Hasta La Ideas

‘Tis the season for contemplating the dead walking among us and some designers and architects have likely been doing much more thinking about it than you have. The 2011 Zombie Safe House Competition has just kicked into its public voting stage. With roughly 200 entries from more than 12 countries, the project received many more entries, and, as you might expect, far more gruesome, than this year’s Barbie Dream House design contest (though, in thinking of it now, something made for both purposes totally would have been our entry for either competition). As part of the ZombCon kicking off in Seattle on Oct. 21st, the competition features a distinguished panel of judges, from best-selling author Max Brooks to the real-life architecture firms of Eskew+Dumez+Ripple and emmerymcclure architecture. Not surprising at all, many of the entries are remarkably detailed and well-thought. And failing in those criteria, they’re at least horribly bloody or wonderfully funny. We also dig the simple complexity of the RFP-esque “Program Issues to Address”:

1. How many people can you fit in your safe house?

2. How are you handling power, potable water, and waste?

3. How are you handling access to your safe house?

4. How many days do you plan to stay in your safe house, and how much food and water are you providing?

5. How will you escape in the event of a zombie intrusion?

6. How will you keep zombies out of your safe house?

As for the budget you’re allotted: “No budget restriction is applied. Your safe house is human civilization’s last hope!”

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