The Denver Affordable Housing Challenge is an international architecture competition organized by AIA Colorado, the City and County of Denver, and Buildner. As the 19th installment in Buildner’s Affordable Housing Challenge series, the competition explores how affordability and design excellence can be harmonized to create innovative, high-quality housing solutions tailored to Denver’s specific context.
While housing affordability remains one of the city’s most urgent issues—exacerbated by population growth, economic pressures, and shifting demographics—this initiative calls on architects, designers, and urban thinkers to propose visionary solutions that do more than meet basic housing needs. Participants are encouraged to reimagine the role of affordable housing as a tool for elevating neighborhoods, reinforcing urban identity, and addressing broader challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and social inclusion.
Rather than prescribing a specific site or scale, the competition offers flexibility, inviting proposals across architectural, urban, or policy-driven frameworks. Participants may propose building typologies, neighborhood strategies, or systemic interventions. Proposals should reflect a deep understanding of Denver’s environmental, cultural, and technological landscape, with designs that are scalable, sustainable, and grounded in a vision for long-term resilience and equity.
Submissions should present a coherent and compelling architectural narrative, supported by site strategies, housing models, and thoughtful design detailing. Solutions should prioritize quality of life, community integration, and environmental responsibility, pushing beyond cost-effectiveness to explore how affordable housing can contribute to the city’s vibrancy and sense of place.
Ultimately, the Denver Affordable Housing Challenge is not just a competition—it is a platform for shaping the future of cities. By bringing together a diverse global audience of creative professionals, it seeks to provoke new ideas, question outdated norms, and inspire the next generation of inclusive, high-quality urban development.
Download the full competition brief for more information!
Competition is open to all. No professional qualification is required. Design proposals can be developed individually or by teams (4 team members maximum). Correspondence with organizers must be conducted in English; All information submitted by participants must be in English.
Competition webinars:
Buildner, in partnership with AIA Colorado, is hosting a two-part webinar series to support participants of the Denver Affordable Housing Challenge. These sessions feature local experts sharing real-world insights on housing, permitting, and design — helping you better understand the context and challenges shaping development in Denver.
Designing for Affordability in Denver / Susan Powers
Susan Powers, founder and president of Urban Ventures LLC, shares her experience working at the intersection of design, affordability, and community development. She discusses key strategies for delivering housing that meets real needs, while addressing the economic and social challenges unique to Denver. [Watch here]
Designing Denver: Framing Our Public Realm / Jill Jennings Golich
Jill Jennings Golich, Director of Denver’s Permitting Office, offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the city is working to make affordable housing easier to build. She talks through initiatives like the Affordable Housing Review Team and Proposition 123 — focused on streamlining approvals while encouraging inclusive, well-designed spaces. [Watch here]
