SPECIAL NOTICE
99 -- REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS - DESIGN COMPETITION
- Notice Date
- 1/31/2012
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 711510
— Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers
- Contracting Office
- General Services Administration, Public Buildings Service (PBS), Property Development Division (WPC), 7th and D Streets, S.W., Room 2002, Washington, District of Columbia, 20407
- ZIP Code
- 20407
- Solicitation Number
- NCPCTempArtCompetition
- Archive Date
- 3/16/2012
- Point of Contact
- Mary Pineda, Phone: 202-205-8468, Jilayne Willhoite, Phone: 202-260-4445
- E-Mail Address
-
mary.pineda@gsa.gov, jilayne.willhoite@gsa.gov
(mary.pineda@gsa.gov, jilayne.willhoite@gsa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS, DESIGN COMPETITION DUE March 1, 2012, 3:00PM Beyond Granite: A Design Competition for a Temporary Commemorative Installation at the Ariel Rios Hemicycle, Washington, DC Introduction The US General Services Administration (GSA), working with the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), announces a competition for a temporary commemorative installation at the Ariel Rios Hemicycle, on 12 th Street NW, Washington, DC, adjacent to the Ariel Rios Federal Building, which houses the headquarters of the US Environmental Protection Agency. The winning proposal will feature a site-specific, temporary work that commemorates the founding principles and legacy of Earth Day-an environmental subject not otherwise represented in the city's commemorative landscape-and which does so in a way that expands the palette of form and material for commemorative works in Washington. Project Background Historically, commemorative installations and memorials in Washington have been designed for the ages. They tend to feature works of stone and granite, set within a solemn landscape that often encompasses multiple acres dedicated solely to a commemorative purpose. Construction costs are high; recent projects range between sixty to one hundred twenty million dollars in costs. The Commemorative Works Act established a process for evaluating the subject matter, location, and form of permanent commemorative works in the Washington region, and the process can be complex and lengthy. It begins with an act of Congress, and often takes 10 years until project realization. In 2010, NCPC sponsored a forum entitled Beyond Granite: Global Approaches to Public Art and Placemaking. The program featured public artists and arts administrators discussing temporary works such as the World Trade Center Tribute in Light and London's Fourth Plinth program in Trafalgar Square. Panelists discussed how a program of temporary commemorative works could be used to enrich the cultural landscape in Washington, DC, by providing a means to recognize issues and events that might not otherwise fit within the confines of the Commemorative Works Act, while alleviating the pressure of demands for permanent memorial sites in the Monumental Core. Such a program would also create opportunities for artists to experiment with new and dynamic kinds of designs and materials. The Beyond Granite competition has been conceived to pick up where this conversation left off. The goal of the competition is to encourage more public dialogue about alternative ways to commemorate, and also to experiment with temporary forms of commemoration that can contribute to more vital public spaces within the nation's capital. Site Description The site is a grassy semi-circle along 12 th Street NW in the Federal Triangle area of Washington, DC. Immediately in front of the Ariel Rios Federal Building, it is known as the Ariel Rios Hemicycle. Although the site is adjacent to the Federal Triangle Metrorail Station and is a nexus for vehicular and pedestrian traffic moving between the National Mall and Pennsylvania Avenue and between the Old Post Office Pavilion and the Woodrow Wilson Plaza, the site itself is underutilized and undistinguished. Through the competition, NCPC and GSA seek to activate the site and make it a more memorable and attractive public space. Concurrent with this competition, NCPC and GSA will be making permanent site enhancements such as new seating and improvements to the landscaping. Any other proposed modifications to the site must not permanently impact the façade of the historic Ariel Rios Federal Building, and also must not adversely affect the operations or structure of the Metrorail station located under the site. Competition Theme While the overall objective of this competition is to explore opportunities created through temporary forms of commemoration, a theme has been identified to provide a focus for competition submissions-that of Earth Day. Earth Day began, and continues as, a grass-roots effort to promote environmental awareness and broaden responsibility for our planet. It is now the largest civic observance in the world, with more than 1 billion people participating. Earth Day continues to inspire individuals, businesses, diverse organizations and communities. Since the first Earth Day in 1970, this annual awareness and educational event has broadened support for environmental actions and programs at the local, national and international levels. In fact, some of the early Earth Day celebrations are now remembered for launching modern environmental awareness. In the U.S., Earth Day inspired passage of many groundbreaking environmental laws and helped lead to the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency, whose offices are housed immediately adjacent to the competition site. NCPC and GSA seek proposals that embody defining precepts of the founding of Earth Day, its legacy, and environmentally sustainable practices. Works should inspire the audience to reflect upon the impact of Earth Day over the past 40 years, environmental achievements going forward, and the challenges that remain. Works also should be site specific, designed to respond to the Hemicycle's urban form and context. Scope of Work The selected Artist/Designer (or, if a team, the designated