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Design Competition

The BuildReady Design Competition is intended to inspire innovative ideas and foster meaningful community engagement around the future of Middle Housing in Cincinnati. Winning submissions will help shape future pre-approved housing plans by serving as the foundation for additional public input and discussion. Community feedback gathered through this process will help identify the most desirable design features before a design firm is selected to prepare the final plans. We are excited to see your creativity, explore new possibilities, and showcase what thoughtful Middle Housing design can achieve in Cincinnati.

 

Participating in the BuildReady Design Competition provides multiple incentives for participants and winners, including:

  • Participants who provide entries to the BuildReady Design Competition that meet the qualifying submission requirements will receive five (5) points out of a possible 100 on their submission to the subsequent Request for Proposals (RFP) for the procurement of the pre-approved plans.
  • Winners of the BuildReady Design Competition will be recognized at an in-person Awards Event held in September 2026 in Cincinnati.
  • Winners will have the potential to be featured in a national publication (digital or print) of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Americas (americas.uli.org)
  • Participants and their design submissions will be shared with local and national press and news outlets.

 

​​Download the Design Competition Brief to review the project overview, award and selection process, submission requirements, and terms and conditions. Once your concepts are complete, return here to download the submission form and submit your entry. ​The Design Competition closes on Friday, August 14, 2026, at Noon.

 

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD

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CLICK TO SUBMIT

 

 

Design Competition Q&A Sessions​

The BuildReady team hosted two Q&A sessions to engage potential competitors and answer questions about the Design Competition Brief. Learn more below by reviewing the presentations, watching the session videos, or visiting the FAQ page.

  • BuildReady Design Competition Q&A Meeting #1

  • BuildReady Design Competition Q&A Meeting #2

 

Design Competition Judges

There are three jury panels for the competition (Professional, Community Stakeholders, and People's Choice), each of which will choose a winner for the three typologies. This award structure provides the equally necessary professional expertise and resident perspective to facilitate a balanced evaluation that is reflective of all stakeholders in the broader BuildReady initiative. The three panels enable a higher level of community engagement in the design competition, in which each group can clearly express their unique preferences and priorities outside of City influence, while the online voting widens the reach and pool of participants in the process. Click the links below to learn about BuildReady's Professional and Community Stakeholder judges.

 

Design Competition Awards Ceremony​

Monday, September 14, 2026

The ceremony will be held in person at Memorial Hall, located at 1225 Elm St, Cincinnati OH, 45202. An introductory mixer will start at 4:00 PM EST, for attendees to network and connect. The ceremony will begin at 5:45 PM EST and end at 7:00 PM EST. Admission to both the mixer and the ceremony will be free and open to the public, but RSVP will be required.  

Join us in person for an evening of fun and celebration as we honor the winners in each category of the Design Competition. In partnership with Cincinnati chapter of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), this event will provide an opportunity to hear from Mayor Aftab Pureval, meet and network with fellow participants and local industry professionals, learn about the winning participants and their designs, and toast to the bright future of middle housing in Cincinnati! 

More information, including the event program and RSVP link, will be coming soon.