2024 Excellence in Design Awards

2024 OFFICIAL RULES OF COMPETITION (“Official Rules”)

The 2024 Excellence in Design Competition (“Competition”) is sponsored by the South Central Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (“Chapter”). By entering Competition, You – the Entrant - represent and warrant that you have read, understand and agree to these official rules including but not limited to, the (1) competition rules, regulations & eligibility guidelines and (2) competition entrant terms and conditions, indemnification requirements and release as set forth below. These Official Rules will form a binding agreement between the Chapter and the Entrant.  

 COMPETITION RULES, REGULATIONS & ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES

• Call for entries and registration period: 12/12/2023 at 12:00am CST – 02/09/2024 at 11:59pm CST.
• Competition period:  12/12/2023 at 12:00am CST – 02/9/2024 at 11:59pm CST
• Approximate judging period:  02/16/2024 – 03/08/2024
• Cost per entry during Early Bird Registration: $100 for first entry, $75.00 for each additional entry: 12/12/2023 - 12/31/2023
• Cost per entry after Early Bird Registration: $125 for first entry, $100.00 for each additional entry: 01/01/2024 - 02/09/2024
• If all entry information is not completed by the deadline, at 11:59 PM CST, 02/09/2024, the project will be disqualified and will not be entered in to the Competition.
• The Excellence in Design Gala is scheduled for April 13, 2024, in Little Rock, Arkansas.
• Entry fees are not refundable
• Entrants must provide and submit the following information with each entry:
  • Brief design concept, description of challenges, designer’s scope of work, etc.
  • Floor plans and/or schematics, perspectives and details scaled with scale noted in PDF format (minimum of 1, maximum of 10)
  • After photos (Minimum of 2; Maximum of 15) in JPG or PNG formation 300 dpi: maximum file size of 10MB
  • Before photos (optional), maximum of 10 in JPG or PNG formation 300 dpi: maximum file size of 10MB
  • Square footage of project entry
  • Photographer’s name/firm (professional photography is recommended)
  • List of Industry Partners utilized for the project

ELIGIBILITY

• All ASID members of the South Central Chapter in good standing and who are eighteen years old or older may participate.  If the Entrant is employed by a firm or member of a team, he/she must be the primary interior designer on record for the project.
• Entrant(s) must be the lead designer on the project to be submitted.  This means that no other designer(s), architect(s), builder(s) can claim this project as their own. Retail stores and Franchises are permitted only if the Entrant(s) is the lead designer(s) of the original concept.
• Only space(s) and images that have not previously won an ASID Design Excellence Award are eligible. However, non-winning entries qualifying for the time frame requirement below may be resubmitted.
• All entries must be actual installations completed after January 1, 2021
• A project may not have more than two (2) entries in any category. Any project exceeding two (2) entries will have only the first two counted. All others will be disqualified and no refund will be given.

GROUNDS FOR DISQUALIFICATION

• Entrant is not a member in good standing as per ASID National’s guidelines at time of payment for entry
• Information identifying Entrant’s name, design firm, architect or any other collaborating party appears in description, images or on drawings
• If any other designer, architect or builder challenges the Entrant’s ownership of the design, the project will be investigated by the Chapter.  If evidence shows the Entrant is not the lead designer, the award will be rescinded. 
• Submission of Entries not including floor plans scaled with scale noted
• Submission of winning Entries and images from past South Central Chapter Design Excellence Award competitions
• Submission of Entry into the wrong category  
• Entrant’s failure to abide by these Official Rules

 

