Googleheim Competition: Gimme "Virtual Shelter"

The Guggenheim Museum and Google invite you to build something, somewhere. The alliteratively-named duo has launched the Design It: Shelter Competition, which asks contestants to design a virtual shelter using Google’s SketchUp 3D-modeling software and place it anywhere on the globe using Google Earth. The competition draws its inspiration from the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture—students there design shelters as part of their training—but instead of winning a master’s degree, the prize for Design It contestants is a paid trip to New York City complete with free software swag and private museum tours.

The contest rules are simple: shelters should be small living/working spaces and can be placed anywhere on Earth. You must also use Google's software, which is available free of charge. "The Google SketchUp community includes students, designers, architects, and artists all over the world—audiences shared by the Guggenheim," says Google spokesman Aidan Chopra. "This design competition is a way to bring these communities together online, which is why we are so excited to collaborate with the Guggenheim and provide them with the tools—Google Earth and Google SketchUp—that will be used in this unique competition."

August 23rd is the deadline for Design It entries, and winners will be announced Oct. 21. Meanwhile, the Guggenheim's Frank Lloyd Wright celebration continues through August.