The Davidson Prize

The theme of The Davidson Prize 2026 is: Changing the Game: Building Play into Housing.

This theme called for new ideas unpacking the challenges facing play today, seeking new solutions for people of all ages inside and outside our homes.

Creative Partner: Hayes Davidson

Team requirements were the same as previous years – a multidisciplinary
team that includes at least one registered architect. Teams had until
Monday 02 March 2026 to submit their design ideas.

We will soon be announcing the 2026 Longlist!

The Davidson Prize is open to multi-disciplinary creative teams. Each team must include an architect registered with ARB (UK) or RIAI (Ireland).

The competition is organised in TWO STAGES leading to the announcement of a winner.

Teams had until 02 March 2026 to work on their Stage 1 submission, and all submissions will be reviewed by the 2026 Davidson Prize jury leading to the selection of a longlist.

STAGE 2

• A Stage 2 shortlist of three finalist teams will be selected by the 2026 Davidson Prize jury panel
• Each finalist team will be awarded an honorarium of £5,000 and a
  one-hour consultancy workshop with leading visualisation studio Hayes
  Davidson to develop their ideas
• The Stage 2 submission deadline is 18:00 BST on 21 May 2026
• After submitting their developed concepts, the teams will pitch to the jury in a live presentation in Central London
• Stage 2 pitches will take place in May/June 2026

The winner of the £10,000 Davidson Prize will be announced in June 2026.

The Davidson Prize will also be running a People’s Choice Prize. The public will be invited to vote for its favourite project from the 2026 longlist. Details on how to vote will be announced once the longlist is published.

STAGE 2

At Stage 2, the three finalist teams will each receive an honorarium of £5,000 and a one-hour consultancy and ideation workshop with Hayes Davidson to support teams in developing their concepts

Finalist teams are required to prepare a 10-minute presentation to pitch these developed concepts to the jury panel.

Your Stage 2 pitch must include:

• 3 x high-quality hero images demonstrating your developed concept (3600x1800 pixels | PNG format)

• 3 x 30-45 second films in 9:16 format selling three different elements of your developed concept – content might include drawings, models, animation, talking heads, VR, or other media to communicate your design ideas (provide a version with and without subtitles)

You must nominate two team members to pitch. The pitch will be followed by a Q&A.

You will be asked to submit your pitch material by 18:00 BST on 21 May 2026. Please also supply hero shots and film as separate files. The above will be used for judging, possible exhibition and publicity purposes, including social media.

The winner of the £10,000 prize will be announced in June 2026 during a celebratory event.

The 2026 Davidson Prize jury panel:

• Deborah Saunt, Founding Director of DSDHA (Chair)
• Russ Edwards, Project Director at Latimer
• Neil Emery, Director at Clifton Emery design (winner of the 2025 Davidson Prize)
• Vicky Spratt, Housing & Society Correspondent at The i Paper
• Zafir Ameen, Head of School Programmes, Open City

Expert Advisor to the Jury:

• Dinah Bornat - Founding Director, ZCD Architects

All judging sessions are attended by representative(s) of the Alan Davidson Foundation.

Please note that visual material that has previously been paid for by any party may not form part of your submission.

Stage 1 submissions will be reviewed by the 2026 Davidson Prize jury, leading to a longlist.

Stage 2 submissions will be reviewed by the 2026 Davidson Prize jury panel.

Please note that the committee and jury panel’s decisions are final.

For 2026, The Davidson Prize is partnering with leading visualisation studio Hayes Davidson who will provide creative consultation.

Launched in 2020, The Davidson Prize has been established in memory of Alan Davidson (1960–2018) – architect, artist, technologist, innovator and founder of London-based architecture visualisation studio Hayes Davidson.

The annual design ideas competition rewards architectural ideas that imaginatively rethink the design of the contemporary home. The prize is administered by the Alan Davidson Foundation.

Alan Davidson was a passionate believer in the power of storytelling, and the prize celebrates traditional and new ways of communicating architectural ideas from drawing to film and immersive technologies.

Each year, entrants are asked to consider a different aspect of future living. Three finalists receive £5,000 to develop their ideas. The overall winner receives a prize of £10,000.