Newhouse Architecture and Design Competition

Overview

The 2026 Newhouse Architecture and Design Competition will be a free two-week camp designed for students in the Chicagoland area. This competition will take on real-world architecture and design challenges and participants will have a chance to showcase their projects to a jury. Participants will receive a $100 stipend and an opportunity for prizes.

This camp is ideal for high school students who are excited about design and are motivated to bring their ideas to life through architecture techniques. Architecture skills are not a pre-requisite, but those who have them are encouraged to apply. Participants will be selected based on their applications, with priority for those who submit by April 12. Participants must be local to Chicagoland and available in-person for the entirety of the camp

The Newhouse Architecture and Design Competition will provide a supportive, intensive learning environment alongside design-loving peers and graduate-level design educators. Participants will experience skill building workshops and field trips with architecture experts.

Go from challenge to completed project in two weeks, including site plan designs, an architectural model and written narrative. The camp concludes with a juried competition and showcase.

Named after the late Illinois Senator, Richard Newhouse, this annual competition allows students to practice design thinking and 21st-century skills like creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication. It inspires teens to understand why design matters by researching, representing and redesigning the built environment to solve challenges that are communal and place-based.