Put aside any knowledge, assumptions, and beliefs of how housing exists today. Think beyond to new models that may not exist and bring creativity and brainstorming to how we can adapt to the same home environment as our needs change over time. Truly universal design is about appealing to the mainstream, not a specific audience segment or community. The home designs should be aesthetically pleasing, attractive and functional to varying age groups, flexible, seamless, and relevant to any demographic. We want to see the next generation of innovative design elements that equally apply to a young family with strollers and aging grandparents who have regular visits from their grandchildren. Read full details by downloading the brief.
Competition Schedule:
The anticipated schedule (which may be subject to change at the sole discretion of Home Matters) is as follows:
| Activity | Date |
| Competition announced | December 3, 2015 |
| Registration opens | January 20, 2016 |
| Early submissions (reduced fee) | April 16, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. EST |
| Deadline for submissions (extended!) | May 11, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. EST |
| Judging of design concepts | May 16 – 18, 2016 |
| Final awards notification | May 2016 |
| Public Announcement | June 2016 |
| Construction | July – October 2016 |
| Home opens for tours | Late 2016 – Early 2017 |
| Home is delivered to new family | Late 2016 – Early 2017 |
Award Prizes
A total of $18,000 USD will be awarded as follows:
$10,000 First Place Winner
$5,000 Second Place Winner
$3,000 Third Place Winner
First Place Winner
If selected as the first place winner, your designs will be incorporated into an actual home in Memphis, TN, as well as being awarded the above cash prize. Your design solution and legacy will live on and a family will benefit from your work. Best practices in design and other notable design elements submitted to the competition may also be included in our Design Challenge Toolkit, subsequent to the competition.