CATEGORIES AND JUDGING INFO 

RESIDENTIAL

• R01 Residential Bathroom
• R02 Residential Kitchen
• R03 Single Space (part of a larger residence not including kitchen or bathroom, such as bedroom, living room, home office, home theater, outdoor space, etc.) 
• R04 Model Home (uninhabited residence of a temporary nature, show homes, etc.)
• R05 Multi-Family (apartment buildings, condos, townhouses, etc.)
• R06 Budget Conscious (budget of $85 per square foot for new construction or $65 per square foot for renovation; price per square foot includes all construction, finishes and furnishing)
• R07 Residence - Small (3,500 square feet and under)
• R08 Residence - Large (Over 3,500 square feet)
• R09 Historic Preservation (registered as historic with the municipality and/or is 100+ years old and designer either restored to or maintained its original essence)
• R10 Adaptive Reuse (renovation of existing historical structure in such a way as to re-identify or reuse space, etc.)
• R11 Specialty (yacht, airplane, recreational vehicle, etc)
• R12 Sustainable (comprehensive projects or singular spaces focusing on environmentally friendly products, installations and/or systems)
• R13 Universal or Aging in Place 
• R14 Custom Detail (product design or special detail such as millwork, custom drapery, detail created for a specific application, etc)

COMMERCIAL/NON-RESIDENTIAL

• C01 Corporate - Small (15,000 square feet and under)
• C02 Corporate - Large (Over 15,000 square feet)
• C03 Institutional (airport, church, school, library, museum, performance theater, etc)
• C04 Hospitality - Living (hotel, resort, bed & breakfast, senior living, etc.)
• C05 Hospitality - Service (restaurant, bar, country club, golf club, health club, spa, etc.)
• C06 Healthcare (hospital, clinic, nursing home, assisted living facility, medical office, etc)
• C07 Retail (salon, boutique, gallery, showroom, movie theater, car dealership, etc.)
• C08 Single Space (reception | waiting area, lobby, boardroom, executive office, breakroom, cafeteria, kiosk, outdoor space, etc.)
• C09 Budget Conscious (budget of $100 per square foot; price per square foot includes all construction, finishes and furnishing)
• C10 Historic Preservation (registered as historic with the municipality and/or is 100+ years old and designer either restored to or maintained its original essence)
• C11 Adaptive Reuse (renovation of existing historical structure in such a way as to re-identify or reuse space, etc.)
• C12 Specialty (yacht, airplane, tour bus, recreational vehicle, etc)
• C13 Sustainable (comprehensive projects or singular spaces focusing on environmentally friendly products, installations and/or systems)
• C14 Custom Detail (product design or special detail such as millwork, furniture, detail created for a specific application, etc)

 

JUDGING CRITERIA- for all categories except Budget Conscious, Historic Preservation, Adaptable Reuse, Sustainable and Universal/Aging in Place.

• Successful entries will demonstrate exceptional design and the following criteria:

25 pts. - Aesthetic Critique

30 pts. - Design Critique

• 5 pts.         Space Planning
• 5 pts.         Effective use of Lighting
• 5 pts.         Materials and Finishes
• 5 pts.         Color Composition 
• 5 pts.         Scale and Proportion of Furnishings 
• 5 pts.         Innovative and creative design solutions and materials

20 pts.       Accurate Description of Design Concept and Challenges

• 5 pts.         Adequately described Design Concept
• 5 pts.         Adequately described Client's goals for the project
• 5 pts.         Adequately described how the design met the Client's goals
• 4 pts.         Adequately described any challenges encountered
• 1 pts.         Adequately described their involvement within the project's team

75 pts.    TOTAL  

 

JUDGING CRITERIA- for Budget Conscious categories.

• Successful entries will demonstrate exceptional design and the following criteria:

25 pts. - Aesthetic Critique

30 pts. - Design Critique

• 5 pts.         Space Planning
• 5 pts.         Lighting
• 5 pts.         Materials and Finishes
• 5 pts.         Color Composition
• 5 pts.         Furnishings
• 5 pts.         Innovative and creative design solutions and materials

20 pts.       Accurate Description of Design Concept and Challenges

• 5 pts.         Adequately described Design Concept
• 4 pts.         Adequately described Client's goals for the project
• 5 pts.         Adequately described how the design met the Client's goals
• 4 pts.         Adequately described any challenges encountered
• 1 pts.         Budget was within the constraints of the Competition Rules
• 1 pts.         Adequately described their involvement within the project's team

75 pts.    TOTAL  

 

JUDGING CRITERIA- For Historic Preservation, Adaptable Reuse, Sustainable and Universal/Aging in Place only.

