2026 Annual Design Awards

ELIGIBILITY

• All entries must be submitted through the CPJAM online portal.
• Any TIBD member in good standing (any membership category) may enter.
• Each entry must represent the work of the submitting member.
• If a project involved multiple contributors, all contributors must be credited on the entry form.
• Entries may not be re-submitted in the same category in which they were previously judged.

DEADLINES

• All entries must be received by the published deadline.
• No extensions will be granted.
• Incomplete or incorrect entries may receive point deductions.
• Winners will be announced at the TIBD Awards Banquet.

ENTRY FEES

• First entry: $75
• Each additional entry: $60
• Student entries: $25 per entry

       Entry fees are paid through the CPJAM portal.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

 Category Awards

• • First Place – Trophy
  • Second Place – Trophy
  • Design Recognition Award – Certificate

  (Awarded at the discretion of the judges to recognize outstanding work beyond First and Second Place.)

Designers’ Choice Award

All TIBD members attending the Convention will be invited to review the Design Competition entries and vote for one project to receive the Designers’ Choice Award.

W.R. Coleman Award of Excellence

The W.R. Coleman Award of Excellence is awarded to the designer whose project receives a unanimous Best of Show decision from the judges across all categories.

ENTRY PREPARATION REQUIREMENTS

For All Categories

• All required forms must be completed in CPJAM.
• No identifying information may appear on drawings, images, or file names, including:
  • Designer name
  • Firm name
  • Client name
  • Builder name
  • Project address or location

Failure to remove identifying information may result in point deductions.

 

MAIN CATEGORY TYPES

(Detailed subcategories such as size divisions and built/unbuilt designations will be shown separately inside the CPJAM portal.)

Residential Design (R)

Includes:

• • ADUs, Casitas, and Tiny Homes
  • Built Residential Design
  • Unbuilt Residential Design
  • Remodels and Additions
  • Multi-Housing (attached housing)

Residential Submittal Requirements:

• • Site plan
  • Floor plans with room names, room sizes, overall dimensions, and square footage
  • Exterior Elevations (front elevation minimum)
  • Photographs for built projects or renderings for unbuilt projects
  • Brief written description of the project and design intent

 

Commercial Design (C)

Includes:

• • Small Commercial Projects
  • Large Commercial Projects (built or unbuilt)

Commercial Submittal Requirements:

• • Photographs (built) or renderings (unbuilt)
  • Floor plans
  • Elevations
  • Site plan
  • Brief written description

 

Presentation Categories (P)

Bob Jackson Artistic Presentation Award

• • Hand-rendered presentation only
  • Must be created entirely by the designer or in-house staff (with credit given)
  • No AI or digital tools permitted
  • Brief design description

Digital Rendering / Visualization

• • Digital renderings of an original design created in-house
  • AI-generated imagery is not permitted
  • No outsourced work
  • Brief design description

 

Specialty Categories (S)

• Interior Spaces
• Outdoor Living

Specialty Submittal Requirements:

• • Photographs or renderings
  • Relevant plans or elevations
  • Brief design description

 

Working Drawings (W)

Includes complete construction document sets.

• • One full set of working drawings
  • Combined into a single PDF if possible
  • Remove all identifying information
  • drawings converted into a .png or .jpg for Designers' Choice judging

 

Student Design (ST)

Open to current student members enrolled in an accredited or recognized design, architecture, or building design program.

Projects may include academic studio work, thesis projects, conceptual design proposals, or independent design studies.

• • Site plan (if applicable)
  • Floor plans
  • Elevations
  • Renderings or presentation drawings
  • Brief project statement

Optional (Encouraged)

• • Sections or details
  • Process sketches or diagrams

All identifying information (student name, school, faculty, etc.) must be removed from submitted files for judging.

Faculty and institution may be credited in the entry form but not visible in the uploaded files.

 

SCORING

• Entries are judged using a point-based system.
• A 5-point deduction may be applied for each infraction, including:
  • Missing site plan
  • Missing room labels or sizes
  • Missing square footage
  • Incomplete documentation
  • Designer or client identification visible

Judges’ decisions are final.

 

COMMON QUESTIONS

Q: What if my drawing set exceeds the upload limit?

A: Combine sheets into a single PDF. Architectural and engineering drawings may be combined separately if needed.

 

Q: How do I delete a file I uploaded in error?

A: Open the folder, select the file, and click the red Delete button.

 

Q: How do I add photo credit?

A: Open the photo, click Edit, add the caption and image credit, and save.

 

9. QUESTIONS

Please contact the TIBD Awards Committee:

jerome@delineations.com

traci@kelleydesigngroup.com