2023 AIA Phoenix Metro Design Ideas Competition in partnership with the City of Tempe and AZ ASLA

Urban desert cities and their communities face a hostile future.

The City of Tempe, one of the densest communities in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, is already a leader in climate action. The City’s 2019 Climate Action Plan (CAP) and subsequent CAP Update in 2022 chart a more sustainable, resilient path for Tempe’s future, with strategies proposed to reduce greenhouse gas and carbon emissions, increase resilience to extreme heat, raise green construction standards, and develop a multi-modal transit network. The adoption of these plans has led to Tempe to become one of 122 global cities to be recognized for climate action leadership by CDP in its 2022 Cities A List.

Yet, there is still work to be done.

Change at this scale cannot happen overnight. Many of the strategies outlined in the CAP remain on paper only. The Sustainability and Resilience Office partners with City departments, non-profits, businesses, academia, and community-based organizations to build awareness and support for these actions to be codified by the city council, funded through the city budget, and finally implemented in the community. The opportunity to implement these initiatives and standards is now, especially as our landlocked city has a growing population and experiences rapid development in our built environment. The Sustainability and Resilience Commission desires to create more awareness around the City’s sustainability goals and to help residents, businesses, city staff, and partners visualize what their future city may look like if it is to reach the CAP’s aspirations.

The time is now to design the resilient communities we need in the future so that we can see the path forward.

Goals of the Competition: Through the AIA Phoenix Metro 2023 Design Ideas Competition and in partnership with AIA Phoenix Metro and ASLA Arizona, the City of Tempe seeks:

  • To visualize a sustainable, resilient development in the urban desert for the City of Tempe, its residents, and the world at large using the strategies and goals described in the City of Tempe’s CAP.

  • To show the transformative possibilities of the CAP through physical interventions of architecture, landscape architecture, and master planning, ensuring the City and its residents will have a greater understanding of the potential impact of the CAP.

  • To inform future policies and development within Tempe and pilot projects by the City through a vision that responds to our climate reality with optimism, action, and a focus on the local community.

  • To change how we look at the design of our cities by seeing the built environment as an opportunity for creating resilient, human-centric places, meeting the effects of climate change with inspirational solutions instead of despair, and making a more equitable society through our architecture.

How can architecture embody climate resilience, manifesting as a community act by reinforcing sustainability and equity through the built environment?

Entrants will develop a concept for the redevelopment of a chosen site in Tempe. All competition entries must include a community Resilience Hub, incorporate green stormwater infrastructure within the overall master plan of the site, and conceptually meet the requirements of the International Green Construction Code (IgCC).

Entrants may choose to include any additional program or policies beyond the required elements listed in this brief. Entrants are encouraged to incorporate additional program that serves community needs and further supports the strategies and goals within the Tempe Climate Action Plan. A successful entry will incorporate the various requirements into a high-performing, holistic design solution that is appropriate for an urban desert city.

Resilience Hub: If disaster strikes, residents must have safe and cool locations to find shelter, and Tempe is building a network of these hubs throughout the city. A resilience hub is a community-serving facility that supports residents and coordinates resource distribution and emergency services. These hubs can be equipped with photovoltaic panels and storage batteries to ensure residents can access power and cooled spaces in major heat events. Entries must include an indoor space for community response that is flexible to provide other community functions outside of heat crisis events.

Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI): Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI, also known as low-impact development or LID) is a sustainable approach to stormwater management that utilizes the landscape with native Sonoran Desert ecological plant communities and natural processes to absorb storm runoff and mimics the natural hydrology of an area. This can further reinforce resilience by supporting natural biodiversity, reduce urban heat island effect, and creating cooler micro-climates with shade from tree canopies and vegetated surfaces. Entrants are highly encouraged to integrate GSI/LID seamlessly into the site and/or building design. Entries must show a conceptual approach to using on-site and off-site stormwater.

International Green Construction Code (IgCC): The International Green Construction Code (IgCC) is a set of guidelines that aim to improve the sustainability and environmental performance of buildings during their design, construction, and operation. The code addresses ways to decrease energy usage and carbon footprints, as well as responsible site development, indoor environmental quality, water conservation strategies, and energy-efficient building performance. Entries must show through drawing notes or a project narrative how the design intends to meet aspects of the IgCC. Entrants may determine the most important aspects to identify.