST be accessible (barrier-free) and provide a 5’-0” turning circle (shown as a dotted line). Any door swing may encroach into a turning circle a MAXIMUM of 12”.
10. Restroom/bathroom grab bars MUST be indicated in appropriate locations on the plan. This includes two (2) grab bars for a toilet and three (3) grab bars for an accessible (barrier-free) shower.
11. ALL restrooms/bathrooms MUST have a sink with clear-knee access.
12. Flooring in ALL restrooms/bathrooms MUST be slip-resistant.
13. Walls in ALL restrooms/bathrooms MUST be impervious to moisture up to 5’-0” AFF.
14. There MUST be a MINIMUM of 44” between parallel kitchen work surfaces.
15. Walls MUST NOT terminate into glazing.
16. Handrails on stairs must extend 12" past the last step, parallel to the floor.
17. All sleeping rooms MUST have an operable window or an exterior means of egress and must be at least 20 inches wide by 24 inches high, with an opening no higher than 44 inches from the floor.
18. Coat closets and bedroom closets MUST have a minimum interior depth of 2’-0”

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

The following graphic requirements must be met for projects to be eligible for submission.

1. Code/Label ALL furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) and finishes used in the project. These items must be incorporated into your Floor Plan and listed in your schedules.
2. Your Floor Plan MUST be in computer generated format and submitted to scale. Scale must be noted on each plan. (Do not shrink to fit to page).
3. Label ALL rooms with room names.
4. Draw ALL walls, doors, door swings, and other components that are part of your Floor Plan, and include ALL the Project Code Requirements.
5. Floor Plan must include overall room dimensions for each space, and other dimensions as needed to convey design intent.
6. All wall thicknesses MUST be graphically indicated.
7. Label furniture and any other items, spaces, or features where necessary to provide clarity to the jurors.

DELIVERABLES

Students must submit all of the following components for competition.

1. Boards: A maximum of eight (8) digital boards, 11” x 17” size only, may be submitted electronically. Digital boards must be submitted in PDF format only. Digital boards must have high quality images and be able to be clearly read at both distant and magnified views. Your name and school must NOT appear on any final boards. All boards must include a project title, page numbers, and be free of grammatical errors.
2. Concept Statement: Include concept statement on one of the seven presentation pages. (Maximum of 350 words) The concept statement must describe the problem/objective of the project and set forth the central ideas and reasoning upon which your decisions for your solutions are based. One concept may cover all areas or individual concepts for each area may be included where appropriate. Grammar, spelling and punctuation errors are grounds for disqualification.
3. Plans: Space Plans with FF&E and Finishes labeled for all areas must be included on boards.  All plans must be submitted to scale and scale must be noted.  Plans must be computer generated (AutoCAD, Revit, etc.)
   1. Incorporate compatibility with existing architectural features.
   2. Show knowledge of the correct use of scale.
   3. Provide circulation through the space that easily supports the space function.
   4. Provide appropriate space allocation to support need.
   5. Provide furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) and finish requirements.
   6. Ensure that FF&E and finishes meet barrier-free requirements.
   7. Ensure that FF&E and finishes support the function.
   8. Identify all FF&E and finishes. Cross reference to a Schedule on the Space Plan.
   9. Identify any sustainable materials used in the project – clearly label and cross reference to a Schedule
4. Interior Renderings- Provide at least two interior elevations (to scale) and two interior perspectives. Can be computer generated, hand rendered, or a hybrid of both. Select interior elevations and perspectives that best illustrate your design concept and interior solutions.
5. Provide digital finish/material/color swatches for all areas on the boards. Include images of all finishes used on the floors, walls and ceiling. You may also include images of upholstery, window treatments, accessories, artwork, finishes and FF&E.
6. Include a Reflected Ceiling Plan for each space, to scale, computer-drafted.  Include a symbols legend for light fixtures.  Plan should reflect ceiling design elements, lighting fixtures, and emergency exit lights (in commercial spaces), Plan DOES NOT need to include electrical/switching.
7. A completed entry form must be submitted with the final project submission.

SUBMISSION AND AWARDS

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: January 31, 2025, 5:00 PM EST - EXTENDED to 2/7/2025 at 5:00 PM EST

Any undergraduate student enrolled in an Interior Design or Interior Architecture program in North or South Carolina can enter the contest and be given an award with or without a student ASID membership. If a student is awarded the top award, a matching award will be given to the design program if the school has an active ASID Student Chapter. For more information about how to join ASID or form a 
student chapter, please contact Gemma Cellen, ASID Carolinas Student Representative to the Board at gemma@formandfunctionco.com Any projects entered in other competitions, local or national, are not eligible for submission. Group projects are not eligible for submission. 

Final project submission should be saved as a combined PDF of all boards. Entry form should be saved as a separate PDF from your final project submission. Please note that your name or school name CAN NOT appear on your final project submission. Both files should be emailed to president@nc-sc.asid.org by  January 31, 2025 no later than 5:00 pm EST.   

It is important to note that all contest entries received will be evaluated in detail and judged according to the specific requirements that are stated in the program. There will be a panel of professional judges from both commercial and residential design backgrounds that grade the individual projects and select the winners of the competition. It is possible that not every award level will be given. 

AWARDS 

• First Place: $1,000
  • $1,000 for Interior Design Program of First Place winner only if an ASID Student Chapter is present at the school.
• Second Place: $750
• Third Place: $500
• Honorable Mention: Certificate of Achievement

The awards will be presented at the Carolinas Chapter ASID Otto Zenke Student Competition Awards Luncheon, held during the Spring Conference and Student Day on Saturday, March 2025 in Charlotte, NC. Participating schools will be notified if an award is being given to one of their students. The students’ names will remain anonymous until the awards are presented. All students are encouraged to attend the Student Day and Awards Luncheon, where there will be valuable networking opportunities and panel sessions with industry professionals. Tickets to the luncheon are also available to purchase for 
faculty and parents/guests. Registration information and details are to come.

All questions pertaining to the project, its requirements, or these rules and  guidelines should be directed to Emily Conn: president@nc-sc.asid.org.  An answer will be formed as quickly as possible and distributed to all participating schools. This ensures that any  changes or exceptions that are made to the original rules and guidelines will be  allowed for all participating students.