Affordable Neighborhood Housing Solutions Student Design Competition

In an effort to tackle the pressing issue of affordable housing while emphasizing the importance of building codes, the International Code Council has teamed up with two prominent architecture associations, the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), to develop the inaugural Building Safety Student Design competition.

As cities across the U.S. face the challenge of providing sustainable affordable housing options, the role of building safety professionals in creating safe and healthy living environments is becoming more important.

The Prototype for the Future: Affordable Neighborhood Housing Solutions competition encourages students to seek inventive solutions and deepen their understanding of building codes, fostering a competitive advantage in their careers, which aligns with the Code Council’s Safety 2.0 initiative.

Prototype for the Future

To challenge designers and communities to support family-focused housing options, this student design competition asks participants to envision how a single-family townhouse unit can serve as a prototype to create affordable housing options within neighborhoods.

The focus area for the competition is the metro area of Long Beach, CA, where there is currently a large demand for affordable housing. With a population estimate of over 450,000 with 15.1 percent living in poverty, the city has a need to serve thousands of families. The competition site, underdeveloped land adjacent to Jenni Rivera Memorial Park, offers a canvas for innovative design thinking.

While complying with requirements outlined in the International Residential Code®, participants of the competition must:

1. Identify site placement and massing for 12 to 18 single-family townhouse units in clusters of
   three to five attached homes per cluster. Provide on-site parking space of no less than one per home 
2. Create a prototypical one-story plan within one building cluster that meets the requirements for wheelchair accessibility 
3. Create a prototypical two-story plan within one building cluster 

The final winner of the competition will be announced at the Code Council’s 2024 Annual Conference in Long Beach, providing an opportunity to showcase their innovative solutions and recognize the talent and dedication of emerging building safety professionals.

Get Involved in the Building Safety Student Design Competition

Registration opened on March 26, 2024, and is open to all active members of AIAS. Submissions will be accepted by individuals or design teams with a maximum of two members. The application closes on June 1, 2024. 

For submission rules and information on how to apply, click here.