Design Excellence Awards Rules & Regulations

Rules and Helpful Tips

Submitting an outstanding entry binder is critical to winning an RD+B Excellence Award. Following are rules and suggestions to ensure your entry meets competition requirements and improves your chance of winning:

Rules

• Projects considered for RD+B‘s 2013 Excellence Awards must have been completed between Jan. 1, 2011 and July 26, 2013.
• Any firm that has won a previous award from RD+B (including Leading Design/Build Firms) is eligible.
• Past winning projects cannot be submitted. Please enter a new and different project.
• Remodeling projects of any kind are not eligible. Only 100% new construction projects (including teardowns) will be considered.
• Judges’ decisions will be made in late August/early September. Winners will be notified. Others will not.
• Entrants must submit electronic versions of ALL material including application, binder pages, and supporting material such as photographs, marketing material, drawings, etc.
• Entrants must submit a disc containing digital high-resolution professional photography for each binder.
• Company name must be written on the disc that contains digital copies of photos and entry material.
• Do not include people or animals in the photos you submit for your entry.
• Printed photographs (not photocopies or printouts) must be included in entry binders.
• Projects must be built. One-the-board architectural drawings alone are not eligible. Design-only firms can enter their plans/drawings, as long as the project is built, even if by another company. Photographs of the completed project must be submitted to be eligible.
• Entry of a single project under more than one category is permitted as long as each entry meets each category’s standards. For example, you may enter a house in the Custom Home Under 3,000 sq. ft. category and enter that home’s kitchen in the Kitchen category.
• Firms entering the Design Excellence Awards must perform at least some jobs that are 100% new residential construction. Firms whose revenue is generated 100% by remodeling are not eligible.
• Projects from Canada and Mexico are eligible.
• Interior design firms are not eligible unless entry is accompanied by a co-entrant signature.
• A single-family-home development is eligible only if all homes in the development are custom.
• By submitting an application and entry binder, the entrant acknowledges that wording from an application or binder might be used as submitted or in edited version as determined by RD+B staff.
• Provide complete information. Complete all sections, provide photos and floor plans, and make sure you, any co-entrant and the photographer have dated and signed all release forms. DO NOT put your name or company name on photos, plans, or project or business practice descriptions. This ensures the judges remain impartial when judging entries.

Tips

• Think like a judge. RD+B Excellence Awards judges review many entries in a short period of time, so make it easy for them by keeping descriptions brief and to the point. Focus on the best aspects of your project. Type or clearly print all information.
• Submit professional-quality photos. Professional-quality photos of a finished project improve an entry’s chances of winning. Before hiring a professional photographer make sure he/she understands the photos will be used in a professional competition and that a signed photographer release is mandatory for all entries. If you took the photos yourself, you must also sign a photographer release.
• Submit color prints no smaller than 8x10 (no photocopies). You must submit a disc with electronic photos in JPEG or TIF format. Photos considered for the magazine cover must be at least 300 dpi at 8x10. Photos considered for the magazine cover ideally should be vertically oriented and framed to accommodate the magazine logo at the top of the photo.
• Include floor plans to help the judges easily see the scope of the project. Make sure the plans are no bigger than standard 8½ x 11 paper. Simplify them by eliminating unnecessary details. You must submit floor plans in print and on disc in electronic high-resolution format.
• Have your entry proofread. Before mailing your entry, make sure appropriate forms are complete, information is correct and all required releases are signed and dated. Have someone critically proofread your entry, like a judge would. Remember, don’t be wordy – get to the point.
• Include all materials. Before mailing your entry, make sure all required pages are included in the back pocket of your binder, or slip the pages into the plastic sleeves.
• Complete the Products and Materials Used form to the best of your ability. Please only include manufacturer names, not distributors/wholesalers and not model numbers.
• Make a copy of all submitted materials for your records.