ABOUT THE DESIGN

Q: Can my design extend beyond the site boundaries?
A: Yes, but the existing buildings and historical landscape structure must be preserved.

Q: Does my design need to use the entire site?
A: Not necessarily. Within the competition site boundary entrants are free to decide the footprint of their project.

Q: Can I change the grading of the site?
A: Yes.

Q: Can I change the material of the forecourt?
A: Yes.

Q: Does my design have to respect existing walkways and circulation patterns?
A: No, so long as entrances to the surrounding buildings remain accessible.

Q: Can I change the existing façade of the Museum national d’histoire naturelle and other buildings?
A: You cannot make structural changes to the existing buildings, but you may augment them with new signage, lighting, or temporary installations.

Q: Can I erase existing buildings or gardens?
A: No, the buildings and historical landscape structure should be preserved in your design.

Q: Do I need to provide a plan and section?
A: Yes. A scaled plan and section is required to be included in sheet 2 of your submission.

Q: What do you mean by “concept image” on sheet 1?
A: The image that a magazine or newspaper would publish to best convey or market your concept in a single image. In other words, give us your design’s best view!

Q: Historic photos of the site show that there is a basement. Do we need to concern ourselves with any utilities that may appear on the surface or impact the location of elements on the surface?  **NEW**
A: No. You do not need to be concerned about the practicalities of the location of underground utilities; however, it is good to keep in mind that the competition site is over structure, and thus the depth of design elements may need to be considered.

Q: Can we assume that the site is flat given that there is no publicly available high-resolution elevation data? *NEW*
A:   There is no detailed topographic information; however, you can find the general slope of the site and one meter contours on the downloadable PDF. Click this link.

ENTRIES + SUBMISSIONS

Q: Who can enter LA+ EXOTIQUE?
A: The competition is open to students and professionals from any discipline and from anywhere in the world. No professional qualifications are required to enter.

Q: Can we submit a team entry?
A: Yes; however, teams are strictly limited to a maximum of three (3) persons. No exceptions, so please don’t ask.

Q: Can we submit an entry on behalf of a professional office?
A: Absolutely, but the maximum team member rule still applies. Individual team members (a maximum of 3) must be specified by name in the official entry. There’s a space to do that on the online form.

Q: What will the judges be looking for?
A: Conceptual rigor, research, novelty, ingenuity, and imagination. You should aim to strike a balance between feasibility and idealism.

Q: Do I need to conform with the Competition Template?
A: Yes. It’s important that submissions conform to the page dimensions provided in the LA+ EXOTIQUE Competition Template, which is designed to assist journal layout for awarded entries and other entries selected for publication. The competition template is available for download in .pdf, .indd, and .idml formats. Each image file must be under 10MB and with a minimum of 300dpi resolution — .jpeg, .jpg, .tif, .tiff image files are accepted. Do not reveal your name or other identifying information on your image files.

Q: What’s the significance of the margin lines indicated on the Competition Template?
A: The margin lines are simply included for layout reference. Images can bleed in any direction to the edge of the page; but if you do want to use margins in your design (to leave negative space around your images), we ask that you align to the margins provided, as it helps us achieve visual conformity across the publication. The primary layout consideration is to ensure that your entry conforms to the page dimensions shown on the template. Sheet 1 should be 8.75 x 10.5 inches (that’s the page size of LA+ Journal) and in portrait orientation, and Sheets 2 and 3 should be 17.5 x 10.5 inches (that’s a full double-page spread of LA+ Journal) and in landscape orientation

Q: What sort of things constitute “supporting imagery” for Sheet 3?
A: Images, design details, sections, views, supporting data, artistic evocations, photographs of models, artworks, illustrations, infographics, anything you like!

Q: Do I have to provide 3 sheets of imagery?
A: Yes.

Q: Can I provide more than 3 sheets of imagery?
A: No, only 3 sheets are permitted.

Q: Do I need to give my entry a name or title?
A: Yes.

Q: How important is the supporting statement?
A: The supporting statement is a very important part of your submission and will be judged along with your design. It should be under 350 words supporting and explaining your design. The text should be of publishable quality. Spellcheck it! DO NOT reproduce your supporting statement on the image sheets. Instead, you will be asked to input your statement online separately during the submission process. This is to enable judges to be able to read the statement easily and also for the journal to print the statement to introduce your design if it wins an award.

