The Design It: Shelter Competition is a global, online initiative that invites the public to use Google Earth and Google SketchUp to create and submit designs for virtual 3D shelters for a location of their choice anywhere on Earth. The competition takes its inspiration from Learning By Doing, an exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum’s Sackler Center for Arts Education, which features plans, photographs and models of shelters built by students at the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture.

Following the contest submission period of June 8 to August 23, 2009, current Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture students will select ten entries as finalists. The public will be invited to vote on the finalists online from September 7 through October 10 to determine the winner of the People’s Prize. At the same time, a jury of experts in the fields of architecture and design will review all shelter submissions to choose the winner of the Juried Prize. The winners will be announced on October 21, 2009, the 50th Anniversary of the Guggenheim Museum. More information is available on the Design It: Shelter Competition site.