Monadnock ADU Design Challenge Awards Celebration and Submission Showcase
- March 26, 2025
- Housing
For Immediate Release
KEENE, NH — ksc ARCHITECTS, Bruce Hamilton Architects, and designer Hallie Black were each awarded $5,000 in cash prizes at the Monadnock Region Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Design Challenge Awards Celebration and Submission Showcase on Saturday, March 8th. About 100 attendees filled Heberton Hall at the Keene Public Library, with some traveling from as far as New York City for the event.
The challenge aimed to highlight how ADUs can fit within a variety of contexts, from a rural backroad to a downtown neighborhood. It also sought to showcase how ADUs can respond to a range of housing needs, from a desire to age in place to bringing extended family together into a multigenerational household. The challenge invited real Monadnock Region homeowners to volunteer their properties as case study sites. Participating architects and designers selected one of the 11 case study sites to use as the basis for their conceptual ADU design.
At the celebration event, the 25 design submissions were on display, each demonstrating thoughtfulness and creativity in response to their selected case study site. Attendees included participating designers, Monadnock Region homeowners, local and state housing professionals, and other community members. Anecdotally, multiple homeowners are pursuing next steps towards building an ADU as a result of this challenge and feedback about the event has been overwhelmingly positive.
“The design challenge, in many ways, an experiment,” said Todd Horner, Executive Director at SWRPC. “As far as we know, it’s the only ADU design challenge that’s used a catalog of real-world case study sites in the design brief. We weren’t sure whether homeowners would step forward or how the format would be received by participating architects. The response was positive on both fronts.”
Speakers included Todd Horner, Danica Melone, Peterborough’s Director of Building and Planning, Fernando Del Ama Gonzalo, Associate Professor of Architecture at Keene State College and Sarah Wrightsman, Manager, Community Engagement and Education at New Hampshire Housing.
The design submissions were scored by a design jury comprised of professionals from housing development, sustainability, and architecture backgrounds throughout the state. Scores were based on criteria such as sustainability, accessibility, affordability, innovation, aesthetics, and responsiveness to homeowner needs, goals, and site characteristics.
Hallie Black, whose submission “Sugar Onwards” earned first place in the Adaptive Reuse of an Existing Structure category, Zoomed in from Los Angeles, CA where she works as a designer and lecturer at the University of California, Los Angeles. The design converted and expanded a sugar house into a detached accessory dwelling unit.
Bob Sutherland, husband of Monadnock Region architect Katie Sutherland, accepted the award on behalf of kcs ARCHITECTS. “The Shou Shed” submission won first prize in the New Freestanding Structure category. The jury noted its potential for replication as a key feature.
Andrew Schott of Bruce Hamilton Architects accepted the award for the Addition to the Primary Dwelling category. Schott, a recent graduate of Keene State College’s architecture program, designed “Prairie Addition” to suit single-level living and incorporated a variety of energy-conservation techniques.
The Challenge was hosted by Southwest Region Planning Commission with funding from AARP’s Community Challenge, NH’s Community Development Finance Authority, and Point32Health. Submissions and additional information about the Monadnock ADU Design Challenge can be found at www.swrpc.org/adu.
Event attendees peruse the 25 design submissions, enjoy food from B Bakes, and view the slideshow. Photo credit: Chloe Gross.
Homeowners explore design submissions. Photo credit: Sarah Wrightsman.
Peterborough Director of Planning and Building Danica Melone discussing what ADU development means to her community. Photo credit: Chloe Gross.
Event attendees explore design submissions. Photo credit: Sarah Wrightsman.
SWRPC Executive Director Todd Horner making opening remarks at the Monadnock ADU Design Challenge Awards Celebration. Photo credit: Chloe Gross.
Todd Horner and Rik Ekstrom awarding Hallie Black via Zoom. Photo credit: Chloe Gross.
Todd Horner and Andrew Schott pose in front of Bruce Hamilton Architects’ submission. Photo credit: Chloe Gross.
Todd Horner and Bob Sutherland pose in front of kcs ARCHITECTS’ design submission. Photo credit: Chloe Gross.
