History

 

On February 14, 1969, a group of black students submitted a list of demands to University of Illinois Chancellor Jack Peltason calling for the end of institutional racism. One of the demands called for the immediate establishment of a black cultural center large enough to serve the needs of black students and the community. On February 18, 1969 the UC Senate Council recommended that a temporary center be established and placed under the supervision of Clarence Shelley, the Director of the Special Education Opportunities Program. Shortly thereafter a faculty student commission was established consisting of three units, academic, cultural and community. In the Fall of 1969 the Afro-American Cultural Program opened its doors.

 

From the outset, the Program was conceived to be grass roots oriented with community input and outreach. The program had two major goals: to encourage within Black students of the university a sense of pride and dignity based on their cultural heritage and to create a safe place for students to develop themselves individually and collectively; secondly, to create within the university a place where the campus could learn about the contributions of Black citizens to the campus and larger national culture. This same two-fold mission is relevant today and continues to drive our work on behalf of students.

 

In 1969 the Afro-American Cultural Program was created with the two-fold purpose of assisting the university in providing a safe and welcoming environment for African American students and a resource to the campus at-large regarding African American contributions and issues.

The focus of the Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center (BNAACC) is to:

-Help the campus create a culturally respectful campus environment.

-Provide leadership and professional opportunities for students.

-Promote African American culture through the performing arts.

 

Now a full-fledged cultural center, the Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center remains a vital part of the institution and serves as a resource not only for students of African descent, but all Illinois students.

 

Currently the Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center is in a temporary location on 51 E. Gregory Dr.  Champaign, IL 61820.  The old facility on 708 S Mathews Urbana, IL 61801 is proposed to be demolished and replaced with a new facility.  Members of BNACC are looking for student ideas of what this new facility will look like.

 

Competition Brief

The Bruce Nesbitt African American Cultural Center is in the process of gaining a new facility to house their programs offered to the campus in a central location. This competition is an opportunity to provide design proposals of what that facility will look like. These designs will enhance the campus programmatically and aesthetically. Create a proposed design for a new BNAACC center located on 708 South Mathews avenue Urbana, Illinois. Using the square footage available on the site (12,000 SQ. FT.), the program within the building will be decided by each team according to the needs and desires of the center and based on the programs offered currently.

 

Design Content Description

• Implement a design proposal for a new Bruce D Nesbitt African American Cultural Center (BNAACC)

 

• SITE: Previous BNAACC Location on Nevada

708 South Mathews Avenue

Urbana, IL 61801

 

•12,000 SQ. FT. Limit 

• REQUIRED PROGRAMS

       ADA Accessibility

       HISTORIC PRESERVATION OF MURAL INSIDE HOUSE

• SUGGESTED PROGRAMS

       Performance Space

       WBML Radio Station

       Study Rooms 

       Computer Lab

       Seminar Rooms

       Office Spaces

(Please refer to the BNAACC website: go.illinois.edu/BNAACC for more information about the Center)

 

Participation Requirements

• Any student (Undergraduate/ Graduate) enrolled at a University may participate

• REQUIRED to attend the NOMAS SYMPOSIUM SEPTEMBER 18, 2015

 

• REQUIRED DRAWINGS

        Floor Plan(s)

       (1) Interior Rendering (mural included)

       (1) Exterior Rendering

       Additional drawings and physical models are OPTIONAL and are not limited

       Hand drawings are allowed

All drawings must fit on (1) 36x36 panel

 

Team Regulations

•1 – 3 PEOPLE MAX PER GROUP

•PARTICIPATION FEE: $15

       * Fee will be used for final printing cost

 

Schedule

• REGISTRATION: OPENS SEPTEMBER 19,2015 

       **Register Online

• GROUP SELECTION & DEPOSIT DUE:  JANUARY 1, 2016

• SUBMISSION DUE:  JANUARY 31, 2016

 

 

Awards

•FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED

       FIRST PRIZE: $500

       SECOND PRIZE: $300

       THIRD PRIZE: $200

•SELECT NUMBER OF HONORABLE MENTIONS SUSTAINABILITY EXCELLENCE AWARD

       HISTORIC PRESERVATION AWARD

       ADA ACCESSIBILITY AWARD

       STRUCTURAL EXCELLENCE AWARD

       INTEGRATED DESIGN AWARD

       DESIGN EXCELLENCE AWARD

       MOST LIKED AWARD

 

* ALL SUBMISSIONS SUBJECT FOR USE IN THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF CULTURAL CENTER AND WILL ON DISPLAY IN THE CURRENT AND FUTURE CENTER