Design Excellence Awards Checklist

Wondering how to make your submission for the international Design Excellence Awards? Check out this guide to ensure your submission has everything it needs to succeed!

2024 Design Excellence Awards

The Design Excellence Awards, presented by Lab Design, is a program developed to recognize and celebrate the best new projects within the lab design community. Visit awards.labdesignconference.com for a complete list of guidelines and rules. The deadline to enter is January 19, 2024.  

Here are some useful tips to help you craft your best possible entry into this competition!

1.Select the best category for your lab project

   Whole Building/Holistic Design

• Buildings that have been designed to accommodate an evolving scientific ecosystem that fosters collaboration and forward-thinking research.

      Sustainable Design

• Projects that show the most positive influence on energy savings and green lab initiatives.

    Interior Design

• Projects where interior design positively influences and impacts the research within the labs, rather than focusing on the entire building.

      Small Project Design

•   Lab projects completed on a budget under $20 million USD.

2. Prepare your entry form

·       Make sure your project was completed and occupied between January 1, 2022 and January 1, 2024.

·       Make sure you have not submitted this lab project in previous Design Excellence Awards competitions.

·       Entries may not exceed 40 pages. This does not include your cover page, image list, and photographer release form.

·       Upload all hi-res images in a single ZIP file, and include a caption and credit for each image.

·       Select the appropriate entry fee—$300 to enter one category, $400 to enter 2+ categories.

·       Submit your entry by January 19, 2024.

3. Tell a compelling story about your lab project!

·       How did this project begin, and what is its mission?

·       Did you overcome any specific challenges or obstacles during the design/build process?

·       How does this lab project impact the surrounding community?

·       What kind of feedback did you receive from the lab’s end users before, during, and after the construction of this lab?

·       What is special about the lab facilities in this project? How do the non-lab areas (lounge areas, dining facilities, landscaping, etc.) impact collaboration and research in the labs?

·       Remember that the focus of this competition is laboratory design. The focus should be on the labs, rather than amenities or overall building design.

For additional guidelines and FAQs, and to submit your entry, visit awards.labdesignconference.com. Entries are due by January 19, 2024. Good luck!