The American Institute of Building Design (AIBD) is a professional association that promotes the highest standards of excellence in residential building design. AIBD offers a variety of resources to its members, including continuing education, networking opportunities, and marketing assistance. AIBD is a valuable resource for anyone interested in a career in residential building design. If you want to improve your skills, network with other professionals, and stay up-to-date on the latest trends, AIBD is the perfect organization for you.
The fastest and easiest way to win an ARDA
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The entry window for the American Residential Design Awards (ARDA) is closing soon, but there is still a fast, low-friction way to get your work in front of the judges: enter the Working Drawings category. If you already have a solid set of construction documents, you’re closer to “ARDA-ready” than you think. In fact, this is the one category where you don’t have to chase down new photography or create marketing copy from scratch—you can submit the drawings you’re already using in the field. Why Working Drawings are the fastest path to an ARDAAfter 21 years serving as AIBD’s Executive Director, Steve Mickley stepped back into active practice and launched HousePlans.Guru, LLC. Staying engaged in real projects meant facing the same “picky” plan reviews many of our members deal with every day. Here is how he describes what that experience did for him and how it connects directly to ARDA’s Working Drawings category (emphasis added): After 21 years serving as AIBD’s Executive Director, I made the decision last June to step back into active practice and launched HousePlans.Guru, LLC. Staying engaged in the work helps me remain connected to the real-world challenges our members face every day—and plan review is certainly one of them.
After some particularly “picky” plan reviews, I started to feel like naming my company House Plans Guru may have put a bit of a target on my back.
That experience pushed me to take a closer look at my construction documents and, in turn, the ARDA—specifically the Working Drawings category.
This is where the real value of our profession lives. Clear, coordinated, buildable drawings are what earn trust in the field and respect at the counter. Submitting your work isn’t just about recognition—it’s about measuring yourself against a higher standard and finding ways to improve.
That mindset was instilled in me years ago by AIBD Professional Member and ARDA award winner Robert Platt, who emphasized that great working drawings are the foundation of professional credibility.
I’ll be entering this year, and I encourage you to join me. This isn’t a competition—it’s an awards program, and the more of us who participate, the stronger our profession becomes.
—Steve Mickley, FAIBD Founder, HousePlans.Guru, LLC Executive Director, AIBD What makes this entry so quick and easy?
If you can export PDFs and label them clearly (Floor Plan, Site Plan, Elevations, Details, etc.), you can submit in just a few minutes. Don’t wait—the entry window is closingARDA is AIBD’s premier awards program for residential design, and this is your chance to have your everyday, workhorse drawings recognized at a national level. If you’ve been meaning to enter but felt too busy, this is the fastest and easiest way to cross “Win an ARDA” off your list—starting with the drawings you already have on your hard drive. Click here to start your Working Drawings entry now: -The AIBD ARDA Committee P.S. When you register just one ARDA entry, you automatically receive free access to the “Win an ARDA” Course Bundle at AIBD.org/courses. These courses include additional tips from past judges and experts on how to prepare your working drawings and submissions to stand out and score higher. That means a single Working Drawings entry does double duty:
Click here to start your Working Drawings entry now: |
American Institute of Building Design (AIBD)
The American Institute of Building Design (AIBD) is a professional association that promotes the highest standards of excellence in residential building design. AIBD offers a variety of resources to its members, including continuing education, networking opportunities, and marketing assistance. AIBD is a valuable resource for anyone interested in a career in residential building design. If you want to improve your skills, network with other professionals, and stay up-to-date on the latest trends, AIBD is the perfect organization for you.
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