AquaBlu Art RFP

Homes By DeSantis (AquaBlu Condo Development Site)

Request for Proposal

Public Art Competition

CLOSING (STAGE 1):   April 24th 2015 — 3:00 PM EST

PUBLIC ART RFP

____________________________________________________________________________________

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

1. STATEMENT OF NEED:

1.1 Homes By DeSantis   is seeking proposals for the creation and installation of a public art sculpture at their new Condominium Development located in the Town of Grimsby, Ontario.

1.2   This is an exterior commission for a permanent public sculpture that will be located in the roundabout at the front entry of the condominium building.

1.3 The competition is open to emerging and professional artists, designers or teams.

1.4 That the one (1) sculpture captures the feeling of the building and surrounding lakefront community.

2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

2.1  Homes By DeSantis

Over the past five decades Homes by DeSantis, has built thousands of family homes in the Hamilton, Halton and Niagara regions.   Today, son Gabriel DeSantis has continued to uphold the traditions of old world craftsmanship and new world thinking that to this day are the hallmarks of Homes by DeSantis. They have built thousands of detached, semi-detached, townhomes and condominium developments during their over 50 years in business.

2.2 Description of site Facilities: AquaBlu Condo

The AquaBlu Condo Development will include a 5-Story Mid Rise building consisting of 120 condominiums and 4 2-storey townhomes.   It will be built on a site just off of the QEW in Grimsby, steps away from Lake Ontario. It is a very modern building design utilizing a combination of stucco, brick and blue glass. It has been designed to emulate the boutique hotels and condos in South Beach Miami. The colour scheme is a combination of grey, beige, white, blue and silver. Renderings of the proposed building have been included as reference see Figure A. Please note the sculpture in the image is just a place holder and should not be considered a directive.

2.3 Description of site Landscape

The statue platform/pad in the roundabout will be circular and approximately 2.4 Metres in Diameter. Construction material for the platform will be concrete.

The roundabout is located adjacent to the building entrance and should not result in complete visual obstruction for people entering the parking lot or proceeding through the roundabout.

Plants chosen for this site although perennial for our region have a decidedly tropical feeling.   The area around the platform/pad  for the statue will specifically include:

‘Luna Red’ Luna Red Rose Mallow (latin Hibiscus moscheutos)
Red Prince Weigela (latin Weigela florida)
Little Bluestem Grass (latin Andropogon scoparius/Schizachyrium scoparium)
Adam’s Needle Yucca (Yucca filamentosa)

These plants will fully encircle the statue and their full grown height should be considered when designing the statue.

Full details regarding site landscape and statue location can be seen in the attached plan at Figure B

2.4 Other Facilities in Proximity to the Area:

The Town of Grimsby is currently undergoing a major waterfront revitalization and will be enhancing the waterfront by adding bike/walking paths and new cobblestone beach.

3. PUBLIC ART SPECIFICATIONS

Proponent(s) are encouraged to experiment with different themes. Designs must be durable, vandal proof (as possible), technically feasible, and weather-resistant. Special considerations must be given with respect to maintenance, security, and safety issues.

3.1

Design Requirements

• The integration of the piece into the aesthetics of the surrounding environment (ie its compatibility with the design and scale of the condo building)
• The design may be representational or abstract.
• The materials must be permanent and compatible with the materials of the AquaBlu Condo: stone (granite), metal, glass etc.. There is to be NO inclusion of ANY water feature whatsoever.
• Thought should be given regarding the effect of the wind and other elements specific to the lakeshore location.
• Designs must be durable, vandal proof, technically feasible, and weather resistant
• The sculpture must not interfere with the operation and serviceability of the building, fire response vehicles and equipment;
•  The sculpture must not cause areas of concealment for people to hide behind, or cause opportunity for access to restricted areas (i.e. do not build in such a manner as to allow climbing
• to areas not normally accessible to the public);
• The artist(s) / team must ensure that the sculpture does not pose a risk of injury to the public (i.e. sharp points, slip / fall hazard, etc.);
• The sculpture must meet fire codes with respect to flammability;

4. TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

4.1 The Process

This is a two-stage competition. A jury will review and select finalists from among the submissions received from all proponents. The jury will make a final selection based on the maquettes that are received from the finalists.

4.2 Submission Requirements:

Stage One- All Proponents

• The proponent(s)s contact information and biographical information, highlighting comparable projects.
• 5-8 photographs labelled with the name, title, dimensions of the comparable work, and the orientation of the image.
• A detailed description of the concept of the work (including materials/scale/ dimensions etc.)
• A detailed sketch of the proponent(s)’s design concept for the sculpture
• The names and contact information of two references.
• The projected time frame for the completion of the work.
• An estimated general budget for the project, outlining the proponent(s)’s commission fees.
• A declaration of any special considerations with respect to the submission(s)

4.3   Stage Two-Finalists Only:

• A maquette of the design that captures the essence of the final piece.
• A maintenance plan for the long term care of the work.
• A complete detailed budget for the project, including installation/lighting.
• A list of all of the artists/sub-contractors who may be involved in the execution of the project.
• References Names, addresses, phone and e-mail for two (2) references who can speak to your art practice, and interest and/or experience in community-based projects.

