Important dates:

-Wednesday March 26, 2025: Registration Deadline

-Saturday March 29, 2025: Mandatory Design Charrette at Center for DesignPhiladelphia [1218 Arch St. Philadelphia] Doors open at 10:30. Philadelphia -residents/students are required in-person; online links will be provided for statewide and out of state competitors. (During the charrette, questions will be resolved. Please email your questions to [email protected] by March 26, 2025.)

- Monday April 14, 2025: Final date to submit entries. Projects should be delivered before 11:59 PM EST. [submissions will be accepted digitally]

- Early June 2025: Notifications of award.

- Late August 2025: Results announced.

- Wednesday, October 1, 2025: Design Philadelphia Festival kicks off hosting the Missing Middle Housing exhibit featuring competition winners.

· *This is an idea-only competition and has no affiliation with the development of the project area related to the competition.

The Community Design Collaborative, in partnership with the John Stewardson Memorial Fellowship in Architecture, is thrilled to announce its inaugural Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Design Competition! Recognizing the pivotal role ADUs play in diversifying housing options and enhancing affordability, this competition aims to ignite innovative design solutions that foster equitable and sustainable communities. We invite students and architects to showcase their creativity and contribute to addressing Philadelphia's housing challenges.

The competition aims to:

- Raise Awareness

- Encourage Innovation

- Showcase Skills

- Inspire the Public

- Encourage Critical Examination of ADU Regulations

The ADU Design Competition is a key component of Finding Philadelphia’s Missing Middle, a broader initiative dedicated to addressing the city’s housing gap by exploring innovative, human-scaled housing solutions. This project seeks to identify and promote strategies that increase the availability of affordable, diverse housing types—such as ADUs—to better serve Philadelphia’s changing demographics and housing needs. By integrating ADUs into the fabric of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods, Finding Philadelphia’s Missing Middle aims to create more inclusive, adaptable, and resilient communities.

Upon registering, you will receive a mandatory form to complete. In this form, please indicate whether you are working as part of a team. If you would like to be matched with other individuals to form a team, you will be able to indicate so on the form, and at the Mandatory Charrette, we will connect you with a potential teammate. Your creativity is invaluable, and we want to ensure everyone has the opportunity to contribute to this transformative process!

Learn more about the Competition and Guidelines HERE.