Sustainable Design Challenge

Tuesday, April 15, 2025
Discover the field of sustainable design while imagining the future of the built world! High school students work in teams to design and construct a sustainable building model in competition for cash prizes of up to $500. Students collaborate to research, design, and present their model to a panel of professionals from design fields including architecture and engineering. The 19th annual Sustainable Design Challenge is brought to you by SCARCE and DuPage County Stormwater Management.
The 2025 challenge will be conducted in person. For full details, download the info packet below.
The Challenge
Who: Up to 10 teams of students from each high school that serves DuPage County students
Goal: Design and construct a model of a sustainable building in a bid for cash prizes.
Cost: Participation is free.
Important dates
- February 3 (Monday) – Team registration opens
- April 7 (Monday) 5:00pm – Team Registration deadline
- April 15 (Tuesday) – 9:00 am-2:00pm Sustainable Design Challenge at the DuPage County Administration Building and County Campus
- Late April/Early May – Winners notified
- May/June – Winners announced during the DuPage County Stormwater Committee meeting.
Important Links
Sustainable Design in Practice on April 15th
It is a day of sharing and learning for for these high school students! Student teams showcase their finished models and present designs to judges and the public at the DuPage County complex. Participants then have the opportunity to see DuPage County’s environmental initiatives throughout the county’s campus including car charging stations, green roof, reflective roof and a restored wetland.
Project Gallery
Following the event, projects will be available for viewing by the general public on scarce.org.
View a gallery of the 2024 project entries here
Sponsorship opportunities available – learn more
The Sustainable Design Challenge is a fantastic opportunity to inspire and engage the next generation of design professionals while promoting environmental awareness and education. Contact [email protected] for more information.
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