Accessory dwelling units — or ADUs — are one of the simplest, most cost-effective ways to create new housing in existing neighborhoods. But for many homeowners, the biggest barrier is getting started.
The ADU Design Challenge invites Massachusetts architects, builders, designers, contractors, and design-build teams practicing in the State of Massachusetts to help solve that problem by creating high-quality, ready-to-use ADU plans. The winning designs will be made publicly available, allowing property owners to find professional floor plans, bring them to a trusted builder, and more easily move forward with construction.
This initiative, led by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, is about reducing the cost and complexity of building small homes — and showing how good design can make housing more accessible, sustainable, and achievable across the Commonwealth.
Following the challenge, the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities will produce:
- Ready-to-use ADU floor plans and elevations available to the public
- A design guidebook featuring winning designs and standout submissions
- Mass.gov resources that explain how to choose, adapt and permit ADUs
All interested challenge participants should review the guidelines in their entirety to be ready to enter the challenge with complete design submissions. Applicants may select their preferred site plan contextualization format (DWG or PDF) for design editing to download below. Both files contain identical content and differ only in format.
Related documents:
- ADU Design Challenge submission guidelines
- Submission agreements
- Sample ADU Design Challenge Application Form
- Site plan contextualization DWG Format
- Site Plan contextualization PDF Format
Who should participate
- Architects, builders, designers, contractors and design-build teams
- Multidisciplinary teams with accessibility, energy, and construction expertise
- Eligible participants from every region of Massachusetts are encouraged to apply