Design and Build: Soundscapes in Structure

The Museum of Outdoor Arts (MOA) in Greenwood Village, CO seeks conceptual design proposals for its 7th annual national Design and Build Competition from art, architecture, landscape architecture, design and other creatively focused USA based collegiate students, teams, and/or classes. This year’s theme, “Soundscapes in Structure,” challenges participants to design a state-of-the-art amphitheater bandshell that merges acoustic excellence with bold visual identity. The competition is now open and closes April 26, 2026. There is no entry fee!

Prizes: 1st place– $10,000 2nd place– $7,500 3rd place– $5,000 Honorable Mention-  $1,500 *Prizes will be split evenly amongst all members of collaborative team entries.

Jury Panel
-Robin Ault: Senior principal and design director at Fentress Studios – a Populous Company
-John Birkey: Principal and Partner with Norris Design
-Cynthia Madden Leitner: President and Co-Founder of the Museum of Outdoor Arts

The design brief with full competition details are now available! Visit competition website the competition website for complete details.

Schedule & Important Dates
-September 24, 2025- Competition Announcement & Design Brief Published
-October 23, 2025- Competition Opens. Team Pre-Registration Opens. Jurors Announced.
-February 1, 2026- Team Pre-Registration Closes
-April 26, 2026- Competition Closes (11:59pm MST, GMT-7)
-May 2026- Finalist proposals selected. Finalists invited to create Video Presentations
-June 2026- Finalist Video Presentations due. Jury deliberations.
-July 2026- Winning Entries Announced!

*Pre-registration closes 2/1/26, but it is NOT a requirement to participate in the competition. It is simply a benefit, which allows us to reach out with helpful tips and resources along the way and lets us know that you are interested in participating in the competition. 

Eligibility
The DB Competition is open to any undergraduate or graduate student currently enrolled in any U.S. university (recent graduates are eligible to enter for up to one year from competition open date, post graduation). Students should be studying in the field of art, architecture, landscape architecture, design, engineering, and/or other similar programs. Entries can be submitted by individuals or teams. Additionally, instructors may choose to implement the competition into their curriculum. Collaborative designs are highly desired. Previous year’s competition winners and recent DB Summer Internship participants must observe a one-year waiting period before entering future competitions. Students must be US citizens in order to claim cash prizes, however this does not preclude non-US citizen students from participating, so long as the student is enrolled in a US college or within one year post-graduation from a US college. 

A conceptual bandshell.