Architecture at Zero 2026 Competition
Competition Brief
The competition known as Architecture at Zero 2026 seeks design proposals that give answers to the issues of decarbonization, equity, and resilience via architectural thinking and practice. The participants will have to visualize an educational and cultural venue named La Plaza in Antelope Valley, California that operates all year round but, at the same time, acts as a resilient emergency operations center in times of disasters. This dual-use approach gives priority to community needs and climate change adaptation as part of the architectural design.
Intent
The competition is meant to push the designers to bring together the different aspects of energy efficiency, cultural programming, and adaptable space use in one unified design that includes the use of zero-energy operations and equity-centered strategies.
Purpose
The competition is aimed at producing cutting-edge ideas that show how buildings can perform the functions of the community on a daily basis as well as of the emergency resilience strategies, therefore, promoting the sustainable and inclusive architectural solutions.
Requirements
The competitors are required to present designs that tackle decarbonization, resilience, and equity. The materials to be submitted include a narrative of the project, the plan of the site, the plans for each floor, and the technical documentation (energy and emissions) plus a short essay on equity. The evaluation of the submissions is based on three criteria: design quality, technical performance, and the adaptability of the proposal.
Jury
The jury assesses the entries using a multi‑phase review process, which includes technical screening and the evaluation of design in terms of energy strategy, resilience, equity, and formal qualities, among others.
- Lance Collins, AIA — Partner Energy (Sustainability Consultant, USA)
- Scott Gaudineer, AIA — Managing Principal, Flewelling & Moody (Architectural Practice, USA)
- Paul Torcellini, PhD PE — Principal Engineer, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Energy Research, USA)
- Allison Grace Williams, FAIA — Principal, AGWms Studio (Architect & Urban Designer, USA)
Fees
| Participant Type | Entry Fee |
|---|---|
| Students & Recent Graduates | Free |
| Architects, Engineers, Designers | $350 USD |
Rewards
| Reward | Description |
|---|---|
| Recognition of Winners | Recognition in online ceremony and competition records |
| Total Prize Pool | Up to $25,000 distributed at jury discretion |
Important Dates
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Submission Deadline | June 1, 2026 |
| Winners Announcement | July 2026 (online) |
✦ ArchUp Competition Review
The Architecture at Zero 2026 competition is an event that promotes sustainability and it is organized by those very institutions that advocate for it, while a jury with such listed expertise in the areas of energy, architecture, and urban design, amongst others, can be found but the exact evaluation processes are not fully revealed. It is a design competition aimed at professionals with the prize of zero-energy, resilient, and equity-driven architecture rather than seeking merely to advertise. There are entry fees that range from none for students to $350 for professionals, and the total amount of money awarded is up to $25,000. Although the prizes are small when compared to the complexity of the submission, the main benefits for participants are the development of the portfolio and gaining technical design experience, while the qualifications of the jury ensure an impartial professional evaluation.
Conclusion and Final Thoughts
The Architecture at Zero 2026 competition brief gives priority to sustainability metrics, social equity, and resilient design. The ideas phase is the only point where a built project is not guaranteed; however, the competition’s technical requirements that are so detailed can only be seen as a way of attracting energy and social outcome critical thinking. In this sense, one can say that designers keen on proving their argument in favor of sustainability can extract some value from their being acquainted with other similar challenges such as the Urban Design & Architecture Design Awards, Architecture International Contest: Emergent Housing, and previous editions of Architecture at Zero that deal with the environmental performance and community resilience evolving expectations. The participants must come up with submissions that will not only provide energy strategies, narrate stories about social equity, and demonstrate functional adaptability but also conform to the framework of evaluation set by the competition.
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