A design competition organized to promote interaction between landscape architecture students and architecture students has succeeded in its goal, contest participants say.

Joe Hackett (junior-landscape architecture), who teamed up three architecture majors for the Bracken-Corbelletti Design Competition, said he found the interaction beneficial.

"I thought it was good to start working between the majors because once we are out in the real world, we will have to deal with each other on a daily basis," Hackett said.

He said he also enjoyed the freedom and subjectivity which the contest allowed. "I thought it was a really good project because a lot of the stuff we do is really serious and this was something different -- a little off the wall," he said.

Ann Taglieri (junior-landscape architecture) said the contest gave her insight into the differences of approach used in the two majors. "It was definitely a worthwhile experience," she said.

Eight entries ranging from three-dimensional structures to detailed drawings are on display today in Engineering Unit D, awaiting the results, which will be announced at 4:30 this afternoon.

The Landscape Architecture Student Society, the American Institute of Architecture Students and the architecture fraternity Alpha Rho Chi sponsored the competition, said Stacey Hansen, LASS vice president.

Eight design teams of two to four people, including at least one landscape architecture student and one architecture student, created designs based on a problem statement they were given last week, Hansen said.

Students were required to submit a 30"x 40" board representing their design with an optional written explanation. Designs were expected to correspond to the theme, "A Folly and the Landscape," which was chosen by a student committee, she said.

"A folly is by definition an object in the landscape and a state of mind," said Ann Komara, professor of landscape architecture, adding, "A folly is typically whimsical but is also has a metaphorical or symbolic meaning."

The groups had to locate their follies somewhere on the Penn State campus, Hansen said.

Depending on Physical Plant and University restrictions, in addition to the availability of necessary funds, it is hoped to have the winning folly eventually constructed, said JoAnn Trach, LASS president.

The ultimate goal is to hold this competition annually and perhaps extend it to a week-long design event, incorporating other majors such as theater, art history and sculpture. This would allow visiting lecturers to present a brief design problem, work with the students and then provide feedback, Hansen said.