• Successful entries will demonstrate on exceptional design and the following criteria:  

15 pts. - Aesthetic Critique

30 pts. - Design Critique

• 5 pts.         Space Planning
• 5 pts.         Effective use of Lighting
• 5 pts.         Materials and Finishes
• 5 pts.         Color Composition 
• 5 pts.         Scale and Proportion of Furnishings 
• 5 pts.         Innovative and creative design solutions and materials

20 pts.       Accurate Description of Design Concept and Challenges

• 5 pts.         Adequately described Design Concept
• 5 pts.         Adequately described Client's goals for the project
• 5 pts.         Adequately described how the design met the Client's goals
• 4 pts.         Adequately described any challenges encountered
• 1 pts.         Adequately described their involvement within the project's team

10 pts.       Use of Historic Preservation, Adaptable Reuse, Sustainable and Universal/Aging in Place design principles

75 pts.      TOTAL

 

• Decisions of judges are final and binding     
• Professional members from an outside chapter of ASID compile the jury panel.  All decisions made by the judges are final.  The judges reserve the right not to issue an award for any category where they do not feel the quality of the work meets certain design standards.  There is no guarantee that an award will be given in all categories.

 

PRIZES/SCORING

• Names of prizes are Gold, Silver and Bronze. 
• Projects must have the minimum score in each of the awards categories to qualify. 
• Total scores will range from 0-75. 
• Prizes will be awarded based on the following ranges: 75-69: Gold; 68-62: Silver; 61-55: Bronze
• One project from the Overall Residential Category and one from the Overall Commercial Category will be selected as an Ovation Award Winner. These represent the Judges’ choice of best in category. This award will be selected from all entries and is open to all Members unless the member selects the Emerging Professional option in the entry packet. The project must be a Gold Award Winner in order to be considered for this award.
• Allied members with 1 to 5 years experience may choose to flag their entry as an Emerging Professional. One project will be selected as a Rising Star Award Winner and represents the Judges’ choice of best in competition. The project must be a Gold Award Winner in order to be considered for this award.
• Winners will receive an email notifying them that their project has received an award. Notification will be sent to the email address provided on or around March 15, 2024.  Information as to specific project or award classification (Gold, Silver, Bronze, etc.) will not be given until the Awards Gala, tentatively scheduled in Little Rock, Arkansas, the evening of April 13, 2024. 

 

ADDITIONAL RULES

• All federal, state, and local laws apply.  If any rule contained in these Official Rules (including but not limited to, the competition rules, regulations & eligibility guidelines and/or the competition entrant terms and conditions, indemnification requirements and release (set forth below) is declared illegal or invalid, the remaining rules shall remain in full force and effect. 
• Chapter reserves the right to disqualify any entries that do not comply with this Agreement.
• Entry fees are not refundable.
• Personal information provided in connection with this Competition and/or this Agreement will be collected by the Chapter and used in accordance with the Chapter’s online privacy policy.  In addition, to the extent you provide the Chapter with personally identifying information via any third-party, including but not limited to competition web site hosts, you may also be subject to the terms and conditions of such third-party’s Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions, over which Chapter has no control.
• No failure by Chapter to take any action or assert any right hereunder shall be deemed to be a waiver of such right.  No waiver of any right shall be deemed a waiver of any succeeding breach of the same or any other provision hereof.
• It is the sole responsibility of the entrant to follow all terms and conditions set forth in these Official Rules. Any entry which does not adhere to these Official Rules will be subject to disqualification.
• If any dispute arises out of or relating to this Competition and/or these Official Rules the parties will first attempt to settle the dispute by internal discussions through good faith consultation and negotiation.  If internal negotiations do not lead to a solution to the satisfaction of each party within 60 days of the dispute arising, the controversy or claim shall be settled by arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association in accordance with its Commercial Arbitration Rules. All arbitration decision are binding on both parties.

