For Students by Students.

The Park Planned Homes

Participants are invited to design a new Park Planned Community for the year 2035, rebuilt on the original single-street site and grounded in the principles that defined Ain’s work:

  • Human-centered modernism

  • Affordable and flexible housing

  • Shared community space and park-like living

  • Prefabrication and construction efficiency

  • Radical openness and transparency

Constraints and Must-Haves

Project Constraints

  • The design must remain within the original site boundaries.

  • A minimum of 28 residential units must be provided.

  • Units should remain modest in scale (reflecting Ain’s affordability goals).

  • Community open space must remain continuous and un-fenced.

  • No private front fences (consistent with original vision).

  • Parking solutions must be integrated but visually minimized.

  • All proposals must consider wildfire risk and show strategies to mitigate ignition and loss.

Must-Haves / Required Elements

  • Complete Site Plan with unit placement and circulation.

  • Fire-resilient building materials clearly identified.

  • Native and drought-resistant landscaping.

  • Passive design strategies (orientation, ventilation, shading).

  • Community program (shared garden, workshop, play space, pavilion, etc.).

  • Accessibility strategies.

  • Affordability logic (prefabrication, modularity, material sourcing).

  • Sustainability Performance Diagram (energy, water, carbon).

Requirements

Boards

  • Two boards per entry

  • 24” x 36”, landscape orientation

  • PDF, maximum 50 MB

  • 1-inch border required

  • No names or identifying information on boards

Required Drawings

  • Overall Site Plan

  • Landscape + Fire Management Plan

  • Typical Home Plans (1–2 units)

  • Sections and Elevations

  • Axonometric or Exploded Assembly Diagram

  • Two Rendered Views (one interior, one exterior)

  • Material Palette & Systems Board

  • Narrative Text (300 words)

  • Resilience Strategy Diagram

  • Community & Circulation Diagram

File Naming Format

CompetitionID_TeamName_Board1

CompetitionID_TeamName_Board2

All submissions are to be digital and uploaded via the competition submission link.

Competition Scope

Participants must redesign all 28 homes on the original street, creating a coherent, resilient neighborhood plan that includes:

  • Site Plan – entire street with 28 redesigned units

  • Individual Home Typologies (minimum of two variants)

  • Community Space(s)

  • Landscape & Fire Resilience Strategy

  • Material Strategy & Sustainability Framework

Projects must integrate current building and fire-safety codes, and include:

  • Solar access and shading

  • Fire-resilient planting

  • Water conservation infrastructure

  • Contemporary zoning considerations

  • Accessibility

Design Criteria

1. Resilience & Fire Adaptation — 30%

Focus on:

Fire-resistant materials

Ember-resistant construction

Defensible space

Community safety planning

Climate-adaptive design

2. Sustainability & Ecological Performance — 25%

Including:

Low-carbon materials

Regenerative landscapes

Water systems

Renewable energy

3. Community-Oriented Modernism — 20%

Reinterpretation of Ain’s vision:

Transparency

Connection

Collective spaces

Indoor–outdoor living

4. Innovation & Conceptual Strength — 15%

5. Clarity & Graphic Communication — 10%.

Jury Compostition

A multidisciplinary panel including:

  • Architects including a Modern housing specialist

  • Building science / materials expert

  • Ecological landscape architect

  • Representative from the local community

  • Woodbury University faculty member

Participants

Open to:

  • Undergraduate and Graduate Architecture Students

  • Landscape Architecture Students

  • Urban Design & Environmental Design Students

  • Interdisciplinary Student Teams (up to 5 members)

Working professionals may not participate.

Award Categories & Prizes

GRAND JURY AWARD — Best Overall Project

$1,000 prize, WEDGE Gallery showcase, and panel presentation

Most Resilient Community Award

Magazine publication, WEDGE Gallery showcase, and panel presentation

Most Sustainable Design Award

Sponsored visit to a resilience or innovative materials lab, WEDGE Gallery showcase, and panel presentation