Teams of budding and seasoned architects faced off last week for the second annual Iron Designer Challenge, where they constructed freestanding “Portals”—structures that mediate two spaces—in less than three hours.
The Gensler team won the 2010 contest, in which participants built emergency shelters, and once again, it took home the grand prize. Inspired by a metamorphosis theme, the team wrapped a cocoon structure in adjustable flaps that opened to mimic the spread of a butterfly’s wings. PVC piping was the primary construction material, allowing the joints of the wings—wrapped in colorful duct tape—to pivot open and shut.