In the context of social unrest, violent protests, easy access to guns, the decanting of mental health services and the legalization of marijuana, society’s standard institutions and approaches are being challenged and questioned. Police often find themselves on the front lines of these issues, and are asked to serve and protect in a complex and changing environment. New skill sets, changing laws and evolving expectations need a commensurate evolution in building typology to support them, symbolize those changes, and positively enhance the connection between policing and the community.

Architecture students are invited to speculate on these issues in an international design competition sponsored by the Canadian Academy of Architecture for Justice. Submissions are welcomed from either studio groups or individuals. The design will be evaluated by a jury of police, and architects with experience in the field. Participants are highly encouraged to explore a wide spectrum of architectural responses from functional and practical at one end to philosophical and social at the other – including ways in which this building could be integrated into the community and be a catalyst for building a positive relationship between the police and the community they serve.