Lead Artist/Designer) will be responsible for producing a final design for NCPC and GSA approval. Once approved, the selected Artist/Designer may be contracted to develop the design and fabricate and install the project, resulting in a public display at the hemicycle for a period of up to one year (estimated April 22, 2013 - April 22, 2014). The Artist/Designer will be responsible for producing or subcontracting fabrication, transportation, site preparation, installation, maintenance, and/or de-installation, and other services, as needed. Services required of the contracted artist/designer or team may include, but will not be limited to, site visits, concept design documents, design development documents, working drawings, fabrication documents, specifications, cost estimates, presentations, site preparation services, fabrication services, installation, and post-fabrications services. Ongoing coordination with GSA and NCPC will be required. The total possible time frame of the project from award of contract to de-installation is anticipated to last between 19 - 21 months (depending on contract award date and final installation date). Budget This project is SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS. The total cost range of this temporary commemorative work is between $200,000 to $300,000. The value includes all costs associated with, but not limited to: presentations, design fees, travel, insurance, project materials, fabrication, and transportation of work to the site, site preparation, installation, maintenance, de-installation, and documentation. Selection Process This is a request for Qualification (RFQ) of an Artist/Designer interested in contracting for this temporary commemorative installation. The Artist/Designer will be designated as the Lead if a team is involved, and is the individual who will have primary responsibility to conceive the design concept and the temporary commemorative installation's fabrication, installation and deinstallation. There are two stages to the design competition to select a winning submission. This RFQ represents STAGE I of the competition. Evaluation of all submissions in STAGE I and STAGE II will be conducted by an Evaluation Board, which will make a recommendation to the GSA Selection Authority on the final selection. The Evaluation Board may include representatives from NCPC, GSA, Commission of Fine Arts and private sector professional peers in the fields of art, architecture, history of memorials, and urban planning. Advisors will include individuals with new media, performance art, or other discipline experience as required. The process for selection in two stages is as follows: In STAGE I, Artists/Designers interested in contracting for this work will submit information about themselves, their teams and portfolios of accomplishment that establish their capabilities, as well as a preliminary vision statement for the commemorative installation based on information provided in this Request for Qualifications (RFQ). From this first round of submissions, an Evaluation Board will establish a short-list of approximately five Artists/Designers who are most qualified for the purposes of this competition. In STAGE II, short-listed Artists/Designers will be notified and asked to develop conceptual proposals for the commemorative installation in response to a Request for Proposals (RFP). The RFP will include detailed guidelines, evaluation criteria, and final information about submission requirements and the site. Soon after the RFP is issued, short-listed Artists/Designers (and their teams) will be invited to a Q&A session and site visit, and then given time to develop their proposals. At the site visit, site conditions will be relayed. The STAGE II proposal submission requirements will consist of a written statement describing the concept, schedule and budget, and a 45-minute in-person interview and presentation using boards as well as digital material/slides. More specific information about STAGE II proposal submission requirements will be given to short-listed Artists/Designers along with the RFP. The purpose of the RFP design review is to further evaluate the Artist/Designer (and team) qualifications, and the design for the temporary commemorative installation. After reviewing all submitted materials and interviewing candidates, the Evaluation Board will recommend a winning candidate for Lead Artist/Designer to the GSA Selection Authority for approval. A stipend will be offered to the short-listed artists/designers to assist with the purposes above. The stipend will be paid following submission of the Stage II design. All submitted materials become the property of the U.S. Government and may or may not be the basis, whole or in part, for the development of the final commemorative installation and may be posted to the competition website. Eligibility All experienced, practicing artists and/or designers are encouraged to apply. Artists/designers may work as individuals or teams, and may work in a variety of media. Proposed projects may be individual projects, team projects, or projects consisting of multiple works and artists. If submitting as a team, a Lead Artist/Designer must be identified. To be considered eligible, the Lead Artist/Designer must be an American citizen or be a permanent resident of the US, and submit all required materials in the formats, and with the page/character limits, described in the "Submission Requirements" section below. Project team members from NCPC and GSA will screen all responses to the RFQ for eligibility. Submission Requirements and Evaluation Criteria Submission materials for STAGE I shall be submitted as follows : ONE HARD COPY and ONE CD of the materials listed below, following the formats and size limitations listed. Submissions shall be sent to : Mary E. Pineda, Contracting Officer, Office of Planning and Design Quality, GSA/NCR, 301 7th Street, S.W., Room 4004, Washington, DC, 20407 by no later than 3:00 P.M. on 1 March 2012 via an overnight carrier with a tracking/receipt system. Percentages of valuation are given in parenthesis after each factor: (1) Cover Letter (5%): Submit a cover letter (8-1/2" x 11" format, one-page maximum, single-sided, titled: lastname_firstname_CoverLetter) referencing the FBO announcement and briefly identifying and describing the artist/designer or team, the proposed Lead Artist/Designer (if for a team), and noteworthy accomplishments. Include acknowledgement of the proposed Lead Artist/Designer's U.S. citizenship/permanent residency. (2) Portfolio (55%): Submit a portfolio representative of you/your team's artistic and/or design ability and demonstration of your ability to complete an installation, consisting of the following: I would say 300 dpi at 10 inches with files no bigger than 6mb - that will ensure you can print 8x10s, but the files won't be huge and they'll all have to be jpegs (no tiffs). a) Work Sample Images: Include examples of past work in the form of no more than five (5) digital images (count includes any images of details), in JPEG format ( 300 dpi at 10"square with files no bigger than 6MB) Image files should be titled in the following format: lastname_firstname_imagenumber (ex: Smith_Joe_01). Do not include label information in the JPEG image. One image per JPEG is preferred. However, if you need to convey a project's complexity using multiple images, please make an effort to have no more than three views per JPEG compositeOnly five images may be submitted to represent an entire team. (Jilayne is confirming the IT requirements for receiving information electronically for a paperless (earth friendly) submission) b) Work Sample Narrative, to correspond with the images of examples of past work (8-1/2" x 11" format, titled lastname_firstname_WorkSampleNarrative). The Work Sample Narrative should include: image number, title of project, location of installation, client, dimensions, materials, construction techniques, contractors (where relevant), and total budget for the project. c) Three (3) Letters of Recommendation (if a team, submit 3 for team or at least 2 of the 3 for proposed Lead Artist/Designer). Files should be titled: lastname_firstname_RecLetter. In evaluating the above-listed portfolio materials, the Evaluation Board will consider artistic excellence and achievement as evidenced by the materials submitted, as well as the relevance of the artist/designer's previous professional experience to this project and the artist/designer's experience with projects of similar scale and scope, including demonstrated ability to successfully collaborate with public agencies. (3) Profile (10%): Submit a Resume/Biographical sketch that outlines the Lead Artist/Designer's education, professional experience, and professional accomplishments inclusive of examples and specific successful achievements in public projects (8-1/2" x 11" format, maximum three pages, single-sided). Resumes for team members should be no longer than three pages. In evaluating the Lead Artist/Designer profile, the Evaluation Board will consider overall experience and achievement, as well as relevance of the Artist/Designer's previous professional experience to this project and the Artist/Designer's experience with projects of similar scale and scope, including demonstrated ability to successfully collaborate with public agencies. (4) Vision Statement (30%): Submit a statement (8-1/2" x 11" format, 5000 characters, including spaces, maximum) in the proposed Lead Artist/Designer's own words, that shares your vision, and the conceptual approach you would take to this project. The statement should present a sense of the quality of your thinking and level of expertise. In evaluating this statement, the Board will look for evidence of the Artist/Designer's understanding of competition theme and goals and ability to convey concepts clearly; an approach that addresses commemoration through nontraditional forms and materials; an approach that has the potential to engage and resonate with the public; an approach that is responsive to the surrounding environment and has the potential to integrate well with the urban environment. Please note that specific project proposals are not requested at this time and will not be reviewed by the committee. Schedule Mar 1, 2012 Deadline for RFQ submission Apr 30, 2012 Short List of competitors notified (others will be notified at conclusion of the process) Apr 18, '12 RFP issued to finalists Apr 25, '12 Q&A Session and Site Visit Apr 18 - June 6, '12 Proposals developed June 6, '12 Deadline for submissions in response to RFP Mid June, '12 Interviews with proponents Early Aug '12 Winning proposal announced A ug/Dec '12 Award Contract (SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS) Sep/Jan '13 Prepare Final Design Fabrication/Construction documents Nov/Mar '12 Approval of Final Design Dec/Apr '13 Permits & Bidding Jan to Apr or Apr to Jun '13 Fabrication and Installation Apr/Jun '13 - Apr/Jun '14 Public Display Submission Deadline Materials must be submitted to the Contracting Officer, Mary Pineda, by 3:00pm local time, March 1, 2012 via an overnight carrier with a tracking/receipt system. Notification GSA will acknowledge receipt of submissions. GSA will send invitations for interviews/proposal stage or notification of non-selection by April 16, 2012. Questions All questions are due by no later than 3:00 PM on 22 February 2012 and must be addressed in writing to the GSA Contracting Officer via email mary.pineda@gsa.gov with cc: jilayne.willhoite@gsa.gov. Do not contact the NCPC with inquiries concerning this solicitation. All questions about the competition process, guidelines, or other content contained on the competition website located at: http://www.ncpc.gov/beyondgranite must also be submitted by no later than February 22, 2012.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/GSA/PBS/WPC/NCPCTempArtCompetition/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Washington, District of Columbia, United States
- Record
- SN02664669-W 20120202/120131234921-47a80d8af9daa73eab52adf639d062b9 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |