CHALLENGE

COMPETITION CHALLENGE
La Plaza at the Multi-Agency Regional Resilience Center, Antelope Valley Fair and Event Center, Lancaster, CA

CHALLENGE
The Architecture at Zero 2026 competition program is to design a year-round educational and cultural venue (La Plaza) that will transform into a resiliency asset during regional emergencies (Emergency Operations Center), offering critical support for first responders and multi-agency emergency operations. La Plaza, the subject of this competition, will be a two-story, 10,000 sq ft building that will host lectures, community events, performances, and exhibitions. During an emergency, this building will be used by first responders. 

With interactive programming, cultural events, and educational exhibits, La Plaza will integrate both cultural and resiliency goals to create a multi-functional space that is both forward-thinking and community-centered. 

There are four parts to this competition:

1) Entrants will create an overall site plan to accommodate the program. Entrants are encouraged to highlight any energy efficiency, renewable energy, energy storage, and carbon reduction strategies or systems shown.

2) Entrants will design the building in detail, demonstrating how the design will result in lower carbon emissions and embodied carbon, and addressing the requirements of the California Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency Standards. To demonstrate how the building design will result in lower carbon emissions, entrants must provide the required documentation and may also include supplementary documentation.

3) Entrants are asked to describe how this project will build resilience. Entrants will be asked to complete a table outlining the inclusion of climate adaptation strategies and indicate on the site plan or section aspects of design strategies that support resiliency.

4) Entrants are asked to consider how their design addresses equity for the community. Entrants will be asked to write a short essay and indicate on the site plan or section aspects of design strategies that support equity.

Entries are judged holistically on their submission, including the material highlighting the decarbonization, resilience, and equity aspects of their project.  A Technical Review Panel will convene to consider the decarbonization strategies of each entry. This Technical Evaluation is then provided to the Jury for consideration.  The Technical Evaluation is not the sole criterion on which entries will be judged, but acts as a complement to the overall project design evaluation.

Entries are weighed individually, not in competition with others. Jury decisions will be based solely on the materials submitted. Criteria include quality of design, resolution of the program or idea, innovation, thoughtfulness, and technique.  See jury panelists and judging criteria here.

Winners will be announced in 2026, at an online event. Details forthcoming.

DEADLINES

The submission deadline is June 1, 2026, at 01:00 PM PST.

Please note that the Architecture at Zero competition uses an electronic registration process. If you are submitting multiple projects, you will need to register each project separately.

By submitting a project, the entrant agrees to all Terms and Conditions outlined in the Architecture at Zero Terms and Conditions.  In any public use of the submissions, credit will be given to the design team. All submissions are final.

Competition Planning team

Margie O’Driscoll, Competition Advisor
Geraldine O’Brien, Competition Administration

Antelope Valley Fair and Event Center
Dan Jacobs

Southern California Edison:
Dave Intner
Tiffany Botello

Pacific Gas and Electric Company:
Angela McDonald
Tala Daya