The Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation announces the 2022–2023 cycle of the GSAPP Incubator Prize. As a platform for entrepreneurship and expanded modes of practice, the Prize supports projects led by GSAPP alumni that bridge critical discourse with active practice and engagement. The Prize encourages a wide range of experiments while focusing on a specific topic of inquiry each year, and in 2022 is aligned with the School’s ongoing work of advancing racial equity in the built environment as outlined in the GSAPP Anti-Racism Action Plan. Like last year, the 2022-2023 GSAPP Incubator Prize is dedicated to supporting alumni-led initiatives that critically redefine community engagement and participation. Special consideration will be given to proposals serving BIPOC communities, in particular projects that engage communities in neighboring Harlem.
Applicants must demonstrate a knowledge of the community they aim to engage with through the proposed project, and the application will ask about community partnerships as an integral aspect of the project. These connections and collaborations test the viability of execution and indicate an investment in meaningful and lasting outcomes.
In 2022, Columbia GSAPP will award ten Prizes of $10,000 per selected projects to individuals or teams of no more than two members. Projects must be led by GSAPP alumni from across the school’s programs who graduated between 2008 and 2022. Recipients will develop their work independently and can be based internationally. Operating within the broader ecosystem of the School’s commitment to new forms of design research and practice, GSAPP Incubator Prize recipients will present their work at the School and other opportunities as they arise throughout the academic year.