Single Stair Contest

The 2025 National Single Stair Architectural Design Competition invites architects, designers, students, and urbanists to reimagine multifamily housing on typical U.S. urban lots using single-stair configurations. As cities across North America adopt code reforms to allow single-stair apartment buildings, this competition seeks to elevate new design strategies that improve livability, spatial efficiency, sustainability, and housing diversity.

Hosted by the Livable Communities Initiative (LCI), this national design competition will award $30,000 in total prizes across three site-based design categories.

Open internationally to individuals or teams. Entrants must be over 18 years of age. Professionals and students are welcome.