FAQs
No.
The competition does not include financial support for submitters. Winning entries will receive a cash prize and publicity via the competition announcement.
All submissions must be made digitally. See the Competition Guidebook and contact hannahp@udinstitute.org if you have further questions.
Submissions will be judged anonymously. Please include your project’s name, your name and contact information on the cover page of the PDF drawing set. Include ONLY the project name on all other pages of your submission. The cover page will not be seen by the jury during the judging process.
Yes, we welcome designs of existing homes as long as the design can be replicated on the competition sites.
While many residential design competitions are conducted, none focus on homes with universal and age-friendly features despite the growing population of older adults and the lack of appropriate housing. Through this competition and others like it, we hope to increase public and professional awareness of the need for more universal homes and to showcase good examples.
We selected the competition criteria to include essential universal design features that make a significant impact in the lives of residents. This relatively short list of age-friendly features should make the design process simpler and incorporate design elements the jury can meaningfully evaluate.
The competition criteria are a subset of a longer and more comprehensive home feature list. Feel free to include additional age-friendly items, features, elements, or products that might enhance the home’s usability.
Yes, as long as the design elements are consistent with local building codes. The intent of this competition is to serve as a catalyst for key conversations regarding current codes and potential changes that might better serve the needs of the community.
Missing Middle homes like duplexes are typically more affordable than single-family houses due to their smaller units and the fact that they spread fixed costs like land across more units. The duplex home concepts created for this competition should be designed to provide housing affordable to households making 120% of Omaha’s area median income or less.
We are asking for universally designed (UD) submissions which are inherently age-friendly. Age-friendly features such as step-free entrances, wider doorways, and bathrooms with maneuvering room all make living easier for people who use walkers or wheelchairs. All UD housing is more easily customizable and adaptable than traditional homes. For instance, bathrooms include grab bars, shower benches, and open kneespace. Visit the Resources page of the website to learn more about universal housing.
To be successful, a UD home needs to have generally accommodating features integrated that are both higher function than traditional housing and appealing to a mainstream audience. Traditionally rendered accessible home features might include add-on ramps, grab bars, lowered counters, and open knee space. While these are great features for some, they generally are not useful to most residents. A UD home needs to look like other homes in a community, inside and out.
The competition will not specifically reward submissions using LEED. We are looking for projects that incorporate green building features, like stormwater management, passive heating and cooling, and sustainable materials. Consider short- and long-term environmental impact when developing your design.
These are smaller than traditional single-family detached dwellings and are not intended for large households.
No need to be hyper specific. Please consider the larger context of the neighborhood, but no need to figure in exact location of buildings on adjacent lots, or trees on the existing lot.
For the purposes of this competition, use the setbacks listed in the Competition Guide of:
Front Yard: 25 feet
Rear Yard: 25 feet
Side Yards: 5 feet
Yes, the alley can be used for access.
