Frank Lloyd Wright Architecture Challenge

Frank Lloyd Wright Design Challenge, an international student competition launching alongside Frank Lloyd Wright: Shaping the Future, a major new travelling exhibition curated by the Taliesin Institute at the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. See the official press release for the exhibition here.

The FLW Design Competition invites students to respond to Wright's vision for a more just and sustainable built environment through original location-based designs including buildings, landscapes, houses, city blocks etc. Entries are welcomed from students across architecture, design, engineering, and related disciplines, in teams of up to five. 

The challenge will be judged against three UN Sustainable Development Goals which we feel closely align with Wright’s vision: #3 Good Health and Well-Being, #9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, and #11 Sustainable Cities and Communities. Our esteemed panel of judges includes Dr. Jennifer Gray of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, Justin Gunther of the PA Western Conversancy and David Basulto, founder of ArchDaily.

Prizes include a $30,000-$50,000 grand prize as well as access to select Taliesin Institute programs including tours of Frank Lloyd Wright properties. The top finalists will also have the honor of displaying their designs alongside that of Frank Lloyd Wright in the Futures Gallery, the final segment of the Shaping the Future Exhibition, which will travel to premier cultural institutions around the world. We aim to open the submission window by August 2026, and announce the finalists and winners at the American Alliance of Museums, May 2027. To receive further information, please fill out this info request form.

This is truly a one-of-a-kind opportunity for students of architecture to engage with the living legacy of one of America’s most esteemed architects. Full competition details, promotional materials, and launch timelines will follow. 

Overview of Timeline (subject to change):

June 2026 – Team entry opens

August 2026 - Team entry closes

August – Judges announced

August 31, 2027 - Official participant brief distributed

August 2026 – Submission window opens

February 2027 Submission deadline

February-April 2027 - Judging phase

Last week of April 2027 - Top 10 teams announced

May 2027 - Winners announced at AAM Expo 2027

July 2027– Frank Lloyd Wright- Shaping the Future EXHIBITION LAUNCH