Designing a Home for All Time, and All Ages

Applicants for the year-long program, which begins in October, are due June 1.

Meaghan O'Neill -- Interior Design, 5/8/2006

A home that meets your needs is a luxury, but what about a home that would meet your needs over the course of a lifetime, from a toddler’s first steps to an aging couple’s orthopedic aids? Is it possible to build a home for every age and every stage of life?  Can a dwelling allow for the changes—both physical and aesthetic—that a lifetime requires, and still carry the opportunity for a complete redesign?

This is exactly the topic that the Universal Home program at the Design Zentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen in Essen, Germany aims to tackle. The program will dole out 10 one-year scholarships to upcoming and recent international graduates of architecture and design programs.

During the one-year research and development program, which will last from October 1 through September 30, 2007, 10 young designers and architects will develop possible solutions for a living space that grows with its inhabitants, is flexible, and is respectful of various circumstances. The scholarships allot 1,000 euros monthly for an entire year, including travel costs and workspace. Participants will be required to live on the Zollverein premises in Essen. The program will be accompanied by colloquiums held by Professor Dr. Peter Zec, initiator of the Red Dot Design Award.

Scholarship applications should be submitted to the Design Zentrum by June 1. Winners will be selected by an international jury in August. Applicants should be interested in challenging their industrial design, conceptual development, and design realization skills, according to press material. Project results will be published at the end of the term.