Call for Submissions to the Monadnock Region ADU Design Challenge
- November 7, 2024
- Housing
KEENE, NH – October 29, 2024 – Architects, building design professionals, and students are invited to submit conceptual designs to the Monadnock Region Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Design Challenge hosted by Southwest Region Planning Commission. Competition registration is open through November 30, 2024 at www.swrpc.org/adu. Submissions are due January 31, 2025.
The challenge brings together real Monadnock Region homeowners, architects, and building design professionals to develop high-quality, realistic, and innovative ADU conceptual designs. The challenge is part of a broader effort to increase housing stock in the region across a variety of neighborhood types, from a downtown setting to a rural back road.
$15,000 will be awarded to winning designs in three categories: new attached structures, new detached structures, and adaptive reuse of existing structures. Awards will be announced at a public celebration event in late February.
Eleven Monadnock Region homeowners serve as “case studies” on which designers base their submissions. This model is unprecedented, and it challenges designers to create ADU conceptual designs that address problems facing real homeowners today.
The competition aims to encourage homeowners to participate in alleviating the region’s housing crisis by showcasing the design process, navigating local regulations, and connecting architects to potential clients.
Architects and building designers will have the opportunity to showcase their work, engage with local media, and connect to a broad base of potential clients in the Monadnock Region.
The initial call for interested homeowners garnered over 75 applications whose motivations include potential additional income, less expensive aging-in-place, and increasing the stock of workforce housing. This large reception indicates strong interest in ADUs throughout the region.
Case study profiles include details such as the homeowner’s story, style of ADU (new attached, new detached, adaptive reuse of an existing structure), local land use and building regulations, public water and sewer availability, accessibility requirements, and aesthetic preferences. Photos, aerial imagery, and site documents are available as provided.
Case studies were selected based on criteria such as alignment with local regulations and representation of the Monadnock Region’s diverse housing needs. Participating homeowners have expressed interest in pursuing construction.
The challenge will result in a catalog of ADU designs that reflect the needs and constraints of real Monadnock region homeowners with the goal of streamlining the design process as much as possible for both homeowners and architects.
The Monadnock Region ADU Design Challenge is hosted by Southwest Region Planning Commission, supported by Community Deveopment Finance Authority and AARP.
More information can be found at www.swrpc.org/adu. Contact SWRPC’s Executive Director Todd Horner at [email protected].
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