To keep things fair and aligned with school-based support, all team members must be from the same school.
Design Competition
Shade Zones
An annual design competition to cool LA’s hottest neighborhoods
2025 Competition Organizers
About shade zones
Shade Zones is an annual design competition to keep LA cool and moving.
Each year, Shade Zones will call for bold, inventive solutions to real-world design challenges that make public spaces cooler, safer, and more inviting. The best ideas are built to last, delivering comfort and resilience for years to come.
Design Competition Faculty Organizer
Bhavna Sharma
Dr. Bhavna Sharma is the Director of the Chase L. Leavitt Master of Building Science Program in the USC School of Architecture. She is the Director of Initiatives for the Keck USC Sustainable Healthcare Initiative that explores the intersection of resilience and healthcare. She also serves on USC’s Presidential Working Group (PWG) on Sustainability and co-chairs the PWG Operations Committee, which supports implementation of USC’s sustainability framework, Assignment: Earth. Dr. Sharma is the lead faculty organizer for the Shade Zones Design Competition.
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Requirements
Coming Soon
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Who Can Enter
All graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in LA County colleges and universities. Each team can have up to 4 students and must name a mentor or supervisor from their school’s faculty or staff.
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Key Dates & Deadlines
Coming Soon
Competition Resources
For Students
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Registration
Registration will open in August 2026.
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Office Hours
To Be Announced
Available for registered teams only. Email shadezones@usc.edu for access.
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For Design Professionals
Help Students Get in the Game
Are you a design professional looking to support the next generation? Sign up as a Design Advisor to share your expertise in short, high-impact sessions that give every team a fair shot and stronger designs.
Stay Up to Date
Keep up with the latest design competition news
Frequently asked questions
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One design per team. Bring your best idea and give it your all!
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Yes! After registration closes, we’ll post a list of architecture and design firms, as well as other experts offering virtual “office hours” right here. Students can book time to get design advice—but your team should still lead the design and do the heavy lifting.
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Yes! Feel free to include graphics that help bring your concept to life—just don’t include your school name or logo anywhere. All judging will be blind to keep things fair.
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All entries must be submitted online as a single 36″ x 48″ poster in portrait orientation as a PDF (up to 50MB). This is your team’s canvas—use it to tell the full story of your design.
Your poster should include:
- Concept + Rationale (max. 300 words)
- At least two images of the design, including one superimposed on a real or proposed site
- Design details, including structural strategy, material selection, and construction sequence
- Sustainability + re-use strategy
- Diagrams, sketches, and design development that show how your idea came to life
Keep it clear, compelling, and ready to wow.
More questions?
We’ve got you covered. Reach out and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.