Design for Aging Competition 2026

Competition Brief

The 2026 Design for Aging Competition is a challenge for architecture students to create an Intergenerational Union an environment that is supportive of aging in place, lifelong learning, and connection among the different generations, all within the campus. The inclusive architecture will be the primary concern as it will answer the physical, social, and emotional needs of every age group.

Intent

The main goal of the competition is to offer solutions through design to the problems caused by the elderly population all over the world. The designers will have to come up with ideas that encourage the cohabitation of older adults, students, teachers, and families, and that will be their community or university.

Purpose

The larger purpose is to come up with original architectonic ideas that would promote interaction of different generations, thus, becoming the basis for inclusive living arrangements, and spaces oriented to wellness. It is expected that the projects would place sustainability, universal access, and emotional well-being at the forefront.

Requirements

The submission can be done either individually by students or in teams of up to three students with the faculty member’s guidance. The deliverables are four digital presentation boards and two textual components that include a design essay and a program narrative. The boards must be presented anonymously following the digital submission guidelines.

Jury

The jury comprises architectural educators and practitioners who have in-depth knowledge of the design for aging area, the intergenerational environments, and inclusive community design who are experienced. The discussed projects undergo evaluation based on conceptual clarity, responsiveness to program objectives, inclusivity, and integration with the campus context.

Fees

Rewards

Key Dates

✦ ArchUp Competition Review

The 2026 Design for Aging Competition is being conducted under the auspices of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, which also collaborates with the AIA Design for Aging Knowledge Community, and with a distinguished jury comprising both educators and practitioners who are well-versed in the areas of aging and inclusive design. This is a student-centered academic competition that gives priority to the living conditions of the elderly and their integration into the campus life of the younger crowd. The awards won by students vary between 2,000 and 4,000 dollars, which can be considered as modest taking into account the conceptual and design effort necessary for the competition. Participation serves more as a basic exposure for the designers to the challenges of the specialized area rather than acting as interns in professional commissions. The competition objectives seem to be well served and the expert knowledge of the jury appears to be spot on.

Conclusion

The competition compels the students to visually narrate through architecture the intertwined stories of complex social, economic, and demographic changes. The winning entries must take in all the different sections of society, make the elderly and youngsters communicate across generations, and create an atmosphere inside the campus. Awards are given out based on the novelty of the concept, the effectiveness of the spatial strategy, and the human-centeredness of the design.

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