ANNOUNCING: For the 2011 Placemaking Conference, the 1st ever, BATTLE OF THE BENCHES!

Right now, Tony Galento Plaza is a boring, underutilized public space in the heart of Orange.  But it could be so much more! Situated between bustling Main St and the Orange train station, this plaza could be much more engaging for the many people who pass through it on a daily basis.  To give people just a glimpse of the different possibilities, HANDS Inc and University of Orange are holding a "Battle of the Benches" contest for the 2011 Placemaking Conference.  All benches will be temporarily placed in Tony Galento Plaza.  The Placemaking Conference will be Saturday, April 9th, 2011, so all benches must be ready by that date.  There are 7 categories benches can be entered in: Urban Re-usal, Orange Metal, Biobenches, Orange Pride, School Days, People's Choice, and Benchmark.  There will be cash prizes for winning entries! See below for rules and category details.  Enter your bench here!

Official Rules:

Battle of the Benches

Contestants, Winners, and Prizes

1.      The winning benches of each category will be publicly recognized as examples of outstanding public design.

2.      Winning entrant will automatically qualify as a judge for subsequent Orange Bench Competitions.

3.      The winning entrant of each category shall receive a cash reward of $500. For Benchmark, the second place entrant will receive $250 and $100 for third place. All official entrants will receive a certificate of participation.

4.      Upon agreement with entrant, the bench will be installed for public use at one of HANDS Inc. urban development sites in Orange, New Jersey.

            Overall Judging Criteria and Rules:

1.      A judging panel will consist of 7 community stakeholders.

2.      All jurors will assign one winner in each category.   Benchmark will be awarded 1^st, 2^nd, and 3rd.

3.      All attendees will place be able to place a vote in the People’s Choice category.

4.      Each Bench should be considered for the following attributes:

                                                              i.      Comfort

                                                            ii.      Design

                                                          iii.      Appearance

                                                           iv.      Workmanship, craftsmanship

                                                             v.      Durability

                                                           vi.      Creativity

                                                         vii.      Spirit of the category

• All entries automatically qualify for People’s Choice and Benchmark Awards
• Any participant may enter more than one bench.
• If entry doesn’t match prescribed categories, it is entered into People’s Choice and Benchmark.

Rules: 

1.      The bench length must be no greater than 6 ft.

2.      The bench must be able to sit at least three adults and support the weight of three average adult males.

3.      The bench must be safe for public use.

                                                              i.      The bench must properly support as to eliminate any reasonable amount of tipping and or collapsing during occupation.

                                                            ii.      The bench may not be designed in any matter that creates a condition that is harmful to its user including:

1.      Cuts, sharp edges

2.      Chemical reactions

3.      Splinters

4.      Abrasions

5.      Pinching

6.      Transfers of pigments or finishes to person or clothing.

4.      Any bench found hazardous will be excluded.

5.      Each entrant will be assigned a site for the temporary installation of their bench in the green space adjacent to the Orange train station. Sites will be randomly assigned prior to installation. To ensure bench stability on site, entrants are allowed to install either a temporary platform no greater than 1ft in either dimension of the bench. The platform will not be considered in judging.

6.      Please consider how you will transport your bench to the site.  We encourage cooperation between participants in this respect.  If you are having trouble finding transportation, please contact us at handsvistas@gmail.com.

            Categories:

1.      Urban Re-use-al (Found material): major bench pieces (seating or seating support assemblies) must originate from a location and may not be purchased. Connectors and fasteners needed for assembly may be purchased for no greater than 10 dollars. Photo documentation of found material in original location should be provided  to  give greater context to the bench user and  the judges.

2.      Orange Metal: All bench pieces except superficial seating material must be made out of metal materials [For every category]

3.      BioBenches:  Bench material must be substantially bio-degradable or sustainable for future biological growth. For those benches that are temporary, all material must degraded in a time span no greater than a month and the mechanism for deconstruction can only be natural exposure to normal outside conditions. Connectors or binding material may be biodegradable material or completely recyclable material. Points will be awarded for using material that requires the least amount of manufacturing, natural resource consumption, along with the pervious stated criteria.

4.      School Days: An entrant and or a group of entrants must represent an accredited and or certified educational facility or organization.

5.      Pride of Orange: This bench will present a theme about Orange, New Jersey. Possible thematic presentations may include the history of, a vision for, or current aspect of the city. Show your pride for your city!

6.      People’s Choice: Each Placemaking Conference attendee can place a vote, the bench with the most votes wins! Every bench is automatically entered in this category.

7.      Benchmark: This is the “Best-in-Show” category.  Every bench is automatically entered, and the judges will choose a 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place winner.  The winners will be the benches that judges think best exemplifies the 7 bench attributes listed above.

C'mon, people, we can do so much better than this! Look at how bored these people are sitting on these everyday benches! They definitely need some exciting, eye-catching, inspired bench making!