SHLTR BLUE CHIP DESIGN AWARDS COMPETITION
Win it here. Make it here!
Calling all San Francisco Bay Area architects! The inaugural SHLTR™ Blue Chip Design Awards Competition invites leading Bay Area architects and advanced architecture students to submit designs for a sleeping cabin/hospitality concept for a luxury retreat to be built in the picturesque Yuba River region in 2026. Created in collaboration with the leading firm Aaron Gordon Construction, a SHLTR™ Founding Sponsor and Blue Chip Title Sponsor, the Competition’s winning scheme will be built in 2026. The site master-plan and landscape design will be by SHLTR™ Founding Sponsor and Blue Chip Supporting Sponsor STRATA Landscape Architecture.
The Brief
To create the first of six innovative luxury cabins each containing a bedroom and bathroom. The cabins will each be on a 250 sq ft footprint in the scenic Yuba River region. Mature Manzanita trees dominate the landscape, and a river tributary borders the land. The planned family compound will also have a communal structure for a central kitchen and lounge area within the 30-acre estate in the Sierra Foothills.The unspoiled, wooded property has views of the surrounding valley.
Details
An invited jury including Seattle architect Tom Kundig, FAIA, RIBA of Olson Kundig, and noted Bay Area landscape architect Andrea Cochran, FASLA will select the winner. Aaron Gordon Construction will construct the winning entry and landscape will be completed by STRATA within a year after the winner is announced.
The innovative cabin will rise on a footprint of 200-250 sq ft to command views of the Yuba River Valley. It will be a compelling showcase for exceptional design and elevated luxurious materials and the cabin design — as well as the entire retreat — will offer a vision for intimate, sustainable living. It is an experiment that blurs the line between private sanctuary and shared communal hospitality.
The beautiful site, located in the Yuba River Valley region, can be visited by appointment and will be revealed when all entry formalities are complete.
Who can enter: The architecture competition is open to California-licensed architects, based in the San Francisco Bay Area region, including in the Wine Country, in the north, east and south bays and down in the Carmel region.
Students who can enter: Upper-level architecture students (third year degree or above, including graduate students) from any ACSA member schools based in the greater San Francisco Bay Area as described above.
To Enter: Fill out the entry form and mail to Coralie@ shltr-mag.com, receive an invoice and send in your entry fee.
What to submit:
Please submit plans, elevations, renderings
Submit to: coralie@shltr-mag.com
Submission fee:
The administrative fee for Bay Area-based architecture professionals is $375 for each submission. Eligible students can enter for a reduced fee of $100 for each submission. There are no limits to the number of submissions per firm or individual, however, each submission requires a separate administrative fee.
Once the entry form is sent to Coralie@ shltr-mag.com, SHLTR™ will send an invoice to be paid by check or Venmo. Full receipt of the administrative fee by SHLTR™ confirms your official entry into the competition.
Competition Rules
What confirmed entrants will submit for the competition: A set of plans, elevations, and web-resolution (still or moving) renderings for the jury to consider. All materials will be digitally viewed.
Submission Deadline: All submissions must reach SHLTR™ by 6pm PT, January 15, 2026.
Award Criteria:
The distinguished jury will review submissions from a competitive pool of applicants from all over the San Francisco Bay Area region and their decision will be final.
The design competition seeks to encourage architectural leadership by supporting innovative luxury residential and hospitality design that is spatially clever and also has a positive, sustainable outlook. The Competition celebrates and recognizes exemplary work in the field of architecture, paying special attention to form and how the design responds to its setting.
Prizes: Two CASH prizes will be awarded:
The Principal Blue Chip Winner, $5,000. 2) a Student Blue Chip Winner, $500. These awards will be announced in March 2026, alongside a Merit Award that has no cash prize.
Who can enter: The architecture competition is open to California-licensed architects, based in the San Francisco Bay Area region, including in the Wine Country, in the north, east and south bays.
Students who can enter: Upper-level architecture students (third year degree or above, including graduate students) from any ACSA member schools based in the greater San Francisco Bay Area as described above.
To Enter: Fill out the entry form and mail to Coralie@ shltr-mag.com, receive an invoice and send in your entry fee.
Submission: There are no limits to the number of submissions per firm or individual. The submission fee applies to one scheme only.
The design competition seeks to encourage architectural leadership by supporting architects whose work contributes towards a positive outlook for luxury residential and hospitality design. The Competition celebrates and recognizes exemplary work in the field of architecture, paying special attention to how the structure sits within the immediate area of outstanding natural beauty.
The winning schemes are selected by a jury comprised of distinguished professionals who will review submissions from a competitive pool of applicants from all over the San Francisco Bay Area region.
Restrictions: The architecture competition is open to California licensed architects, based in the San Francisco Bay Area region only.
Students: Upper-level architecture students (third year degree or above, including graduate students) from any ACSA member schools based in the San Francisco Bay Area, including the following universities: Academy of Art University, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, and Stanford.
Prizes: Two cash prizes will be awarded: the winner $5,000, and a student award. These awards will be announced in March 2026, as well as a Merit Award. Final submissions due by January 15, 2026, 6PM Pacific Time.
About Aaron Gordon Construction
Aaron Gordon Construction, Inc. is a San Francisco–based high end residential general contractor known for full-home remodels, custom additions, kitchens, baths, exteriors, and even new single family home construction across the Bay Area—including Wine Country and the Peninsula. Founded and led by native San Franciscan Aaron Gordon, the firm places strong emphasis on integrity, meticulous craftsmanship, and transparent, ongoing communication with clients, architects, and designers. The firm’s expertise extends across high end residential remodels, covering everything from elegant kitchen and bathroom upgrades to custom exterior enhancements and full-scale new home builds throughout the Bay Area—including Wine Country, the Peninsula, and San Francisco’s high rise interiors. Aaron Gordon Construction’s work has been recognized in high profile outlets, including the San Francisco Chronicle.
About Strata Landscape Architecture
Known for its elegant, award-winning, and ecologically minded landscapes that bridge architecture and nature, Strata Landscape Architecture creates sustainable environments featuring native plantings, sculptural grading, and finely detailed hardscape elements—work that has been featured in major design publications. Strata will provide the master plan and a landscape solution attuned to the winning design, subtly enhancing the site’s native features and creating a synergy between structure and setting.
Thanks to our sponsors of the first
SHLTR™ Blue Chip Awards Competition
