Boulderspace

Update!!! Bike Rack Design Competition

Mar 20th, 2008 by rlsorbe

Bike Rack Design Competition - Poster

Update! Update! Update!

Boulderspace has been working with the City of Boulder to create a set of judging parameters for the Bike Rack Design Competition. These are the parameters which contributing designers will need to take into consideration (in addition to submission guidelines) when creating bike racks to be displayed in the public right-of-way areas.

We have also learned that Boulder has a need for multi-bike parking as well as the meter pole parking. We have therefore have expanded our competition into three categories:

1. Meter Pole Bike Rack Design,
2. Multi-bike parking Design and
3. Open & Free Design.

The City has not yet committed, but is strongly interested in temporarily showcasing both the meter pole and multi-bike racks designs in public right-of-way areas. If all goes well, the bike rack designs will be fabricated and temporarily displayed for three to six months in “high need” areas, with the potential to become permanent fixtures. The City is working to provide information for “high need” locations as well as safety requirements, and we will update as this information becomes available.

While on display as trial bike racks, Boulderspace will facilitate community input and feedback from both private and public entities as to how well these designs meet the specified criteria below. From our bike bike-riding public, we will gain valuable information as to which designs are functional and user-friendly, in addition to which designs complement our public space and could be permanently used on both private or public property.

Bike Rack Design Competition
Guidelines and Entry Form

Read below for a list of judging parameters, bike rack design categories and event details. Please contact Rebecca Lewis for further questions: rl[@]boulderspace.org

GENERAL JUDGING PARAMETERS: Entries for the public right-of-way areas will be judged on form, function and cost-effectiveness by a judging panel.

Form and function:

Safety:bike can be locked securely and remain upright, rack is vandal-proof and durable
Intuitive: Function and bike position are clear to the cyclist. Likewise the bike rack design should be user user-friendly.
Artistic:aesthetically pleasing and creative
Relationship: the rack complements the surrounding area in relation to other streetscape fixtures/objects, and does not impede movement of people or other uses of the space.

Fabrication:

Cost effective to create and fabricate (current meter pole racks cost $150 per bike rack)
Minimal routine and long-term maintenance issues
Design can be fabricated in large quantities

Category Descriptions:
1. Meter Pole Bike Parking Rack Category
Bike rack design to be securely installed on existing meter pole
We have asked the City of Boulder to host installation of finalist designs on meter poles in public right of way (fabricate up to five designs for installation)
Temporary installation display for 3 – 6 months

2. Multi-bike Parking Rack Category
Bike rack design that will park four or more bikes
We have asked the City of Boulder to host installation of finalist designs in public right of way (fabricate up to three rack designs for installation)
Temporary installation display for 3 – 6 months

3. Open & Free Bike Parking Rack Category
No limitations and full creative freedom designs
Fabricate up to three finalist bike rack designs for installation
Local business to host installation of finalist design on private property
Installation time: TBD

BIKE RACK COMPETITION EVENTS:
June 9 – submissions for Bike Rack Design Competition are due
This includes completing the submission form and creating a sketch for the bike rack design.

June 18 – Prototypes of Bike Rack Design
Each of our submitters are required to provide a working model of their bike rack design to be displayed at the judging on Saturday, June 21st. These working models should show the design’s application and either be crafted from materials that are similar to that which will be used in the final design, or painted to look so; also, the prototype should be scaled to the actual bike rack design size. In addition to the prototype we ask each designer to prepare a short description to include the following information: