aIA OMAHA CATEGORY III DESIGN CHALLENGE

BACKGROUND

Many years ago, the Metro Omaha Builders Association (MOBA) created a series of four design and construction-oriented challenges for local Omaha high school students.  Categories I, II, IV were focused on residential home construction, and Category III focused on architecture and commercial design.  More recently, with the economic downturn beginning in 2008, MOBA ceased its support of the four Design Challenges.  After MOBA withdrew its support, RDG Planning & Design supported the Category III Design Challenge, re-naming it the Omaha Public Schools/RDG Category III Architectural Design Challenge, in four Omaha Public Schools and has developed a culture of devoted staff volunteers.  In 2013, AIA Omaha began to offer financial support of the program in the form of award sponsorships.  AIA Omaha has continued its financial support of the program and has partnered with RDG Planning & Design in order to expand the Category III Design Challenge to more metro Omaha area schools and turn the program into a Omaha metro-wide design competition focusing on  the value of architecture.