The 2023 SHN Architecture & Design Awards will be accepting submissions starting June 1, 2023 and will close submissions on October 31, 2023 at 11:59pm CST. Winners will be announced December 14,  2023.

Click here to join the SHN Architecture & Design Awards Mailing List.

Owners, operators, architecture and/or interior design firms can apply. Company and individual submitting entry confirm and consent that all requisite partners in the project, such as owner(s), operator, architecture, and/or interior design firm, have authorized use of such submitted materials.

Any senior living community that fits into one of the categories below that was constructed/renovated and completed between January 1, 2022 to October 1, 2023 with high-resolution photos available for use. Prior submissions should not be resubmitted from previous years.

For projects completed after October 1, 2023 that do not have photographs, site plans, or floor plans, please consider applying to the 2024 Architecture & Design Awards.

Categories

• 55+ Master Plan Communities
• Active Adult
• Affordable Housing
• Assisted Living
• Behavioral Health
• Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) & Life Plan Community (LPC)
• CCRC/LPC Lite
• Dining Renovation (New!)
• Hospice
• Independent Living
• International
• Renovation / Repositioning
• Skilled Nursing / Post-Acute Care
• Small Footprint
• Stand-Alone Memory Care
• Wellness: Health & Fitness (New!)

The SHN Architecture Awards is a competition and marketing event that positions senior living communities against their peers and is judged by experienced industry professionals. The competition draws entries from across the United States and internationally that showcase the latest trends in senior living architecture and design. Entrants may get featured as nominees in announcements and stories that run on Senior Housing News bringing recognition to the project and firms that helped bring the project to life.

All applicants will receive an SHN Awards Nominee Badge, recognition on Senior Housing News and our email distribution, as well as a mention in a press release that will be submitted nationally. In addition, all nominees and their pictures will be featured on the SHN Awards website for the remainder of the year.

SHN is recognized as one of the best in business publishing and information for senior housing and senior living.
In addition, winners will receive the following:

• First place winners will receive a feature story on Senior Housing News.
• Recognition on Senior Housing News website and email.
• Option to purchase a physical plaque.
• An exclusive digital badge that can be displayed on your website.

Early bird entries close September 30, 2023.
The final entry deadline is October 31, 2023 at 11:59pm CST.

When purchased before September 30, each early bird submission is $525. Each submission received between October 1 and October 31 is $625. Submissions can be paid using any major credit card through our entry form.

The SHN Awards for Architecture and Design will be awarded to the communities based upon the following criteria:

Design & Aesthetics – Judges will evaluate the functionality of the community looking at features that are critical to the property type such as universal design techniques as well as design elements such as color, light, landscape architecture and overall creativity of the community’s design vision and sustainable features.

Community Integration – Judges will evaluate the effectiveness of how the community is positioned within the overall community with focus on features that promote access to transportation and other community-based services. Entries should highlight:

• Nearby / walkable amenities
• Design features are a good with with neighborhood & community
• Discussion of how community discussed input with local area
• How the community encourages or invites the broader community to its location
• Showcase of how the property is an infill location or unique redevelopment of shopping malls, hotel or school as examples
• Accessibility to local area resources and ease of in/out access
• Invitations to community & groups to offer programming on campus

** Some of the community integration factors may not be as relevant in entries for standalone memory care.

Amenities & Lifestyle – Judges will evaluate the community’s features that incorporate a healthy lifestyle that provides residents access to products and services that make their lives easier.

View Judging Criteria

The projects will be judged by our group of expert panelists on the design and functionality of the buildings. The most innovative communities will be chosen as the winners and receive recognition throughout the industry using SHN.


More details on process here.

The following are required to complete your submission to the Senior Housing News Architecture & Design Awards:

1.) Fill out the Professional Form to describe the project.

2.) Complete a powerpoint presentation.

Download the General Submission Template
Download the Renovation/Repositioning Template (also for Dining Renovation)

We ask that you please submit your powerpoint presentation in a .pptx format, and not a PDF format. 

3.) Provide up to 50 high-resolution photos in JPG format. For renovation projects, please include before and after photographs clearly labeled to demonstrate changes in a before/after type format.

4.) Photos should be at least 72dpi (resolution) and sized to fit inside a space that is 1540px in width and 760px in height. *Photos must be no more than 760px tall. Landscape orientation photos are preferred. But please note that portrait orientation photos can be resized to 760px H with white space added on either side to create the 1540px width needed. (See illustrated  example below)

5.) Provide floor plans and site plans in PDF format (considered separate from the 50 photos allotted per entry). Please submit only those documents and not an entire set of architectural documents.

All materials can be submitted through the Professional Form or sent via dropbox or other file sharing service to [email protected]. Any entries that do not include all of the above will be considered incomplete. If there are other items you’d like to submit, please contact us at [email protected]

Yes, you can see these sample PDFs of previously submitted projects as a good example of what judges are looking for overall.

View the new nominee entry example.

2020 Renovation / Repositioning Category Winner | Bayview– A Life Plan Community

2020 Assisted Living | Village Park Milton

Yes. If you want to include a video, you will need to send us a video with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and a finished size of 920 x 518. You must send us a link from Vimeo in order for it to be showcased with the other photos from your submission.

Yes. We do not accept links or videos hosted on other platforms. NO EXCEPTIONS.

No. We will not accept videos to be uploaded or hosted by Aging Media or its publications.

We do not offer any type of video editing services.

More does not always mean better. Your submission should be clear and concise with the right amount of information to let a professional evaluate the community.

For entries that do not fall under the Renovation categories, the minimum requirement is the following:

• Powerpoint in .ppt or .pptx format
• 2 External Photos
• 4 Internal Photos
• Site Plan
• Floor plan for each level

For entries under the Renovation categories, the minimum requirement is the following:

• Powerpoint in .ppt or .pptx format
• 2 External Before & After photos (unless renovation was strictly interior)
• 4 Internal Before & Photos
• Site Plan
• Floor plan for each level

When you submit your project, the Awards team will confirm via email that they have all required materials.

It is preferred, however, if your firm or project partners do not want to include financial data (costs and/or budget), it is acceptable to not include it.

Please note for the 2023 program, the Renovation / Repositioning category will have two subcategories: Building vs. Campus

If you are submitting a project in the Renovation/Repositioning or Dining Renovation category, you should include before and after pictures & label them accordingly. View an example of renovations/repositioning entry submission.

The winners will be chosen by our expert team of judges. Please note that any judge who was involved with a project submitted will not be able to cast a vote for that particular project and a representative from SHN will take their place.

The winners will be announced on December 14, 2023 on Senior Housing News and later promoted and displayed on our website. Senior Housing News will issue a press release that can be used by entrants for the competition. Communications will be sent via email to all nominees with information.

Contact us at [email protected]