2025 Design Excellence Award Entry Form

Project description

650 words maximum

Please use descriptive information including supporting graphics, to assist the jury in quickly developing a strong understanding of both the general characteristics of the project and how it demonstrates design excellence, ingenuity and livability.

Describe the design program (size of site, number of units, square footages, etc.), its purpose, goals, scale and details, such as context relationships and key site features. How does this design support good walkable urbanism and improve the public realm?

Is the project a redevelopment, transit oriented, mixed-use, infill or greenfield, etc.?

Describe the site’s physical, social, and ecological context and this project’s response to it.
Describe how the project was initiated and how the key design concepts respond to the challenges posed by the design program and context.

Point to ways in which design choices will improve the quality of life for people in the project and in the surrounding neighborhood.

Cite innovative ways this project overcomes common barriers to the creation of good urbanism and advances project excellence in areas such as community input, policy, regulations, development process, design, and construction.

Provide one or two short quotes from any of the following: government official, county staff, neighbor, resident, developer, banker, project personnel, media or anyone similar, on how the project affected the surrounding community or the people who work, live, shop or play there. (These short quotes do not count towards word count.)

High resolution PDF or JPG slides for Jury Review

Please DO NOT provide any Design Team or Developer member’s names or companies in the Description Text or PDF Images.

Upload 5 to 10 PDF slides illustrating the following:

Neighborhood Context – Provide an Area Site Plan within ¼ mile radius of the project to better explain relationship to the context of streets, public spaces, and adjacent architecture.

For Buildings – Typical floor plan(s) including each building level where people enter/exit. Images should help to sell the jury on how your project meets the criteria for the award(s). Show the unique qualities of the architecture or landscape in relation to the public realm. Show unique qualities of the building architectural details.

“Tell the story” of your submission through the imagery. Include images, diagrams, plans/sections if helpful.

High resolution PDF or JPG slides for Awards Celebration

If the submission wins, these images would best represent the project to the general pubic through web presentations, publications and displays. These images should be the same images used for the Jury Review, but without additional writing and/or diagrams included.