Purpose of competition: To discover the capacities for the convergence and development of design with different areas. The definition of convergence is the melting and combining of diverse things into one entity. Convergence in design is not so strange. The act of designing often brings inspiration from territories other than design, and therefore design can’t be separated from the idea of convergence. The movement towards convergence, which aims to break down barriers between different fields in society, is ubiquitous now, but attempts at convergence are not new; convergence as a concept has been around for many years.

In recent years, we have witnessed a new and inventive economy emerge from widely influential and constantly evolving tendencies in how we engage with the internet and online networks. The use of social media platforms has risen to unprecedented levels and has had wide ranging effects on both human behaviour and commerce. In recent times we have seen social media alter the ways and the speed at which we communicate. We have seen it facilitate the exchange and creation of ideas, influence consumer behaviour, create instant pop stars and aid in the election of leaders. The power to define and control brands has also shifted from corporations and institutions to individuals and communities.

Architecture, whilst enjoying a beautiful and rich history, must of course also look towards and design for the future. So how can architecture be inspired by these new systems? What can the profession learn from these burgeoning companies and how they are organised? Such new systems and organisations can affect architecture on many levels: how it is organised, how architects approach their practice and, of course, how and what they build. So how can we instrumentalise the systematic aspect of these organisations and adapt them to create an apparatus for architecture? And what will this apparatus mean for the production of architecture in the future?

Aalto University Properties Ltd. in Finland is arranging a competition for designing Aalto University's Otaniemi central campus and its main buildings. The competition is arranged in two phases. Phase 1 of the competition takes place between 5 April and 10 August 2012. It focuses on producing a functional, overall plan of the central campus of the university. The competition jury will select approximately six entries for further development in Phase 2. Phase 2 competition task is to produce a more detailed design. The competition jury announces Phase 2 of the competition in early 2013. The competition is conducted following the rules of the Finnish Association of Architects.

The objective is to find new concepts and create a lively and interactive environment for research and learning activities wherein work, studies, leisure, and living are interwoven in a natural way and create the foundation for a university city of the future. What is sought is a new functional model: the university's and the whole Otaniemi science and research community's 'mental core', a dynamic centre which allows people to move freely in and out, stops and attracts them, awakens curiosity, and - most importantly, - inspires to study. The campus shall communicate a dynamic approach and orientation towards future as well as incorporating novel technical and ecologically sustainable solutions. The purpose of the competition is to find a high-quality urban landscape solution in which the new buildings in the urban structure engage in a dialogue with the existing buildings.

The total prize sum is EUR 300,000. Signing up is via the competition website. The competition will be launched and the related documents released on 5 April 2012. The competition language is English.

The most important wine producers have tried in recent years to introduce their brands to a wider public, not only through advertising their products directly but also through unique architecture designed by internationally Known architects.

This is the case of the Dominus Winnery in the Napa Valley, California designed by Herzog & de Meuron, Bodegas Ysios, the work of Santiago Calatrava and Frank Gehry’s Bodegas Marques de Riscal, both in La Rioja, Spain.

These projects which have had a great deal of impact in the media, often go beyond the traditional use of the winery and offers the visitor new places to stay and enjoy recreational facilities.

As tourist icons they become the emblem of the winery which then uses its new architectural image to spread the good name of its wines.

From this perspective, the Landscape, Architecture & Wine competition is an attempt to get the contestants to reflecto n these projects and to seek posible alternatives that promote a particular winery and improve the image of its brand.

ORTE Architekturnetzwerk Niederösterreich grants a studio apartment in Krems as well as a scholarship financed by the Federal Province of Lower Austria to architects, space planners, landscape designers, designers, theoreticians, curators and artists focusing their work on architecture.

The providing of a studio apartment for free as well as the awarding of a scholarship by the Federal Province of Lower Austria are based on the following premises: enabling artists from abroad to work in Austria and to get knowledge of the Austrian architectural scene. There are no restrictions regarding the application, however a high quality professional activity exercised so far in the field of architecture is required. For the stay of one to three months a theme of work will be agreed upon – concepts including the local situation are preferable, but not a necessary condition. In the event of longer stays the studio guest agrees to give a lecture at the end of his/her stay on the theme of his/her work or to present his/her work in some other form.

