perFORM 2016 FAQ

Please submit any questions to [email protected]. Frequently asked questions and answers will be posted here as they are received.

Q: Do I have to be a student or intern in the US or Canada?
A: Yes. The competition is only open to qualifying students or interns located in the United States or Canada.

Q: I’m a student enrolled in a non-professional architectural program (BA in Architectural Studies). Am I eligible to compete in perFORM?
A: Provided your program is run by an NAAB or CACB accredited school, then yes, you are eligible. Your school must be accredited, but not necessarily your architectural program.

Q: I am currently a student that will be graduating before the June 17 submission deadline. Am I still eligible to enter?
A: Yes, students enrolled during the 2015-2016 academic year are eligible to enter regardless of graduation date.

Q: How much does registration cost?
A: Registration is free.

Q: When is the deadline for registration?
A: Registration closes the same day as submissions are due: June 17, 2016 by 5:00pm PT.

Q: I submitted my registration but have not received my 4-digit ID number. What gives?
A: The 4-digit ID numbers are manually assigned by perFORM staff members and are not generated instantaneously. If you do not receive your ID number immediately, it will arrive in your inbox shortly upon completing registration.

Q: Are group entries allowed from interns, or only from students?
A: Group entries are allowed for groups of students, groups of interns, and mixed groups of students and interns.

Q: The competition guidelines say that given the NC2-P40 zoning that the maximum building height is 40’. However, in Seattle and in the this zone type (NC2-P40) there are height allowances for certain rooftop structures. For instance, PV array collectors or “solar collectors” as the Seattle Building Code refers to them are allowed to extend 15’ higher than the building height limit given they only take up so much roof space, expressed as a percentage of overall roof space. The same 15’ extension is granted to “green houses” or food production structures. Are we allowed to use these exceptions in our designs so that potentially the highest point on our building could be 55’ high?
A: Yes

Q: For the NC2-P40 zone the retail floor to floor height should be 13′. If this height is used for retail on the ground floor, then a 4’ height extension is allowed by the Seattle Building Code, essentially changing the height limit from 40’ to 44’. Is this height extension allowed?
A: Yes

Q: Is it permissible to have a structure with an absolute maximum height of 59’ (40’ + 4’ for retail height extension + 15’ for rooftop structures), measured to the top of the PV Array or Food Production Structure?
A: Yes