Overview
The international student competition “Filling the Gap” invites architecture students worldwide to address pressing social, environmental, and justice-related challenges through design. The competition calls for the creation of community-based facilities that respond to local crises such as addiction, mental health issues, homelessness, or systemic injustice through solutions focused on transformation, treatment, and reconnection.
Organized by the Canadian Academy of Architecture for Justice (CAAJ), participants can choose any site globally and propose an architectural or urban intervention—whether a new building, adaptive reuse, or spatial modification—that integrates with the community and supports healing and justice.
Why You Should Participate
Participating in “Filling the Gap” is a unique opportunity to:
- Tackle real-world crises such as addiction, poverty, discrimination, or mental health struggles
- Design architectural responses rooted in justice, support, and community care
- Develop visionary yet practical projects that promote healing and social reintegration
- Gain international exposure through CAAJ’s platform
- Win prestigious cash prizes and receive professional recognition
- Work individually or in teams with digital certificates awarded to winners
- Respond to a design brief that values empathy, creativity, and innovation
Key Highlights
- Eligibility:
- Open to all current architecture students worldwide
- Includes those on a work term or internship
- Eligible if graduating between January 2025 and June 30, 2025
- Open to individuals or groups
- Focus Areas:
- Homelessness, substance use, mental health, poverty, discrimination, environmental or community crises
- Designs should be non-institutional: crisis centers, transitional housing, safe injection sites, Indigenous healing centers, etc.
- Projects must serve as catalysts for community connection, not isolated facilities
- Design Goals:
- Reduce crime and recidivism by addressing root causes
- Provide alternatives to incarceration through treatment and support
- Include health and social services
- Create environments that promote calm, dignity, and recovery
- Rebuild social trust and cohesion
Entry Fees
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| All Participants | Free |
Prizes and Recognition
| Prize | Amount (CAD) |
|---|---|
| First Prize | $3,000 |
| Second & Third Prizes | $1,000 each |
- Winning entries will be published on CAAJ’s website
- Each team member receives a digital certificate
- Prizes will be issued via e-transfer (international) or cheque (Canada)
Submission Details
Participants must:
- Choose a location anywhere in the world
- Identify one or more local community crises
- Propose a design solution—new build, reuse, or addition—to address the crisis
- Include programs such as:
- Health or social services
- Transitional housing
- Library or education center
- Place of worship
- Justice-related support services
- Projects must emphasize:
- Sustainability and contextual sensitivity
- Public realm contribution
- Trauma-informed design with elements that foster healing and calm
Download the full competition brief for detailed submission requirements.
Important Dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| February 1, 2025 | Competition Launch |
| June 30, 2025 | Submission Deadline (11:59 PM EST) |
| August 31, 2025 | Winners Announced |
How to Join
- Visit the official website to download the “Filling the Gap” brief
- Register before June 30, 2025
- Choose a location and identify a related community crisis
- Develop your design according to the competition brief
- Submit your entry by June 30, 2025 (11:59 PM EST)
Judging Criteria
Submissions will be evaluated by a panel of experts in justice, architecture, and social design based on:
- Social impact and relevance to the identified community crisis
- Architectural innovation and site integration
- Programmatic suitability and spatial logic
- Environmental sustainability
- Design’s capacity to foster healing, inclusion, and community
Jury Members:
- Carlos Augusto Garcia – Associate, Brooks + Scarpa
- David Clusiau – VP of Design, NORR Architects & Engineers
- Khalil A. Cumberbatch – Director of Strategic Partnerships, Council on Criminal Justice
- Susan Davis – Executive Director, Gerstein Crisis Centre
- Jacob Comer – Justice-Engaged Architect, Montgomery Sisam
- Michael Moxam – VP, Stantec Design Culture Lead
