AARP Housing Design Competition Tool Kit

One way local leaders, academic institutions, housing advocates and building professionals can encourage the creation of the housing we need is by hosting a housing design competition.

Produced by AARP Livable Communities with the RL Mace Universal Design Institute, the AARP Housing Design Competition Tool Kit explains how a design contest can be a stepping stone for developing housing that’s both needed and suitable for people of all ages.

Get the Publication

• Download a 16-page PDF (single pages, letter-sized paper)
• Download a 9-page PDF (spread pages, tabloid-sized paper)

Mentioned Resources

• RL Mace Universal Design Institute
• Better Living Design
• Home Today, Home Tomorrow Design Challenge 
• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
• Missing Middle Housing

Design Competition Examples

• Accessory Dwelling Unit Design Competition (San Antonio, Texas) 
• ADU Design Competition (Lexington, Kentucky)
• ADU Design Competition (Roanoke, Virginia)
• ADU Design Competition (University of Kentucky College of Design)
• An ADU Awareness and Accessibility Campaign (Lake City, Minnesota)
• An ADU for U Design Competition (Omaha, Nebraska)
• An ADU for U Design Competition (Raleigh, North Carolina)
• Better Block Hawaii Affordable ARU Design Competition (Kaua'i, Hawaii)
• Casita Model Plan Design Competition (Tucson, Arizona)
• Duplex x Design Competition Guide (Omaha, Nebraska)
• Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough County ADU Design Competition
• Homes to Opportunity (H2O) Accessory Dwelling Unit Design Contest (Suffolk County, New York)
• Housing + ADU Design Competition (Miami, Florida)
• New Housing on the Block (Fargo, North Dakota)
• Rhode Island ADU Design Competition

_{Page published October 2024}