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SUBMIT!

Everything you need to know to compete fairly and submit a winning project, from general rules to the engineering design process and judging criteria.

Rules & Guidelines

View Competition Guide
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Architectural Design Process

General Rules

  • Participants must meet all eligibility requirements (see Eligibility).

  • Teams may consist of up to 3 members or compete individually.

  • All work submitted must be original and created by the participant(s).

  • AI or content-generation tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude) are permitted for brainstorming. However, AI-generated sketches and designs are strictly prohibited and will result in immediate disqualification.

  • Late submissions or registrations will not be accepted.

Code of Conduct

  • Show respect to all participants, judges, and organizers.

  • Collaboration is encouraged within teams but cross-team sharing of work is not allowed.

  • Zero tolerance for plagiarism or academic dishonesty.

  • Follow all communication and submission guidelines provided by organizers.

The Engineering Design Process

01

Identify Problem

Clearly define the challenge, understand the requirements and constraints.

04

Solution Development

Select the most promising ideas and begin developing a few designs.

02

Gather relevant information, explore approaches, and search for ideas that help you design a solution.

Research

05

Final Design

Refine the strongest idea based on its ability to meet requirements and solve the challenge.

03

Generate a wide range of creative ideas without judgment to ensure many possible solutions.

Brainstorm

06

Evaluation

Review your final design against success criteria and be ready to explain your choices clearly.

Judging Criteria

The documentation portfolio is evaluated on:

  • Portfolio Components

  • Design Challenge Interpretation & Description

  • Research

  • Brainstorming

  • Solution Options 1–3

  • Final Solution

  • Final Design Evaluation

  • References and Resources

 

The poster is evaluated on:

  • Poster Components

  • Content Accuracy

  • Layout & Organization

  • Visual Design & Creativity

View Rubric

Submission Requirements

  • Submission Deadline: August 31st, 2026 by 11:59 PM ET (Eastern Time).

  • ALL team members need to complete the submission.

  • Required files: a Documentation Portfolio (multi-page PDF) and a Poster (one-page PDF).

  • File size limit: maximum 1 GB per upload.

  • All files must be uploaded through the official submission portal — email submissions are not accepted.

Ready to take on the challenge?

Registration is completely free and open to students worldwide.

2026 Design Prompt
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