4.4 Selection Criteria

A jury composed of city officials and experts in the visual arts and representatives from Homes By DeSantis will be assembled to review proposals on the basis of:

• Quality and degree of interaction with the community
• Demonstrated experience
• Creativity of approach
• Accessibility to the general public
• Relevance to the site
• Consideration of the characteristics of the community
• The project’s lasting impact in the community
• Maintenance and safety considerations.
• The feasibility of the project.

5. BUDGET:

5.1

The budget for the public art component of AquaBlu Condo is $35,000.00, and shall be inclusive of all costs including, but not limited to, the cost of materials, fabrication, delivery, installation, insurance, taxes, and artist’s commission fee.

5.2

Remuneration

The proponent(s) is/are asked to include their commission fee into their submitted budget for the work.

The selected finalists will be requested to submit more detailed information with respect to the project, as well as a maquette of their work. These finalists will be paid an honorarium of $500 for the development of these materials, and may be interviewed to provide additional information.

6. SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS:

6.1 All submissions must be received in a sealed envelope clearly showing the RFP’s Name,

Number, Closing Date and the Company / Firm / Proponent’s name on the front of the envelope and returned to:

HOMES BY DESANTIS
461 Green Road
Stoney Creek, ON
L8E5B4

6.2 Homes By DeSantis will NOT accept Proposals submitted by e-mail or facsimile.

6.3 Proponents must submit ONE (1) ORIGINAL AND five (5) IDENTICAL COPIES of their Proposal submission.

6.4 Submissions of all RFP’s are final. All documents submitted with respect to this RFP shall become the property of Homes By DeSantis and will not be returned to the Proponent.

1. PROJECT TIMELINE:

Deadline for Stage 1 Materials

All information must be received by Homes By DeSantis by April 20th 2015

Stage One Judging April 24^th  — April 30^th 2015

Finalists Announced May 1^st 2015

May 1^st — May 20^th 2015 Finalists to prepare the Stage 2 requirements

May 21^st  — June 4^th 2015 Jury meets to review finalist submissions and make selection.

June 10^th  2015 Selected artist notified and contracted to produce and install art.

April 2, 2017 Deadline for final art piece to be installed (tbc)

1. CONFIDENTIALITY:

11.1 All information provided to, or created by the Proponents shall be considered confidential, until such time as it has been made public by Homes By DeSantis .

2. PROPOSAL CLOSING:

12.1 All Proposals must be submitted to Homes By DeSantis no later than the closing date of

April 24^th 2015 @ 3:00p.m. — EST. Proposals received after the Closing Date will NOT be considered and will not be returned unopened to the Proponents. No extensions will be granted.

3. REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, INSTRUCTIONS AND / OR CLARIFICATION:

13.1 All requests for additional information, clarifications or instructions concerning the RFP and the preparation of Proposals must be sent IN WRITING (facsimile or e-mail) and received by the individual named below no later than SEVEN (7) WORKING DAYS prior to the Stage 1 Closing Date. Questions shall be submitted in writing to:

Serina Carbone
Sales & Marketing Manager

E-mail: Scarbone@desantishomes.com

Mailing Address:
461 Green Road
Stoney Creek, ON
L8E5B4

13.2 It is the duty of the Proponent to take all appropriate measures to obtain all information and instructions required by it to make its Proposal(s) conform to the requirements of the RFP. No Proponent will be entitled to claim a lack of information or instructions to support or justify its Proposal(s) or to avoid any obligation, condition or Specification contained in the RFP or Proposal submission(s).

4. INFRINGEMENTS AND INDEMNIFICATION:

14.1 The Proponent shall indemnify and hold Homes By DeSantis harmless against any loss, damages, costs and expenses suffered by Homes By DeSantis in respect of any claim or proceeding being brought against it by any person alleging infringement of patent, copyright, trade secrets, design or trademark rights, and other intellectual property rights, or the disclosure of confidential information supplied by Homes By DeSantis to the Proponent, and / or Subcontractors.

5. COPYRIGHT:

15.1 The artist(s) / team guarantee that the sculpture proposed in their RFP submission is original, and does not violate the copyright of any other person or entity.

15.2 Copyright remains with the artist(s) / team.

15.3 The artist(s) / team must be prepared to assign the following rights to Homes By DeSantis :

• Right to photograph, reproduce, televise, or include the image on the Homes By DeSantis web site or in publications for non-commercial purposes.
• Right to make slides, digital files and photographs for Homes By DeSantis ‘s documentation files.
• Right to display the photography of the sculpture in public, for non-commercial purposes.

15.4 The artist(s) / team must assign ownership of the sculpture to Homes By DeSantis . Homes by DeSantis will not alter the sculpture for purposes of maintenance, conservation, etc. without prior consultation with the artist(s) / team. Homes By DeSantis reserves the right to move or dismount the sculpture if necessary, and will make every effort to notify the artist(s) / team.