Open Call — 2026

Chicago Single Stair
Design Competition

Reimagine what's possible on Chicago's narrow lots. Design a single-stair residential building that fits the city's fabric while opening the door to more homes and small-scale infill development.

Overview

About the Competition

The housing crisis in Chicago is real, but so is our opportunity to innovate. Single-stair buildings offer a promising solution, enabling the construction of more homes without sacrificing the quality of life that makes our neighborhoods special. As policymakers consider new legislation, this competition will demonstrate what's possible through collaboration, creative design, and community-focused planning.

The typical Chicago lot leaves little room in its narrow dimensions for inefficiencies. For the last century, Chicago has applied some of the most strict stair and egress requirements anywhere. Even with vastly better building materials, we still dedicate more space to stairs than most municipalities do around the world. In effect, this pushes developers to combine lots that could have been infill — consolidation that can lock smaller developers out of the market and limit the variety of housing types available to residents.

On the contrary, single-stair designs — as demonstrated through recent design competitions, research, and implementation in cities like Baltimore, Austin, Seattle, and New York — allow for smaller, more efficient footprints that better fit Chicago's narrow lots, preserving opportunities for small-scale infill development while still meeting safety standards.

Eligibility

Who Can Enter

Anyone over 18 years of age is eligible to participate. All entries are reviewed anonymously — jury members will not know the identity of entrants until the winners are decided, as they will only see anonymous entries. Entrants who have business relationships with jury members or competition advisors must not discuss their entries with those individuals. Entrants affiliated with a sponsoring organization are eligible to enter; however, immediate family members of jury members' design firms are not eligible to enter.

General Registration

$50 per group

Student Registration

$25 per student group

Site & Program

Building Design Criteria

Competition Brief Registration

Find a real site in Chicago that matches one of the two lot configurations below. Infill development and land use are critical — be prepared to document why you selected your specific site.

Axonometric diagram of a single-stair building on a typical Chicago double lot, 50 by 125 feet, showing five stacked floor plates served by one central stair — Typical Chicago Double Lot — 50 × 125 ft

Single Lot

25 × 125 ft standard city lot
15 ft front yard setback
35 ft minimum rear setback*
Combined 5 ft side setbacks (min. 2 ft per side)
Flat site · Rear alley access

Double Lot

50 × 125 ft (2 adjoining standard city lots)
15 ft front yard setback
35 ft minimum rear setback*
3 ft minimum side setbacks
Flat site · Rear alley access

*Rear setback not applicable to a detached garage. Assume no car parking requirements and a 65 ft height limit for habitable spaces. Consider infill, site adjacency (school, grocery, library, parks), transit access, future place-making opportunities, and how your building can weave into the existing community.

Single Stair Requirements

Max Height

5 stories above grade plane

Max Units / Floor

4 units per stair

Corridor Separation

2-hour minimum between units and stairway

Max Travel Distance

20 ft from unit door to exit stair

Construction

New construction only

Stair Type

Fully enclosed or open air

Building Program

Primarily residential, but mixed-use is acceptable. A variety of residential unit types is encouraged — explore what's possible. Elevators may be employed (ASME A17 is a possible sizing guideline). At least 5% of units must be accessible. Assume no car parking requirements.

Deliverables

What to Submit

Arrange all drawing deliverables on a single 24″ × 36″ sheet, submitted as a PDF (300 dpi recommended). Include a name for the project. All plans must include a graphic scale and a north arrow. Do not include personal information on any deliverable.

Statement

150-word Statement of Design Intent (may appear on the board, but also submitted separately)

Context Map

Local context map with brief site selection narrative

Site Plan

To scale, oriented north up

Diagrams

Diagrams explaining the design

Floor Plans

With furniture, showing proposed mix of unit types

Elevations

Front and rear elevations

Sections

Min. one transverse and one longitudinal

3D Exterior

One or more views; one street view recommended

3D Interior

One or more views showing unit interior and/or stair

Evaluation

Judging Criteria

Submissions will be evaluated by a multidisciplinary jury based on the following criteria, with an emphasis on design clarity, originality, and the potential of single-stair housing to shape Chicago’s neighborhoods.

Criteria

01 — Single-Stair Conviction

Does the design believe in what it’s doing? The best submissions won’t just comply with single-stair requirements — they’ll make a compelling argument for a different kind of housing. What does the single stair make possible here that a conventional building could not?

02 — Sense of Place

Chicago is specific. Does this building feel rooted in its context? Jurors will consider site selection, orientation, and relationships to neighbors, streets, and amenities. Why this site, and what does this block need?

03 — Originality

What does this proposal do that hasn’t been seen before? Creative risk, new unit layouts, hybrid programs, and formal ideas that reframe small residential buildings are encouraged.

04 — Would You Want to Live Here?

Beyond compliance, does the building feel desirable? Jurors will consider light, air, shared spaces, and the lived experience. Who lives here, and what is their daily life like?

05 — Clarity of Vision

A strong submission is cohesive. Drawings, diagrams, and narrative should express a clear, unified idea. What is the project’s core concept, and does every element reinforce it?

Awards

Prize Tiers

First, second, and third place winners — plus a student award — will be announced at a live, in-person reception in Chicago following jury selection. All submissions meeting minimum submission standards will be displayed throughout the evening. Attendance is free, tickets are available to the general public, and at least one member of each group must be present, remotely or in person.

First Prize

$3,000

Second Prize

$2,000

Third Prize

$1,000

Student Award

$500

+ Selected from eligible student submissions

Key Dates

Timeline

June 23, 2026

Competition Launch / Kickoff Event

PRU2 @ 5:30 PM

August 28, 2026

Registration & Submission Deadline

11:59 PM CT — register via Google Form ($50 / group · $25 / student group)

3 Weeks

Jury Review Period

Anonymous review by jury panel

September 18, 2026

Winner Announcement

3 winners and student prize announced

September 24, 2026

Awards Ceremony

In-person reception at University of Chicago — at least one group member must attend, remotely or in person

Jury

Jury Members

The jury will be made up of professional architects, urban planners, lawmakers, and developers from the Midwest region as well as national experts on small-scale development, all dedicated to upholding objectivity in their evaluations. Remaining jury member names and bios will be shared closer to the submission date.

Jhilmil Jha

Architect

William Skudlarek

Center for Building in North America

Doug Farr

Architect, FAIA, LEED AP, CNU-A

AJ Patton

Developer

To Be Announced

Support

Sponsors & Partners

This competition is made possible by the generous support of the organizations below. Their backing funds the prizes, the awards reception, and the public programming that brings single-stair housing into the conversation about Chicago's future.