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Wednesday, 20 December 2006 | Levent OZLER
Garden Oasis Design Competition
Pircher Oberland Spa is opening a design competition for outdoor furnishings, with an end to producing and marketing under the Pircher, Tartaruga and Le Terrazze brands. Since 1928, Pircher (based in South Tyrol, Italy) has specialised in producing high quality wooden products for three different sectors: wooden garden furniture and structures; wooden home furniture and doit- yourself products; architectural wood products and structures. This competition involves the first sector.
Whilst the company's vision as outlined above is valid for all three sectors, it is best expressed in the garden sector. Indeed Pircher aims to bring its customers' dreams to life through its products, creating convivial oases for relaxation and personal well-being.
Pircher currently has two garden furniture brands:
"Tartaruga": features pressure-impregnated pinewood products that have a ten-year guarantee. The main products groups include wooden structures such as pergolas, gazebos and carports. Tartaruga products are made in the Dobbiaco factory in Italy's South Tyrol, and are mainly sold around Italy through a network of sole agents. Other important markets include Spain, Greece, France, Austria and a number of Arab countries.
"Le Terrazze": exclusively features nonimpregnated garden furniture in a variety of wood types which are also combined with other materials such as metal and fabrics. Particular attention is dedicated to woods with FSC or PEFC certification; whether exotic or otherwise, these must guarantee long-lasting performance outdoors.
Positioning
In the future, Pircher is expected to become synonymous with high quality design in the field of garden products and furniture. The brand's future and its ability to set itself apart from the competition lie in the perfect blend of design and customisation which are harnessed for creating a garden oasis where wood takes centre stage.
With the slogan "It's my nature", the company's goal assumes a tangible form. This positioning must, of course, prove itself through the products. Indeed the aim of the competition is to revise its range of products.
For the "Kuba" and "Soleluna" products for 2006 (in the Tartaruga catalogue), Pircher has already proposed the first example under the Tartaruga brand. Now others must follow.
Briefing
1. "Le Terrazze": a specific range of garden furniture must be created for this brand. Its original design must have sufficient potential to distinguish it from the competition and make it instantly recognisable as a Pircher design. In the future, this range will be manufactured directly by Pircher.
2. "Tartaruga" a specific design that fits in with the brand's core identity must be developed. These products will not necessarily have to be part of any given range, but can be single items as long as they feature a highlevel, distinguished design. Where the "Tartaruga" brand is concerned, the focus will be on sunshade structures, underneath which they can be completed with modular furnishing systems.
There is only one condition: all the designs must feature the use of wood, although we would underscore the fact that it need not be the only material used. In fact a combination of different materials is welcome.
With its new designer products, Pircher intends to attract the market's attention and underscore its new positioning. In the event that these new designs should meet all the requirements set out, they will play a key part in the company's future marketing strategy.
All the documentation, such as the company's updated garden leaflets and catalogues, will be sent to participants after their registration in the competition.
Further information on Pircher is available on +39 0522 659 711 (english) or on http://www.pircher.eu
Target
Families living in country homes or in town, owners of detached houses, owners of terraces, holiday residences, second homes, hotels, restaurants, swimming pools, bathing establishments and other public services.
Target Markets
The Mediterranean area and continental Europe.
Who Can Participate
Participation in the competition is free of charge, and is open to all designers and students in general, of any nationality and age group, as set out below:
1. professional category (marked P) including designers, architects or engineers, independent or working for companies, subject to the authorisation of the latter in the last case.
2. student category (marked S) students enrolled on architecture, engineering or design courses and suchlike. Groups of designers may also participate, but a group leader who will act as the only head and reference point for Pircher Oberland Spa must be nominated. Members of the Jury, their family members and employees of Pircher Oberland Spa may not participate in the competition.
Design Exclusion
In all cases, the designs submitted must be new, and must have been conceived expressly for the competition. In the event of any dispute arising regarding the originality of the designs, this shall be submitted for judgement to the Design Jury (established by ADI - the Industrial Design Association - and Confindustria - the Italian Manufacturer's Association).
Number of Designs to Submit
There is no limit on the number of designs that can be presented.
Presenting the Design
Your ideas can be submitted in the form of a panoramic drawing made to scale, a perspective drawing or photographic portrayals (also of models). A brief description of the basic idea may be supplied, along with any title given. The drawings must be made on A2 landscape sheets (59.4 x 42 cm), secured to a rigid support in a light material (e.g. poliplatt).
The description must be supplied on the above sheets. With an end to ensuring participants remain anonymous, the designs presented must not be signed, but should be distinguished with a motto, a six-figure number and the mark of the participant's category.
Information on the designer or group of designers must be given on the form which will be sent to participants along with information materials after having enrolled in the competition. The form must be signed in acceptance of the clauses stated in the competition, and must be placed in a non-transparent, sealed envelope bearing the motto, the six-figure number and the mark of the participant's category. A declaration stating that the presented works have never been previously published, and that they are free from any third-party entitlements, is required.
