Photo by Jim Alinder.
Call for Entries
The Sea Ranch Awards for Design Excellence recognizes completed single-family residential projects at The Sea Ranch that demonstrate clarity, restraint, careful siting, and a thoughtful relationship between building, landscape, and community.
Reintroduced for the first time since 1998, the program recognizes eligible work completed at The Sea Ranch since that time. Projects will be reviewed by an independent jury in September 2026. Selected projects will be recognized at the November 2026 Design Awards Presentation, to be held at The Sea Ranch at a location to be determined.
Program Overview
The awards program is intended not only to recognize exemplary residential work, but also to deepen public understanding of the architectural principles that continue to shape The Sea Ranch.
Rather than celebrating buildings as isolated architectural objects, the program recognizes projects that contribute positively to the broader Sea Ranch environment — work that belongs to its setting, strengthens the larger built landscape, and supports the continuing stewardship of this unique place.
Eligibility
Eligible projects must:
- Be located within The Sea Ranch
- Be completed single-family residential projects
- Be fully constructed at the time of submission
- Have been completed between 1998 and 2026
Eligible project types include:
- Residential New Construction
- Residential Addition / Remodel
- Residential Rehabilitation / Restoration
- Individually Owned Condominium Unit Renovation / Restoration
- Significant Legacy / Community-Serving Restoration
- Shared Residential Common-Area Restoration
Landscape-only projects are not included in the program at this time, except where the work is part of a significant common-area or legacy restoration project determined eligible by the program.
The program reserves the right to determine final eligibility, category placement, and whether a submitted project is best reviewed as residential work, condominium residential work, or legacy/community-serving restoration work.
Who May Submit
Submissions may be made by:
- Architects
- Designers
- Design firms
- Property owners with appropriate permissions
Jury Review Considerations
Projects will be evaluated qualitatively in relation to The Sea Ranch’s architectural and landscape values.
The jury may consider:
- Relationship to site and landscape
- Architectural clarity
- Material restraint and durability
- Response to neighboring structures and surroundings
- Continuity with the architectural culture of The Sea Ranch
- Overall coherence and long-term contribution to community character
The program is intended to encourage thoughtful work that contributes positively to the evolving built environment of The Sea Ranch.
Submission Requirements
Submissions shall be provided as a single PDF in 11 x 17 landscape orientation.
Submission requirements:
- Maximum 10 pages
- Maximum file size: 10 MB
- Jury-facing materials should minimize unnecessary identifying information where feasible in order to support a focused design review process
Preferred file name format: [YYYY]_[DA]_[Project_Name].pdf.
Example: 2026_DA_Project_Name.pdf
Each submission should include:
- Cover page with project name
- Statement of design approach, 250 words maximum
- Site plan with north arrow and surrounding context
- One or two floor plans
- Sections and/or elevations sufficient to understand building form
- Four photographs of the completed project
At least one photograph should show the project in its surrounding landscape context.
For additions, remodels, rehabilitation, or restoration projects, submissions should clearly distinguish existing conditions from new work. Before-and-after documentation is encouraged where available.
Projects completed earlier within the eligibility period may have varying levels of archival documentation. Submission requirements are intended to allow reasonable flexibility where original materials may be limited.
Required Administrative Information
The following materials shall be submitted separately from jury-facing materials:
- Unit, Block, and Lot number
- Property address
- Name of submitting architect, designer, firm, or owner
- Owner consent confirming authorization for submission, publication, exhibition, publicity, and related program use
- Photographer credit and confirmation of image-use permission
Submitters are responsible for securing all necessary permissions prior to submission.
The Sea Ranch Association reserves the right to use submitted materials for awards-related exhibition, publication, educational, and publicity purposes.
Photographic Documentation
Photographs are the primary basis for jury review and should communicate the project clearly and concisely.
- Images should be high resolution and clearly composed
- No more than four photographs should appear on any one page
- Renderings or conceptual images should not be submitted
- Submissions must document completed work only
Awards
The jury may confer the following awards:
- Honor Award
- Merit Award
- Citation Award, if warranted
Awards may not be granted in every category.
The jury retains discretion over the number and level of awards granted.
All jury decisions are final.
Recognition through this program does not constitute Design Committee approval, compliance determination, or endorsement of future alterations or projects.
Jury
Projects will be reviewed by an independent jury with expertise in architecture, architectural history, preservation, and contemporary practice.
The jury is intended to reflect a balance of disciplinary background, design perspective, and familiarity with the architectural values that continue to shape The Sea Ranch.
Additional jury information will be announced separately.
Jurors shall disclose potential conflicts of interest related to submitted projects and may be recused from deliberation where appropriate.
Key Dates
- Call for Entries Release
June 15, 2026 - Submission Deadline
August 15, 2026 - Jury Review
September 25, 2026 - Design Awards Presentation
November 2026
The Sea Ranch; location to be determined.
Program Administration
The Sea Ranch Awards for Design Excellence is a TSRA-sponsored program developed in coordination with the Vision Committee.
The program is intended as a cultural, educational, and recognition initiative and is separate from The Sea Ranch design review and compliance processes.
The program is intended to encourage ongoing discussion regarding architecture, landscape, stewardship, and community at The Sea Ranch.