2026 Design for Aging Competition

This architectural program invites students to design an inclusive, intergenerational living community located on or adjacent to a college or university campus. Proposals should support aging in place, lifelong learning, and most importantly, enriching connections between older adults, students, faculty, and families—connections that lead to richer social, educational, and cultural outcomes for all generations.

Design solutions may draw from the principles of cohousing and pocket neighborhood development, both of which emphasize human-scale design, shared spaces, and intentional community building. These philosophies foster a built environment where daily interaction, mutual support, and resident engagement are structurally encouraged. Students are encouraged to think beyond isolated housing typologies and instead propose a neighborhood-scale framework where shared living and learning are central to daily life.

In alignment with current public health priorities, the program is also grounded in the U.S. Surgeon General’s Six Pillars to Advance Social Connection^[1]—a national framework responding to the epidemic of loneliness and social isolation. These pillars are to be embedded spatially and programmatically:

1. Strengthen Social Infrastructure with inclusive gathering places and communal hubs
2. Enact Pro-Connection Policy through equitable, universally accessible design
3. Mobilize the Health Sector via integrated wellness and cognitive support environments
4. Reform Digital Environments by emphasizing physical presence and analog experiences
5. Deepen Knowledge through shared learning, mentorship, and creative expression
6. Cultivate a Culture of Connection through collective rituals, shared identity, and storytelling

This program asks students to translate these values into form and function, producing designs that are inclusive, flexible, and fully integrated with the surrounding campus and community. The result should be a living environment that promotes well-being, dignity, engagement, and intergenerational enrichment.

The sections and criteria that follow outline general guidance on resident mix, program spaces, campus connections, and required deliverables. Students and faculty may adjust or expand on the program or spaces to align with their vision and objectives:

^[1] Office of the Surgeon General (OSG). (2023). Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community. US Department of Health and Human Services.