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Submit to 2025 John Stewardson Memorial Fellowship in Architecture

Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Design Competition | John Stewardson Memorial Fellowship in Architecture 

The Community Design Collaborative, in partnership with the John Stewardson Memorial Fellowship in Architecture, is thrilled to announce its inaugural Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Design Competition! Recognizing the pivotal role ADUs play in diversifying housing options and enhancing affordability, this competition aims to ignite innovative design solutions that foster equitable and sustainable communities. We invite students and architects to showcase their creativity and contribute to addressing Philadelphia's housing challenges. 

Competition Goals

  • Raise Awareness: Educate the public on the benefits of ADUs and their potential impact on diverse communities.
  • Encourage Innovation: Inspire architects and designers to develop creative solutions for the city's housing needs.
  • Showcase Skills: Provide a platform for participants to demonstrate their expertise in housing design.
  • Inspire the Public: Present imaginative designs that motivate the community to envision new housing possibilities.
  • Encourage Critical Examination of ADU Regulations: Promote thoughtful evaluation and constructive critique of existing ADU codes and specifications to identify opportunities for improvement.

This initiative seeks to foster sustainable, affordable, and accessible housing solutions for all residents. 

This initiative is made possible through the generous support of AARP, contributing to making Philadelphia a vibrant and inclusive city for residents of all ages. 

Important Dates: 

Thursday March 20, 2025: RSVP Due for Design Charrette (Registration Deadline) 

Saturday March 29, 2025: Mandatory Design Charrette at Center for Design Philadelphia [ 1218 Arch St. Philadelphia]. Philadelphia residents/students are required in-person; online links will be provided for statewide and out of state competitors.

Saturday, March 22, 2025: Deadline to submit questions to info@cdesignc.org. Questions will also be answered at the Charrette.

Monday April 14, 2025: Final dates to submit entries. Projects must be submitted before 11:59 PM EST. 

Friday June 6, 2025: Notifications of award.  

Monday August 18, 2025: Results announced. 

Wednesday, October 1, 2025: Competition winners will be showcased during DesignPhiladelphia Festival.

*This is an idea-only competition and has no affiliation with the development of the project area related to the competition.

Background 

This competition is made possible by the Community Design Collaborative, AIA Philadelphia, DesignPhiladelphia, the John Stewardson Memorial Competition, and AARP. 

ADU Overview 

An Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) is a compact, fully functional living space located on the same property as a single-family home. As the name suggests, ADUs are secondary in size and importance to the primary residence. They include essential amenities for independent living, such as a kitchen, sleeping area, and bathroom. 

ADUs come in various forms. They can be integrated into the main house, such as basement or garage conversions, or built as separate structures, like a backyard cottage or a unit above a garage. These versatile spaces offer numerous benefits, from generating rental income for homeowners to providing affordable housing options for renters. 

Additionally, ADUs can support multigenerational living by allowing older adults to age in place while maintaining close family connections. With their flexibility and advantages, ADUs are becoming an increasingly popular choice in housing solutions. 

Key Advantages of ADUs 

Downsizing: Homeowners seeking a simpler lifestyle may choose to live in the ADU and rent out their main house, making better use of their property. 

Aging-in-Place: ADUs provide a practical solution for older adults to maintain their independence or accommodate live-in caregivers, enabling them to stay on their property as they age. 

Housing for Friends and Family: ADUs offer a perfect setup for hosting close friends or relatives, allowing loved ones to live nearby while maintaining privacy and autonomy. 

Environmental Impact: By increasing affordable housing options within existing neighborhoods, ADUs help reduce urban sprawl, support sustainable living, and enable residents to live closer to work. 

Community Benefits: Compact living spaces reduce commute times, minimize the environmental footprint, and make better use of existing public infrastructure and services, fostering more vibrant, diverse communities.

Philadelphia Legislative Issues Relevant to ADUs

ADUs are allowed only on lots occupied by a single-family use contained in a detached or semi-detached building in permitted areas, except within historic structures where they can also be attached.

