competitions
ICA&CA Texas Chapter and Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity
Dream Dallas Home Design Competition
The Texas Chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture and Classical America, in collaboration with Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity and Lambert’s, announce a vernacular single family home design competition. The goal of this competition is threefold:
• To inform and inspire affordable, architecturally interesting, neighborly, and sustainable homes that can be readily built by Habitat for Humanity volunteers.
• To publish an architectural pattern book providing plans, elevations, and sections which illustrate architectural elements and building details that reflect the goals of a Habitat home.
• To build a Habitat home on a donated lot in West Dallas, based on the grand winning entry.
There will be cash prizes for the design competition:
First prize – $3,000
Second prize – $1,000
Honorable mention – Five prizes of $250 each
Entry registration is now closed. Winners will be announced September 9.
Our Sponsors
Royal and Debbie Carson
Sam and Shannon Gilliland
Kent Kunkel
Lyn Muse Interiors, Inc.
Mack and Jean Pogue
Vaughn Vennerberg
Barry and Lana Andrews
Harlan and Kathy Crow
David and Marcia Dowler
Joe and Nancy Foran
Mr. and Mrs. Albert Huddleston
Harry and Norma Longwell
Sarah and Ross Perot, Jr. Foundation
Leonard and Peggy Riggs
Sebastian Construction Group, Inc.
Michael and Alison Weinstein
Competition FAQs
Does the 12 feet of counter space in the kitchen include the kitchen sink space or not?
You do not need to count the range or sink in the 12 feet allowed.
Can one put the A/C in the attic and not have the A/C closet in the floor plan area?
Habitat prefers to have the A/C closet in the first floor because of limited attic space and their use of roof trusses.
Can one use an under-counter water heater in the kitchen (Not an instant water heater, but a full 45 gallon water heater)?
Yes.
Is area measured from the inside of exterior walls?
Area is measured from the outside walls. Do not count garage area.
Does wheelchair accessible mean just that or does it mean the full accessibility rules?
It’s referred to as ADA visitable which means no full accessibility rules.
What level of LEEDS certification is required?
It can be lowest level LEEDS certified or Energy Star rated, which are the same.
Is the one car enclosed garage space door facing the street at the front of the house to be attached?
Yes.
Is the garage to be co-planer with the front of the house?
No, it can be anywhere, as long as it is attached and faces Pueblo Street.
What type of foundation should we design?
Slab.
Is it possible for an entrant to participate on more than one team?
Yes, an individual may be a member of more than one team.
Is there a maximum number of pages and boards that can be entered into the competition?
The 30” x 40” board should be an overview of the project using elements from the entry documents. Each team is limited to one board.
There is no limit on the number of pages for the jury presentation documents.
On page 8 of the Call for Entries, the page size and graphic of the page is incorrect. It should read “The page size is 10.75” tall and 14.5” wide. Landscape format.” The board size described on page 9 is correct … 30” x 40” vertical format.
Would raising the level of the house be out of the question for a habitat home? To be more specific, elevating the house about two feet and providing a crawl space, rather than slab on grade?
Due to budgetary issues, the home must use slab on grade.
Would porches and stoops be acceptable outside of the setbacks or would they pose an issue requiring variances?
Porches and stoops must be within the setbacks.
In the submission packet the layout examples has “Project Title to Come” on top of the page. Is the title being provided by the competition panel or should the project be named by the teams?
Use “Dream Dallas Home Design Competition” as the project title.
What does a “Texas Farmhouse” style home consist of?
A good place to start is to Google “north Texas farmhouse characteristics”.
Are fireplaces permitted?
Yes.
The competition calls for the design to meet at least the lowest level of LEED accreditation. How do we show this? Do we provide a LEED Home checklist in the presentation document? The design competition also calls for all appliances and equipment to meet the Energy Star Rating System. Do we provide a checklist for this in the presentation document as well?
The documentation is not required for the presentation document. However, it would be very useful for the jury to have checklists for both LEED accreditation and Energy Star compliance in order for them to evaluate whether those requirements were met. I would highly recommend you include both documents in your presentation document.
Are the drawings we submit intended to be more schematic or construction documents?
The drawings are to be schematic documents.
Is there a limit on the wall height of the building?
There is an eight foot interior ceiling limitation.
I’m assuming the 8 foot ceiling limitation and the use of pre-manufactured trusses mean we can’t have a space with an open vaulted ceiling.
Not necessarily. But you do need to be aware that air ducts will be running through the attic.
If only trusses are to be used, would it be permissible to expose those trusses and paint them in some cases?
It would be permissible to expose the trusses. Don’t forget about the LEED certification requirement, though … you’ll need to think about ceiling insulation.
Should the display boards be mounted?
Yes, the display board should be mounted. We will be putting them on display during the announcement ceremony September 9.