Ontwerpers, bouwers, constructeurs of producenten en hun klanten kunnen inschrijven voor de 8e EUROPEAN ALUMINIUM AWARD Design en Engineering. De prijs wordt om de twee jaar uitgereikt. De competitie is bedoeld voor de promotie van producten en projecten waarin op innovatieve wijze gebruik is gemaakt van aluminium. In totaal zijn er zes Awards te winnen in twee categorieën. De categorie 'Industrial Products' is voor 'Automotive & Transport', 'Building & Construction', 'Mechanical Engineering & Electronics' en 'Production Techniques'. In de categorie 'Consumer Products' reikt de jury Awards uit voor 'Design' en 'Innovation'. Daarnaast zijn er diverse extra prijzen te verdienen: De 'Young Designers'-prize is specifiek gericht op studenten en ontwerpers jonger dan 30 jaar. Bij de 'Overall Jury Award' ligt de nadruk op de beste bijdrage op het gebied van milieu, duurzaamheid en energie-efficiency. Nieuw zijn dit jaar de vier deelprijzen voor walsen, gieten, extrusie en oppervlaktebehandeling.

De wedstrijd is een initiatief van het Nederlandse Aluminium Centrum (AC) in samenwerking met de European Aluminium Association (EAA), het Gesamtverband der Aluminiumindustrie(GDA) en ALUMINIUM 2012 de grootste aluminium vakbeurs ter wereld. De winnaars van een Award ontvangen een plastiek van Aluminium en een certificaat. Alle genomineerde producten worden tentoongesteld in het Award Pavilion op ALUMINIUM 2012.

After two successful years touring the globe, the NANO Supermarket is now entering its second edition. Next Nature is calling upon designers, technologists and artists to submit their speculative nanotech products for the supermarket’s next round. A selection of the most innovative products will be shown in the physical exhibition space, and featured in the accompanying catalog. The best product overall will win a € 2500 prize.

Nanotechnology is an important emerging technology  – it radically intervenes with our sense of what is natural – yet most people are still relatively unaware of its consequences. The Next Nature NANO Supermarket is a physical "supermarket" that features debate-provoking visions on nanotech products that could be expected to hit the shelves between now and 2020.

"LIGHTITUDE" is the theme of the 2012 CLU foundation contest. This year’s theme invites participants to reflect on lighting the communities near the Polar Circle. Due to their high latitude these communities are subjected to particular lighting phenomena. Since light is an essential part of every living organism, it or its lack thereof has a profound effect on humankind.
Can these isolated communities benefit from a more adapted artificial outdoor lighting solution to satisfy their particular Nordic needs and identities? These are some of the questions that the CLU foundation members invite the participants from all walks of life to reflect and create upon.

The prizes will be distributed as follow:
- 1st Prize 2.500$ or a 12 weeks training course* with the industrial design and engineering teams of Philips Lumec (The training course is remunerated. Conditions may apply)
- 2nd Prize 1.500$
- 3rd Prize 1.000$

The Peter Joseph Lenné Award of the state of Berlin is a competition of ideas for garden and landscape architecture and for the planning of open space and landscape. The procedure is targeted especially at young landscape architects, planners, scientists, architects and artists who are being trained or are employed in the aforementioned specialist fields. The award is intended to support the professional development of young persons, and to foster new ideas and planning approaches in the design and planning of open spaces.

The prize has been awarded since 1965. The award is offered for the three sections of Garden and Landscape Architecture (A), Municipal Green Space Planning (B) and Landscape Planning including nature conservation (C), each with one task. Two draft plans in DIN A 0 format as paper printout and one CD with the print versions of both plans as a pdf file are required for one piece of work. The focus is on the drawing presentation. Until the award jury have made a decision, the procedure will be treated as an anonymous competition. There will not be a preliminary inspection of contents of the contributions submitted. The language of the competition is German, and English will also be accepted.