Kingspan Insulated Panels asked architectural students across the globe to design an urban mid-rise, mixed-use complex for a Washington, D.C. project site in its 2013 design competition, known as Generation Kingspan, or simply GenK. While all the participating students won valuable knowledge and experience by completing the multifaceted requirements, there was only one Grand Prize Winner: the team led by Luis Sidonio.
Luis Sidonio, Suzie Robinson, Sarah Binns and Zach Brown, four Master of Architecture students from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, and the $5,000 Grand Prize recipients, created the DC Visitor & Sustainability Cultural Centre. The Center features a range of sustainable systems, including solar and geothermal renewable energy systems, to achieve a reduced reliance on non-renewable energy sources. Such key features earned high marks for both aesthetic and energy efficient badges from the judges.