Jury
The Jury is made up of nine persons with entitlement to vote:
- Luca Fois, Recapito Milanese - Milan (President of the Jury)
- Carlo Forcolini, President of the ADI (Vice-president of the Jury)
- Io Wögenstein, Creative Director Conzepta - Bolzano
- Matteo Tampone, Profilo Design - Rivoli - province of Turin
- Novella B. Cappelletti, Landscaper - PAYSAGE - Editor of the magazine "Architettura del Paesaggio", official publication of AIAPP (The Italian Association of Landscape Architecture)
- Stefano Marinello, Technical Office of Pircher Oberland Spa
- Stefano Corradini, Purchasing Office of Pircher Oberland Spa
- Claudio Barchi, Marketing Office of Pircher Oberland Spa
- Christian Pircher, Pircher Oberland Spa The Jury's decision shall be taken as a majority.
Intellectual Property
On payment of the prize, Pircher Oberland Spa shall retain an option to use the winning designs for the duration of one year from the date of the minutes of the Jury. Within this period, Pircher Oberland Spa shall decide whether to send them to production, in which case a financial contract with the designer will be drawn up according to the evaluation criteria stipulated by the ADI. Pircher Oberland Spa may also ask for a one-year option on designs not awarded a prize, subject to a payment that shall be agreed by the parties involved. Pircher Oberland Spa undertakes not to modify the works presented in any way whatsoever without the prior authorisation of the designer.
The participant shall have the right to protect his or her work beforehand by depositing or patenting the design. To this end, the ADI shall reserve the right for participants to deposit their designs in the "Design Register" with particularly favourable conditions.
Deadlines
The entry forms must be received by Pircher Oberland Spa via fax on +39 0522 659 790 or via e-mail on
design  pircher-spa.com by and no later than 15 January 2007. After registering, participants will be sent the identification form and information on Pircher's garden sector.
 entry form.pdf ( 118k ) - Viewed 508 times
The designs must be sent to Pircher Oberland Spa, Via Martin Luther King 1-23, I-42047 Rolo (RE) by post or courier by and no later than 15 March 2007. As such the postmark shall be taken as proof of posting.
Thereafter, the jury shall evaluate the entries. Those submitting the designs deemed to be the best will then be invited to a personal interview which will take place no later than April 2007. This interview will be followed by the selection of the designs to be included in the programme: the selection of more than one design is possible and indeed to be hoped for.
Information and Announcement of the Results
Pircher Oberland Spa undertakes to present the initiative to the national press, and to maximise the results of the competition in any way that it should feel most appropriate. All entrants henceforth authorise Pircher Oberland Spa to display their designs in any exhibitions to be held as part of the "Salone Internazionale del Mobile" (Zona Tortona) from the 18th to the 23rd of April, 2007.
Entrants also authorise Pircher Oberland Spa to publish their designs in a catalogue, book and/or in the specialist press; nothing shall be owed in this respect other than the obligation to state the name of the designer/s.
In any case, entrants who do not receive an award shall have the right to request that their work shall not be divulged by forwarding the request in writing within 15 days of the announcement of the results.
Pircher Oberland Spa shall announce the results of the competition to all participants by the 15th of April, 2007 with a recorded delivery letter sent to the winners, and an ordinary letter to all other participants.
Prizes
The total of prize money is € 10,000.00 which will be divided up as follows:
1. Winner of the professionals' category € 7.000,00
2. Winner of the students' category € 3.000,00
Moreover, Pircher Oberland Spa may offer winners of the competition an employment contract at the "Pircher Design-LAB".
In the event that the competition should be concluded without a merit rating and without a winner owing to a lack of suitable designs, the Jury shall have the indisputable right to share the prize money out amongst designs worthy of particular recognition. The Promoter hereby stipulates that the total prize money will in any case be distributed, and that it shall undertake not to seek compensation for any contributions required by law.
Returning of Works
All works that do not receive any awards may be collected by the designers from Pircher Oberland Spa from the 1st of June to the 30th of September, 2007.
At the end of this period, Pircher Oberland Spa shall be implicitly authorised to dispose of any works still stored on its premises. The winning works shall be kept by Pircher Oberland Spa until such time as the option it has acquired expires, unless alternative agreements are reached by the parties involved.
Competition Trustee
The trustee which shall act as an intermediary between the promoter, jury and competition entrants is:
ADI Associazione per il Disegno Industriale
Via Bramante 29, I-20154 Milan
tel. +39 02 331 00 164
fax +39 02 331 00 878
E-mail: info adi-design.org
http://www.adi-design.org
entry form.pdf ( 118k ) - Viewed 508 times
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