  • The Permitted areas are “Historic Structures” and “Large Lots in the RSA-5 and CMX-1 Districts”
  • All additional overlays for boundary specific districts still apply

ADUs must be located within the interior of the principal building or within the interior of a detached accessory building, i.e. garage, that existed before the effective date of the Zoning Code.

o No new detached accessory buildings are current by-right.

ADUs must be occupied by the owner of the lot if they are not dwelling in the principal dwelling unit.

An individual’s bedroom may not be located in basements, however if there is a standard door leading directly outside the level is not considered a basement.

Scoring Criteria & Rubric

The Jury will use the following scoring criteria to assess design submissions, ensuring alignment with our community's goals and values. 

Inclusive & Accessible Living (30%) 

Designs should prioritize accessibility and inclusivity by incorporating universal design principles that accommodate individuals of all abilities and needs. Submissions are encouraged to support adaptable living arrangements that evolve with residents over time, enabling aging-in-place and fostering long-term comfort and independence. 

Creative & Aesthetic Excellence (30%) 

Submissions should present ADU designs that captivate visually, thoughtfully balance scale, and highlight distinctive solutions through innovation and creativity. We seek designs that creatively address contemporary living needs for diverse residents, both now and in the future. Proposals should incorporate imaginative use of space, inventive storage strategies, and groundbreaking concepts that push creative boundaries. We also welcome creative responses to limitations posed by regulations. 

Sustainable & Resilient Design (25%) 

Submissions should highlight innovative approaches to energy efficiency, water conservation, and hazard resilience. Designs are encouraged to use sustainable materials, adopt waste reduction strategies, and minimize environmental impact. Flexibility for future technologies, such as solar panels and EV charging, should also be thoughtfully integrated. 

Economic Feasibility & Cost Efficiency (15%) 

Designs should emphasize financial practicality by addressing construction expenses, maintenance requirements, and operational costs. Creative solutions that reduce costs while promoting long-term affordability are highly encouraged.

Design Requirements

The dwelling units to be designed should incorporate the following requirements. Participants are free to include other spaces as they see fit but must include:

  •  Sleeping Area: Must provide at least one designated sleeping space that is 80 square feet minimum for one individual or 100 square ft minimum for wheelchair users. This area must have access to living area, dining area, or outdoors and may not be used as a passageway. This area must also include accommodation for clothing storage i.e. drawers, closet, wardrobe, clothing racks.
  •  Kitchen: Must include provisions for food storage, a food preparation area, a sink with running water, and a cooktop and fridge.
  •  Dining: Must include an area designated for eating.
  •  Bathroom: Must feature a toilet, sink, and shower or tub with running water.
  •  Entrance: Must have distinct entry and exit points independent of the main structure, with only one entry maximum facing the street on the lot.

ADU Size: 250 - 800 SF  

Parking: No requirements. 

Height: Maximum 38 feet; consider context 

The competition will present various settings for the development of the ADU. The site conditions serve as a framework, establishing key constraints and parameters for participants to follow when designing their ADUs. By presenting a specific design scenario, including lot dimensions, these conditions will allow participants to envision Philadelphia and propose a design intervention that seamlessly integrate with the surrounding environment.  For the competition, we are assuming that any structure will be built under the 2018 Residential Building Code, standard for any new construction in Philadelphia.   

Participants will have the opportunity to select and project site, category and orientation. Submissions will only be reviewed with others from their category. ??????WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO IF SOMEONE ONLY SELECTS ONE SITE -- HOW WILL YOU JUDGE THEM?????

Project Sites - click here to review.

Philadelphia Code References - click here to review.

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Submit to 2025 AIA Philadelphia Young Architect Award

AIA Philadelphia 2025 Young Architect Award

This year's Design Awards Celebration will be held November 13, 2025. For more information about the Design Awards, please visit: https://aiaphiladelphia.org/pages/awards


Application Process

Step 1: Create Profile

  • Create a new username and password.
  • There is no fee for the Young Architect Award.
  • Click Save Address and Continue to begin your application.


