Category

Design Contest

2023 Chief Architect Design of the Year Contest Finalists


Modern kitchen space with dark accent base cabinets and full herringbone tile backsplash

Profile image of Danielle Schroeder By Danielle Schroeder

Chief Architect holds monthly design contests for customers to show off their work throughout the year. Designers with different backgrounds and design styles go head-to-head in the Kitchen, Bath and interiors, Residential, and Remodel/Addition categories.

(more…)

Chief Challenge: B-52’s Tribute Project


Chief Architect Challenge Graphic

Derek's Profile Image by Derek Pedersen

The Chief Architect Challenge is a design exercise crafted to test your skills and encourage learning with fun and unique projects. The theme for this series is the B-52’s. How many design elements can you recreate in 10 minutes? Chief Architect staff will judge the entries – architectural elements are more important than colors & materials. Each Chief Challenge winner will receive a Limited-Edition Chief Architect Gear care kit.

(more…)

Design Contest – Remodel / Addition


3D rendering with line drawing of a modern coastal home

Chief Architect Design Contests are a fun way to share your designs, build credibility and expose your brand.  Share one of your Remodel or Addition Designs for a chance to win Chief Gear. Use any Chief Architect or Home Designer software product to create your original design.

(more…)

Design Contest – Residential


Modern residential design with gray stone exterior.

Chief Architect Design Contests are a fun way to share your designs, build credibility and expose your brand.  Share one of your Residential Designs for a chance to win Chief Gear. Use any Chief Architect or Home Designer software product to create your original design.

(more…)

Designing Custom Homes: An Intricate Puzzle with a Few Surprises


The exterior rendering of a large home with grand entrance, stone work, and wooden shutters.

Author, Kerry Hansen by Kerry Hansen

Karen Hamilton has been a Chief Architect Home Designer customer since the early 1990s, designing custom homes in the greater Houston and Upper Texas coast since 1978. Recently, Karen won an international design contest, and her tool of choice is Home Designer Professional.

(more…)

Design Contest – Kitchen, Bath, and Interiors


Contemporary Modern Open Kitchen Design created with Chief Architect Software

Chief Architect Design Contests are a fun way to share your designs, build credibility and expose your brand.  Share one of your Kitchen, Bath, or Interior Designs for a chance to win Chief Gear. Use any Chief Architect or Home Designer software product to create your original design.

(more…)

Join the Chief Challenge!


The Chief Architect Challenge is a fun exercise designed to test your skills and encourage learning. See how many design elements you can recreate in 10 minutes – a layout page is not required. We recommend starting from the default template file and spend 10 minutes on the design. If you are using a custom template, no problem, be sure to clear out your time tracker entries before beginning. Make sure to download the challenge’s library files. Chief Architect staff will judge the entries – architectural elements are more important than colors & materials.

Chief challenge logo.

Chief Architect will host a live webinar each week showing how to create the design in 10 minutes, and a winner will be announced. Each Chief Challenge winner will receive a limited edition Chief Gear kit.

How to submit your design:
1. Email a zipped backup of your plan and material files and one rendering of the project to submissions@chiefarchitect.com
2. Include your name, company information, version of Chief Architect, and in the subject line write “Chief Challenge.”

We look forward to seeing your work!

(more…)

Winners of the April-May Remodeling & Additions Design Contest


The front exterior rendering of a Dutch Colonial home near Boston.

Winning Designs – February /March Kitchen, Bath, and Interior Design Contest


A kitchen rendering with neutral colors and gold accents.

Best Practices for Entering to Win a Home Design Contest


Grandview watercolor rendering with line drawing

Author's Portrait by Kendra Dorosh

Each month we receive a great selection of renderings created by our users for the Chief Architect Design Contests. We’d like to share some ideas and suggestions for how you can craft a great design contest entry that Facebook voters respond positively to. These techniques can be applied when entering a Chief Architect Design Contest, or any other home design contest you might be considering. Let’s get started!

One of the best, and most obvious, aspects of a great design contest entry is a nice rendering. However, it’s also important to supplement the rendering with a well-written description along with your contact information; this is a perfect chance to show off your skills and share your story! We then recommend sharing the post on your own social media channels for the best exposure, we’ll get to this part in a bit.

(more…)