Join panel, enter design, in King County Parks’ cargo container-to-camping shelter contest

Expert judges panel in place, with room for one lucky Parks fan; Aug. 22 deadline approaches

King County Parks has selected an all-star panel of judges to choose the winning design in the “Little Footprint, Big Forest” competition to create an overnight camping shelter from a 20-foot-long shipping container.

The judges include:

• Dow Constantine - King County Executive
• Stone Gossard – Sustainability advocate and Pearl Jam rhythm guitarist
• Kevin Brown- Division Director, King County Parks
• Art Wolfe – Wildlife and Landscape Photographer
• Eric Corey Freed – Principal, organicARCHITECT
• Kim Munizza – Principal, Mithun
• Aaron Adelstein –Executive Director, Built Green
• Chris Toher – Executive Vice President and General Manager, Skanska
• Bill Schwartz – Manager, Small Projects - Capital Improvement Program, King County Parks
• Andy Wappler Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Puget Sound Energy

One lucky King County Parks fan will have the opportunity to join the judge’s panel. Enter the drawing for a spot on the panel by “liking” King County Parks on Facebook (www.facebook.com/iheartkcparks) and leave a post on the wall naming your favorite camping cuisine by 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 22.

The deadline to submit a design for the “Little Footprint, Big Forest” competition is also Aug. 22; the selected designer will win $4,500 and a chance to see their work become part of King County Parks’ award-winning system of parks and open space.

All architects, designers, hobbyists, students, builders and generally creative people are encouraged to apply. There is no fee to apply. Contest details and rules are at http://www.kingcounty.gov/recreation/parks/partners/littlefootprint.aspx.

The challenge is to design a green camping space that creates a comfortable and durable sleeping area from a 20-foot-long steel cargo container, and that takes into account the rugged King County forestland where it would be placed. King County Parks has identified multiple sites for potential installation of the winning design and will finalize the site once the winning design has been chosen.

Construction of the winning design is scheduled to begin in early 2012, and site installation is expected to occur later that year.

The winning design will be announced Sept. 14 as part of the Built Green Conference and Festival, an event for the building industry on green-building practices and building more sustainable communities.

The “Little Footprint, Big Forest” competition is a collaboration between King County Parks and the King County Solid Waste Division’s GreenTools Program. The contest’s goal is to demonstrate King County’s commitment to innovation in green building, sustainability and prosperity, while offering a unique opportunity to enjoy nature in an ecologically sustainable way.

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King County Parks - Your Big Backyard - offers more than 200 parks and 26,000 acres of parks and natural lands, including such regional treasures as Marymoor Park and Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park, 175 miles of regional trails and a world-class aquatic center. By cultivating strong relationships with non-profit, corporate and community partners, King County Parks enhances park amenities while reducing costs. Learn more at http://www.kingcounty.gov/parks/.

Related information

Little Footprint Big Forest

King County Parks