Registration Deadline: April 8, 2026

2026 Timber Competition

TIMBER IN THE CITY 6: Urban Habitats Competition

Schedule

April 8, 2026

Registration Deadline

June 3, 2026

Submission Deadline

Summer 2026

Jury Convenes

Fall 2026

Winners Announced

Program

Attainable Housing

Envisioning Attainable Urban Living

This competition challenges participants to explore innovative, practical visions for the future of urban living—specifically, through the lens of attainable housing. Entrants are asked to imagine how housing can be made more accessible to middle-income households in ways that are both contextually responsive and architecturally compelling.

Attainable Housing Defined

Attainable housing—including the “missing-middle” spectrum of ADUs, duplexes, triplexes, courtyard cottages, and other low-to mid-rise multifamily buildings—serves middle-income individuals and families who are increasingly priced out of urban markets. Unlike affordable housing, which refers to income-restricted housing that’s publicly subsidized, attainable housing is market-rate housing that focuses on affordability through efficient and repeatable design, intelligent material use, and integration into existing urban infrastructure. This can include smaller dwelling units, duplexes, townhomes, or condominium developments.

Primary Objective

The core of each proposal must focus on attainable urban housing. Proposals should present a clear strategy for increasing residential density within existing urban contexts. This can be achieved through a site-specific design intervention or a replicable housing typology applicable across multiple urban settings. The design must address the constraints and opportunities inherent in city living, such as limited space, mixed-use zoning, and community integration.

Design Considerations
Submissions should thoughtfully address the following design inquiries:

Urban Context: What is the relationship between the proposed dwelling units and the existing urban fabric? How does the design respond to surrounding scale, massing, infrastructure, and neighborhood character?
Interior/Exterior Integration: Within the unit or housing complex, how are indoor and outdoor spaces connected? How do uses and views relate to one another? What role does daylight play in the organization and experience of space?
Material Health and Performance: What health and sustainability issues are associated with the choice of building materials? How can wood be leveraged—not only for their environmental benefits but also for their aesthetic, tactile, and spatial qualities?

Material Focus: Wood
Entrants are required to use softwood lumber-based construction systems as the primary structural and material approach. Submissions should explore how wood can be innovatively employed to promote sustainability, improve occupant well-being, and address the technical and social challenges of urban housing.

Optional Program Elements
While the primary program is residential, entrants may choose to incorporate additional programmatic functions—such as commercial spaces, recreational facilities, or educational/community uses—based on site-specific and community needs. These elements are optional but can add richness to the urban experience and improve overall livability.

Design Scope and Building Scale

Participants are asked to select and design within one of three building scales, depending on the specific needs and character of the chosen site:

Small Buildings (under 1,000 sq ft)
Single-family homes or duplexes—ideal for infill lots, accessory dwelling units, or compact residential developments.

Medium Buildings (up to 10,000 sq ft)
Small condominium buildings or townhouse clusters—suitable for transitional urban zones and moderate-density neighborhoods.

Large Buildings (up to 20,000 sq ft)
Larger condominium or townhouse complexes—intended for higher-density urban areas with greater infrastructure capacity.

This competition offers students and faculty a chance to tackle one of the most pressing challenges in contemporary architecture: creating inclusive, sustainable, and well-designed housing for the urban middle class. Through careful integration of site, scale, material, and program, entrants are invited to propose visionary yet buildable solutions that reimagine how we live in cities.

Standard Unit Sizes for Reference: Designs should consider the following suggested sizes for individual residential units.

Micro Unit: 325 sq ft
1 Bedroom: 650 sq ft
2 Bedroom: 850 sq ft
3 Bedroom: 1,000 sq ft

Site

The site for the competition is the choice of the student and/or faculty sponsor and should be an urban site in North America. However, the building should be accessible by alternative modes of transportation such as public transportation, biking, or walking. Submissions will be required to explain the site selection, strategy, and access graphically or otherwise.

Building Code

Students should refer to the International Building Code and the local zoning ordinance for information on parking requirements, setbacks, easements, flood, egress, and fire containment. Challenges to conventional rules—parking requirements, for example—are encouraged but should be explained, made explicit and integral to the overall solution.