2024 BULFINCH AWARDS

Submission Requirements and Information

The New England Chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art is pleased to announce its Thirteenth Bulfinch Awards. Named for Boston architect Charles Bulfinch (1763-1844), America’s first native-born architect and the designer of the Massachusetts State House, the awards recognize the best work of individuals and firms to preserve and advance the classical tradition in New England.

Please note the submission deadline is June 15th, 2024

ELIGIBILITY

Submitted projects must be in the six New England states, with the exception of Fairfield County, Connecticut, and must have been completed in the past ten years (since June 2013). There is no limit as to where the applicants or firms are located.

All entrants must be current active members of the ICAA.

Entrants for the student portfolio category must be currently enrolled or recent graduates (not more than two years) of an undergraduate, masters, or certificate program located in the United States.

Entrants for the Community Oriented Design category must either live and/or work in the six New England states, except for Fairfield County, Connecticut, or live and/or work elsewhere with the submission located within the same geographical boundaries.

By submitting these materials you acknowledge that you are fully authorized to submit this entry either as your own project or on behalf of the designer(s) and that you have the right to utilize all the photographs, drawings, and printed materials included in the submission.

All entry materials become the property of the Bulfinch Awards and shall not be returned. By entering, the entrant agrees that entry materials may be used at the discretion of the Bulfinch Awards and the ICAA for awards presentations and marketing related to the Bulfinch Awards.

WINNERS’ RECEPTION

To express gratitude, the New England chapter’s board will host a private cocktail party on Friday evening, the night before the award ceremony, for the Bulfinch Awards winners, the officers and board members of the New England Chapter, and the award gala’s Platinum sponsors. The winners will receive two tickets each*. This intimate gathering will be held at a nearby location yet to be determined. The board looks forward to clinking glasses with its accomplished laureates and dedicated sponsors.

* Note – It is required that all winners provide representation at the winner’s reception with the option of bringing a guest.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Firms/individuals may submit no more than three separate entries for consideration.

Each entry must include the following:

I. Completed Entry Form

II. Digital portfolio in pdf format to include the following:

Cover sheet indicating the project name, award category, completion date (for built projects), and square footage (if applicable)

Brief narrative (no more than 250 words) summarizing the principal aspects of the submitted project to convey its significance to the jury, in particular describing how the project reflects the classical tradition in New England

Captioned photographs, plan(s), elevation(s), detail(s) and/or section drawing(s) as necessary to thoroughly describe the project, including photo credits, where applicable.

Project name should be indicated on each page of the portfolio (The name of the firm or individual submitting the project must not appear in the portfolio pdf).

III. Category-specific requirements:

1. Residential (New Construction) over 5,000 SF

Floor plans and elevations are required. Square footage is defined as all finished living spaces not including garages, unfinished basements, attics, covered patios, or porches.

2. Residential (New Construction) under 5,000 SF

Floor plans and elevations are required. Square footage is defined as all finished living spaces not including garages, unfinished basements, attics, covered patios, or porches.

3. Residential (Restoration, Renovation, or Addition)

The inclusion of before-and-after plans and/or photography is strongly encouraged. Entrants should clearly indicate the scope of their restoration, renovation, or addition work. Restoration work which is limited to a single craft or object should be submitted in the “Craftsmanship/Artisanship” category.

4. Townhouses and Apartments

Floor plans and elevations are required. The inclusion of before-and-after plans and/or photography is strongly encouraged for renovations. Entrants should clearly indicate the scope of their restoration, renovation, or addition work.

5. Commercial

Floor plans and elevations are required. Submissions can be new construction or addition/renovation work. For addition/renovation work the inclusion of before and after plans and/or photography is strongly encouraged to clearly indicate the scope of the entrant’s work.

6. Institutional

Submissions may be new construction or renovation work. For renovation work the inclusion of before and after plans and/or photography is strongly encouraged to clearly indicate the scope of the entrant’s work.

7. Civic

8. Ecclesiastic

9. Interior Design

10. International

This category is for projects completed outside the United States by firms in the New England region (expect for Fairfield County)

11. Landscape Architecture

This category is intended for all scales of landscape design from residential to urban design.

12. Craftsmanship/Artisanship

This category is intended for individuals and companies in the allied arts (i.e. iron work, woodwork, plaster, masonry, sculpture, decorative painting, etc.).

13. Historic Preservation

14. Sketch

This category is intended celebrate the classical tradition of freehand field sketching in mediums such as watercolor, pencil, charcoal, etc. Submissions should not be finished works of art. Entrants for the Sketch category must live and/or work in the six New England states, with the exception of Fairfield County, Connecticut, or the sketch subject matter must be within the same geographical boundaries.

15. Small Project/Folly

16. Community Oriented Design

This category celebrates designs that foster a sense of community. It’s about “we” instead of “me.” The built submission can be a place, a building, a group of buildings, or a town. But it will be selected by the degree to which it joins with its context, which attracts people by augmenting pleasurable experience, maximizing opportunities for enough serendipitous connections to restore perilously absent collective consciousness.

17. Student Portfolio

This category seeks projects from currently enrolled students completed in academic setting (i.e undergraduate, graduate, or certificate program or equivalent) to be described in no more than five images.

17. Patronage Application

Bulfinch Awards Patrons may be self-nominated or nominated by a second party. It is the board’s intention to honor people or companies that have been exceptional philanthropic supporters of the classical tradition in architecture, urbanism and the allied arts in New England. This application must include specific written information plus any pictures supporting the application. The winner of the Patron category will be selected by the ICAA New England Chapter board of trustees.

18. Stewardship Application

Bulfinch Stewardship - It is the board’s intention to honor people that have been exceptional guardians/shepherds of the board of trustees of New England Chapter of the ICAA. This application must presented on behalf of a current member of the board of directors and will be selected will be selected by the ICAA New England Chapter board of trustees. Outside suggestions for consideration should be sent by email to the Executive Director for consideration of nomination.

NOTE – Judges reserve the right to not choose a winner for any particular category.

The name of the firm or individual submitting the project must not appear in the portfolio pdf, but only the Project Name. Note: Patron applications do not need to be anonymous. All firm and contact information and identifying Project Name shall be included on the separate Entry Form located on this LINK.

IV. Submission Fees:

ICAA member: $150.00 for first entry

Subsequent Entries: $100.00 per entry

Student: $25.00 per entry

Sketch Category: $25.00 per entry

Patron & Steward: Free

ICAA Membership Requirement - You must be an active member of the ICAA (regardless of chapter location) to submit.

MEMBERSHIP LEVELS & SIGN-UP

Checks should be payable to the ICAA – New England with a copy of the entry form mailed to:
ICAA-NE, 2020/21 Bulfinch Awards
c/o Sarah Macdonald
PO Box 74
Duxbury, MA 02331

V. Submission Procedure:

Portfolios and entry forms should be submitted as two separate PDFs to smacdonald@classicist-ne.org. Files exceeding 8MB should be submitted using WeTransfer.com or Dropbox.com.

All entries and fees must be received on or before June 15th, 2024.

All submittal-related questions should be directed to Sarah Macdonald, Chapter Director, at smacdonald@classicist-ne.org or (617) 913-2277.

2024 BULFINCH ENTRY FORM

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Bulfinch Awards Call for Entries 2024