Step 2: Submit Your Application

  • Enter your Name, Firm Name, Job Title, and Date of Birth.
  • List the state(s) in which you are licensed.


Step 3: Uploads

  • Upload a copy of your license (PDF files only).
  • Upload a copy of the Design Awards PowerPoint Template (please use one hi-res image and follow the formatting instructions on the template - PPT or PPTX files only).
  • Upload a copy of your application to be reviewed by the jury (PDF files only).


About the Young Architect Award
AIA Philadelphia annually recognizes a young architect who has demonstrated exceptional early achievement and future promise. The Fellows Committee of the Chapter serves as the jury. The award is intended not only to honor the recipient, but to introduce the design community and the public to new voices within the profession and to encourage other young practitioners in their careers.

Criteria
A successful candidate must display excellent past work, authored by the candidate, as well as promise of future merit in one, two, three, or all four of the following categories:

  • Design Excellence: Work that demonstrates aesthetic, technical, and functional excellence;
  • Practice: Demonstrated leadership, management, and/or specialized technical expertise;
  • Education: Expanding the influence of the profession through teaching, publications, and/or research;
  • Service: Exemplary service and contributions to the profession and/or society.

A candidate may choose to focus on contributions either broadly or in depth.


Eligibility
Candidates must be registered architect members of AIA Philadelphia between the ages of 25 and 39 as of the due date of the application.

Application
All items listed below should be submitted as a single pdf of a maximum of twenty 8 ½” x 11” pages and no larger than 18 MB. Please title the pdf with the candidate’s name, underscore, YA (i.e., JaneSmith_YA). Each application must include:

1.) A cover page including the candidate’s name, address, contact information and birthdate 

2.) Summary Statement - A one-page high level narrative describing the basis for the candidate’s nomination (that items 3, 4, and 5 will explore in greater detail).

3.) Accomplishments - A list summary of the candidate’s accomplishments including: education, employment, registrations, significant professional work, recognition. This should also include service, teaching, and publications if applicable. 

4.) Exhibits – Provide in-depth examples of the candidate’s work that emphasize their contributions and discuss how their involvement contributed to its success. Exhibits are not limited to design work and can include practice/education models, volunteering, publications, organizational leadership, etc. However, all candidates are expected to show some project work. A declaration of the candidate’s responsibility, signed by a firm principal, is required for each submitted project. The declaration should indicate:

  • that the candidate was largely responsible for the project design; or
  • that the project was under the candidate’s direction as project manager; or
  • that the candidate was the project architect; or
  • a described level of other responsibility.

5.)  Three letters of recommendation. Letters should be on company letterhead and no more than one page (8 ½” x 11”) long. At least two of the letters must be from AIA members (need not be AIA Philadelphia members). Only one of the letters may be from the candidate’s current employer or co-workers. Only one letter may be from a non-AIA member. Letters of recommendation must be from those who have direct knowledge of the candidate’s work as it pertains to this application.


Schedule

Application due: Friday, August 22, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.

Jury’s decision announced: Applicants will be confidentially notified of the jury’s decision in September 2025

Public announcement: The Young Architect Award will be publicly announced and presented to the recipient(s) at the Chapter’s Annual Design Awards Celebration in November. Successful candidates will be asked to participate in a short video interview, prepared by the Chapter, to be screened during the Design Awards Celebration.

Exhibit and Talk: Award recipients will be invited to participate in the On the Rise Exhibit that showcases their work, with that of other award winners. This program will take place at a date to be determined. Award recipients will additionally be asked to prepare a short talk about their work in concert with the exhibit.


More Information
Potential applicants or Chapter members who would like to propose applicants can obtain more information, on a confidential basis, by contacting any current member of the Chapter’s Fellows Committee.


Late entries cannot be accepted. Thank you for your cooperation!

AIA Philadelphia