3600 Spenard Plaza Design Competition

Cook Inlet Housing Authority (CIHA) invites Alaskan artists to submit design proposals for a plaza at 3600 Spenard Road, Anchorage, AK 99503. The plaza will be a permanent enhancement to CIHA's new mixed-use building at the southwest corner of 36th Avenue and Spenard Road. The project aims to engage the neighborhood, activate the intersection, enhance the pedestrian experience, celebrate local history and Alaska Native culture, and brand Spenard as innovative and creative. The plaza design should relate to the adjacent bus stop and support the Anchorage 2020 & West Anchorage District Plan's designation of Spenard Road as a Transit Supportive Development Corridor.

The plaza is approximately 950 square feet, shaped as a semi-circle roughly 80 feet x 20 feet at its widest points. It features a curved seat wall with integral lighting and is bounded by vegetated landscaping and a parking lot. The plaza surface and seat wall are currently proposed to be concrete. A drainage swale within the landscaping leads to a rain garden for stormwater management. CIHA seeks a high-quality artistic design with strong visual impact that thematically represents the history, culture, and people of the Spenard neighborhood or the Dena'ina people and culture. Artists will be challenged to develop innovative ideas within the context of codes, regulations, and architectural fabric.

CIHA was created in 1974 to increase access to quality, affordable housing for elders, individuals, and families in the Cook Inlet Region. As a Tribally Designated Housing Entity (TDHE), CIHA is committed to community development and revitalization. In August 2015, CIHA was awarded an ArtPlace America Community Development Investment grant to implement and test new ideas exploring the added value of arts and culture in community development. This plaza design competition is part of a larger creative placemaking effort to invest in the Spenard neighborhood and engage businesses, artists, and community members. Entry deadline: 3/10/17 at 11:59 p.m. MST. Eligibility: Local (Alaska). Work sample requirements: 4 images.