Q: Should the supporting statement appear on the image sheets?
A: No. It is important to note that for layout purposes of the final journal and for ease of reading by the jury that the supporting statement DOES NOT appear on the design sheets. You will be asked to input your statement into the online platform separately during the submission process.

Q: Can any text at all appear on the image sheets?
A: Absolutely, but keep in mind that any text has to be easily readable at the size of the journal, as indicated by the dimensions of the Competition Template. There is a minimum size 6 font. Please SPELLCHECK all text before submission.

Q: What file formats do you accept for image submission?
A: .jpeg, .jpg, .tif, .tiff image files are accepted. Files must be under 10MB each and with a minimum of 300dpi resolution.

Q: Are there rules about anonymity and eligibility?
A: Yes. See the Conditions page on this website for details. Participants who breach the conditions and non-conforming entries will be disqualified.

Q: Will you accept physical/mailed submissions?
A: No. All submissions must be made digitally through the competition platform: https://laplus.slideroom.com. See the Submissions page on this website for more details.

Q: Is there an entry fee?
A: Yes. Payment of the competition entry fee of US $50 is the last step before submission. You'll receive official confirmation of your entry upon submission and payment. Major credit and debit cards are accepted.

Q: How do I submit my entry?
A: See the "How to Enter" section on the Submissions page on this website. Submissions must be made through our online platform (https://laplus.slideroom.com) between June 20 and October 30, 2023. You'll be asked to sign up to a SlideRoom account to register your details and review entry requirements. You can log in to progress and finalize your entry at any time. You'll also have a chance to review your materials before final submission and you don't need to pay the entry fee until you submit. As a bonus, you’ll receive a unique code to redeem a free digital copy of the LA+ CREATURE issue upon submission.

Q: If I entered a previous LA+ design competition, will my SlideRoom account login be the same?
A: Yes, your login credentials with SlideRoom remain the same, although you may create a new login with a different email address if you wish and you may wish to update your contact details. Note that the team members do not have to be the same as your previous entries – you’ll get a chance to identify your new team members during the entry process.

Q: Can I enter more than once?
A: Yes, you may make multiple entries but you must make a separate application (using a new SlideRoom account under a different email address) and pay a separate fee for each entry.

Q: Is it preferred for designs to be in metric or imperial? *NEW*
A: Either one is fine as long as the units are denoted. In either case, it is best to use a bar scale.

AWARDS + PUBLICATION

Q: When will I know if I have received an award?
A: Award-winners will be announced on December 15, 2023. Contact will be made within 12 weeks of announcement to arrange transfer of prize monies.

Q: Will I be able to view the winning entries?
A: Yes, winning entries and honorable mentions will be published on this website. They will also be published in LA+ EXOTIQUE (fall 2024), along with interviews with each juror about their thoughts on the competition entries, a Salon Des Refusés of select notable entries, and a feature essay on the theme. Even if you are not a winner, your entry may be selected for publication and/or exhibition. Click here to subscribe to LA+ Journal for $29.90/yr (print) OR $10/YR (digital) for 2 issues. Individual digital issues are $5.95. Our upcoming issues are on the themes BEAUTY, BOTANIC, and SENSE.

Q: What could I win?
A: See About page for details of prize money and awards. Each team member of an awarded team will receive a certificate and a free print copy of LA+ EXOTIQUE upon publication.

Q: If I did not win an award, how will I know if my work will appear in LA+ EXOTIQUE?
A: You'll need to buy the journal in fall 2024 to find out! Select non-winning entries may be published in whole or in part. We’ll also be revealing some of the non-winning entries selected for the LA+ EXOTIQUE Salon des Refusés on our social media accounts. You can follow us @LAPlusJournal on twitter or instagram by clicking on the icons to the left of your screen.

Q: If my work is chosen for publication, how will it appear in LA+ EXOTIQUE?
A: The way in which entries selected for publication appear in the journal (or associated physical or online exhibition, social media, or promotion) is solely at the discretion of LA+ Journal and will be subject to considerations of overall layout and aesthetic continuity, among other things. Selected entries may be published in whole or in part. By entering you give LA+ Journal a license to use, publish, exhibit, distribute, edit, alter, and make derivatives of your submitted materials. For further information, see the Conditions of Entry.


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