AARP Community Challenge: ADU Housing Design Competition

Shenandoah County ADU Design Competition

Shenandoah County was awarded a competitive AARP Community Challenge grant to launch the Shenandoah Housing Design Challenge, a countywide competition focused on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). ADUs can take many forms: converting a carriage house into dwelling, adding a small, detached home, or transforming a single-family house into a two-family home. These units create flexibility, add property value, and help meet the evolving housing needs of our communities.

Shenandoah County took a bold, timely step to address its housing challenges, just as a formal housing study is underway. As we gather data, build a clearer inventory, and educate local developers, this design competition offered an immediate, creative way to turn underutilized properties into real housing solutions.

The Shenandoah Housing Design Challenge invited homeowners to be part of the solution, envisioning ADUs or Missing Middle Housing on their property. Whether for a parent aging in place, a young adult seeking independence, or a new neighbor looking for a start, these homes can transform can our housing landscape one lot at a time.

Participants; designers, students, and professionals, worked with real properties to craft feasible, beautiful housing concepts. Homeowners gained free design support. Designers gained visibility and a chance to win prizes. And our community gained momentum, awareness, and tangible models for change.

It was more than just a competition; it is a movement to empower homeowners and unlock the full potential of our neighborhoods.

ADU Design Submissions

Participating designers could select from ten Shenandoah County homeowner properties and were free to work on more than one. Homeowner goals varied, most focused on aging in place, generating rental income, or supporting multigenerational living. The case studies fell into three architectural categories: Addition to the Primary Dwelling, New Detached Structure, and Adaptive Reuse of an Existing Structure. Since no designers selected an Addition to the Primary Dwelling case, there will be no award in that category. Instead, a new award was created by our Jurors; The AARP Award, focusing on accessibility and affordability. There will also be a student award. Below are the finalists and our Honorable Mentions.

Shenandoah Housing Design Challenge: How it worked

Our first step of the competition entailed recruiting Shenandoah County homeowners to participate as Case Studies. Shenandoah County Planning staff created homeowner profiles for the applicants that were chosen to participate. The case study homeowners were interested in ADUs for different reasons, but a common theme was a desire to age in place, support multi-generational households and or additional income. Originally, planning staff split the ADU categories into: Addition to the Primary, New Detached Structure, or Adaptive Reuse of an Existing Structure., however due to no design submittals under "Addition to the Primary", a new category was introduced "AARP Aging-In-Place Design".

Our next steps of the challenge, architects, designers and students, were invited to select from the 11 case study sites. We wanted to not restrict one designer or firm from submitting just one design, so we decided to allow as many as they wanted to ( One design team sent in five!). We received 12 submissions from designers across the country – 7 from the DMV (six from Washington D.C.), two from Tampa, one from Manhattan, Kansas, one from Harrisonburg, VA and one from San Francisco. In the end, 8 Case Study Site homeowners received at least one conceptual design.

The Design Jury, made up of local housing professionals, developers, and (non-competing) architects, scored the submissions and selected one awardee per category. Scoring criteria included sustainability, affordability, accessibility, innovation, aesthetics, and responsiveness to homeowner needs, goals, and site characteristics. Originally, planning staff split the ADU Award categories into: Addition to the Primary, New Detached Structure, or Adaptive Reuse of an Existing Structure., however due to no design submittals under "Addition to the Primary", a new award category was introduced by the discretion of the Design Jurors, "AARP Aging-In-Place Design".

The AARP Community Challenge reached its end on November 17th, 2025 with the Submission Showcase and Awards Celebration event, hosted at Woodstock Brewhouse. A total of $16,800 in prize money was awarded to the three best ADU design submissions per category, a people's choice award and best student design. For Adaptive Reuse of an Existing Structure and Peoples Choice Award, the winning design was “Janice Fleming House” by Rich Hostelley of RH+ARCH. For the AARP Award, the winning design was “The Core House” by Sydney Tucker and Zhan Chen. For New Freestanding Structure, the winning design was “The Veil” by Julian Liang. The best Student award was given to "Anna Owen ADU" by Levi Stutzman. Each main category winner received a $5,000 check courtesy of AARP’s Community Challenge, while the Peoples Choice winner was given $1,000 and the Student award received $800.

Next Steps:

Follow up with case study households to assess interest in pursuing ADU development. Promote designs to towns in the region. Pursue funding for future work, e.g., Virginia Housing Grants. Meet with municipal officials and staff to market the competition and how submitted designs could potentially be considered for pre-approval and streamlined permitting in the future.