Competition Info

Schedule

January 29, 9:00 am
Call for Entries Opens

March 1, 5:00 pm
Submission Deadline

March 18, 5:00 pm
Extended Submission Deadline

April 10, 6:00 pm
Winner’s Event

Award Categories

  • Structures – Recognizes design excellence in commissioned and completed buildings, bridges, tunnels, and mixed-use development
  • Planning – Seeks the most compelling work and ideas in urban planning, studies, design guides, advocacy, and regional scale planning. Commissioned and completed master plans and planning reports are also eligible.
  • Open Space – Recognizes design excellence in parks, constructed wetlands, and resilient sites.
  • Projects – Recognizes conceptual, unfinished, or unbuilt work. If an entry is awarded under this category, it will not be eligible for a future award once project has been realized.
  • Student – Recognizes excellence in a project designed by a student in one of the three categories above.

Award Levels for all Categories

  • Honor Award – Represents the highest level of achievement
  • Merit Award – Represents distinguished achievement
  • Citation – Represents exemplary achievements on specific project aspects
  • Best in Competition – Jurors will select one entry among the Honor Award winners to receive this unique recognition

Judging Criteria

Each entry is judged for design excellence and whether the project has met its specific requirements or program. Entries are weighed individually, not competitively.

Entries are judged on the criteria of Network, Place, Environment, and Innovation. Submissions should demonstrate how the project fits into one or more of these judging criteria.

  • Network – Includes projects that display outstanding achievement in socially responsible multi-modal connections between vulnerable neighborhoods, cities, and regions, and demonstrate excellence in transportation and infrastructure systems, such as food and goods distribution, bridges and tunnels, and mass transportation.
  • Place – Includes projects that shape, rejuvenate, and promote inclusive neighborhoods and cities, and improve the pedestrian experience, health, and safety.
  • Environment – Includes projects that display excellence in sustainability, resiliency, and climate-sensitive design.
  • Innovation – Includes projects that leverage exemplary new and emerging technologies or implement inventive or pioneering solutions.

Eligibility

  • Individuals who are registered architects, landscape architects, and planners may submit a project in any location nationwide.
  • Registered architects, landscape architects, and planners are eligible to submit for all categories except Student.
  • Students enrolled in, or 2021 graduates of,  accredited architecture, landscape architecture, and planning programs in the United States may submit.
  • Students are eligible for the Student and Project categories only.
  • Commissioned work such as built or completed master plans are eligible for Structures, Planning, and Open Space categories. Unfinished or conceptual work is only eligible for Projects and Student Award categories. Built and unbuilt work must have owner’s consent.
  • Built projects should have been completed since January 2018. Unbuilt projects must have been conceived and started after January 2018.

Entry Fees

AIA and ASLA members in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Illinois, or Austin – $200 per submission
AIA and ASLA members outside of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Illinois, or Austin  – $250 per submission
Non-AIA or ASLA members who are registered architects, landscape architects, or urban planners – $300 per submission
Students – $25 per submission

Submissions

Each submission will require an electronic portfolio about the project and a project description, which will serve as the basis for judging. These materials should not have any applicant identifying markings (firm name, logo). Additional information about the applicant (name, ID #, email, phone), project team (company name, role, contact email), photo releases, and media images will be input into fields in the submission platform. This information will not be seen by the jurors. All materials are required for a submission to be considered complete unless noted as optional. Failure to supply the required information will result in disqualification without refund.

Electronic Portfolio:

  • PDF format compiled into single file upload
  • 11” x 17″ (or 9” x 16″) format, landscape orientation
  • RGB color format, maximum 300 dpi
  • Submissions must NOT have any applicant identifying markings
  • Maximum 10 pages
  • Minimum 10-point text size for legibility
  • Maximum file size of 10 MB

Applicants will be asked for at least one and up to three high-resolution images for press purposes. The photo credit line for each of these images is required.

Project Description:

Describe project in 500 words or less. Be sure to address the following, if applicable:

  • Client brief: what the client requested and your solutions
  • Unique design challenges and special constraints
  • Sustainable elements
  • Urban context (links to public transportation, public facilities)
  • Other information useful to the jury
  • In Partnership With
    • Cropped ILASLA Logo
    • Aia Austin

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