The London Festival of Architecture (LFA) and Architecture LGBT+ have announced a design competition for a float to represent architecture and LGBT+ architects at Pride in London and Manchester Pride. Now in its second year, the project celebrates the diversity of the architecture sector, and offers opportunities for architecture students, recent graduates, emerging practices as well as staff in more established firms.

The winning design team will be commissioned to design and deliver the float for the Pride in London parade on 6 July 2019. There is an estimated £8,000 budget for design and delivery, with Sir Robert McAlpine managing the float build and providing a flatbed truck for it to sit upon.

The competition will be judged by a panel of judges including:

• Anne Cosentino (equality, diversity and inclusion manager, RIBA)
• Evan Davis (broadcaster and presenter)
• Tom Guy (founder, Architecture LGBT+)
• Sarah Habershon (architect, Hawkins\Brown)
• Tamsie Thomson (director, London Festival of Architecture)
• Rob Wilson (architecture editor, Architects’ Journal)
• Sir Robert McAlpine representative

Architecture LGBT+ was launched during the London Festival of Architecture in 2017 to provide a safe, inclusive and prejudice-free environment for LGBT+ architects and those working and studying within the profession through networking events, learning, mentoring and role models. Architecture LGBT+ is supported by the architecture profession, including platinum sponsors Foster + Partners.

The competition is an important element in the London Festival of Architecture 2019 season as the festival explores ‘boundaries’. The London Festival of Architecture is committed to promoting equality and diversity in the architecture and wider built environment professions, and in 2016 supported the launch of Architecture LGBT+ with a Pride Breakfast at the RIBA, before working with Architecture LGBT+ to commission the inaugural Architectural Pride float in 2018: one of the highlights of the 2018 LFA season. The festival is deeply committed to promoting diversity within the architecture profession and, alongside other initiatives including the ‘See the Elephant’ campaign, the Architectural Pride float is intended to empower individuals and organisations to transcend boundaries in the built environment professions.

The call for entries document detailing the submission process can be found here.

[ENTRIES ARE NOW CLOSED]