 

COMPETITION ENTRANT TERMS AND CONDITIONS, INDEMNIFICATION REQUIREMENTS AND RELEASE:

 By entering the 2024 Excellence in Design Competition, Entrant represents and warrants as follows:

• Entrant understands and agrees that by entering this competition they agree to these official rules (including but not limited to the competition rules, regulations & eligibility guidelines and the competition entrant terms and conditions. Indemnification and release shall become a binding agreement between the Entrant and the South Central Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers. 
• Entrant is the designer of this project. Entrant agrees that no other person or entity may claim this design as his or her own, and that Entrant has not submitted this design on behalf of anyone else.
• Entrant agrees to abide by the judge’s decision as final. Entrant understands that any false or misleading information provided by the Entrant will result in disqualification from this Competition.
• Chapter is not responsible for (i) late, lost, or incomplete entries; (ii) any telephone, electronic hardware or software program, network, internet or computer malfunctions, failures or difficulties; (iii) any errors in transmission; (iv) any condition caused by events beyond the control of Chapter that may cause the Competition to be disrupted or corrupted; (v) any injuries, losses or damages of any kind caused by any prize or resulting from acceptance of any prize, or from participation in the Competition; (vi) any printing or typographical errors in any materials associated with the Competition. All materials submitted by the Entrant become the property of the Chapter and will not be returned. 
• Should Entrant’s design be chosen as a prize-winning award, Entrant agrees to allow (and to cause the property owner where the project is located to allow) professional photography of the winning project to be used for future marketing, promotional, public relations, or educational purposes.  In addition, and except where prohibited by law, Entrant’s entry constitutes permission from Entrant to allow the Chapter, the American Society of Interior Designers, Inc. and their respective media and agency partners to use, without additional compensation, Entrant’s name(s), workplace/business information, biographical data, and likenesses for (i) publication on a Competition winner’s list; and/or (ii) for use in any Competition-related advertising and publicity.
• The Entrant, to the fullest extent permitted by law, agrees to be bound by this Agreement; represents that Entrant holds all original copyrights to the materials submitted pursuant to this Agreement (or that Entrant has obtained written permission from the copyright owner to submit these materials); represents that the submitted materials do not infringe on the copyrights, trademarks, trade dress, moral rights, rights of privacy/publicity or other intellectual property or proprietary rights of any third-party; grants the South Central Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers, Inc. and their respective media and agency partners a non-exclusive, perpetual, transferable, royalty-free right and license to copy, reproduce, perform, display, prepare derivative works from, and distribute publicly all of Entrant’s submitted materials in both print and digital format for any purpose whatsoever including, but not limited to, use of such materials on third-party websites, social media, and other publications without additional compensation; and agrees to indemnify and hold the American Society of Interior Designers, Inc., and Chapter and their respective officers, directors, and employees (collectively “Indemnified Parties”) harmless from and against any and all losses, claims, injuries, demands, suits, costs, expenses  and damages (including reasonable attorney fees and expenses) (collectively “Claim”) that the Indemnified Parties may incur by reason of or arising out of any breach of any of my representations, my provision of false information, use of my submitted materials and/or my license grant, except to the extent that such Claim is caused by the gross negligence of the Indemnified Parties.
• By participating in this competition and/of accepting any prize, entrant agrees to release and hold harmless Chapter, The American Society of Interior Designers, Inc. and each of their respective officers, directors, agents, representatives and employees (collectively “released parties”) from and against any and all actions, claims, injuries, losses, damages, liabilities, expenses or causes of action of any kind, including, without limitation personal injury, death and/or property damage, as well as any and all claims based on defamation, publicity rights, and/or invasion of privacy arising out of or in any manner, directly or indirectly relating to entrant’s participation in the design competition, submission of competition materials, and/or acceptance or use or misuse of any prize.

By entering, I certify that I have read, understand and agree to each and every term set forth in these official rules of competition participation, including but not limited to those set forth in the competition rules, regulations & eligibility guidelines, and in the competition entrant terms and conditions, indemnifications requirements and release.