The AL Design Awards program is a two-step process: First step: Completion of registration materials (once this is submitted you cannot go back and make changes) and payment; Second step: Upload of project entry/entries materials. (You can go back and make changes to individual entries, prior to final submit.)

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Registration Guidelines
The AL Light & Architecture Design Awards recognize excellence in lighting design within the specific criteria relevant to each category (Interior, Exterior, Whole Building, and Exhibition and Temporary Lighting Installations). To acknowledge issues of notable importance in today’s practice of lighting design and techniques particular to lighting, AL also presents a series of separate award categories—the Best Use of Color; the Best Incorporation of Daylight; and the Best Lighting Design on a Budget—three issues that are important considerations for designers. Winning projects are published in the July/August 2016 issue and featured in AL Notes and on archlighting.com.

The AL Light & Architecture Design Awards is setup on a digital platform that requires the use of either Chrome or Firefox. You must use Chrome or Firefox as your browser when registering and completing the forms. Other browsers will not allow you to complete these processes correctly.

Eligibility
Design professionals practicing worldwide may enter one or more architectural lighting design projects in multiple categories. Each project entry is considered a submission and requires a fee. Entries in any of the Special Citation categories require specific materials, have a separate entry fee, and are reviewed separately. This is NOT a product competition. Submissions are encouraged from all design professionals including but not limited to architects, lighting designers, interior architects, interior designers, and landscape architects. Projects must have been completed after July 2014. Projects previously entered can be resubmitted so long as they still meet the eligibility date requirements.

Categories:
Main Categories:

1. Interior Lighting (i.e., museums, libraries, civic buildings, hotels, restaurants, retail, offices, academic buildings, healthcare facilities)
2. Exterior Lighting (i.e., façades, landscapes, gardens, parks, street and roadway lighting, transportation, urban master plans)
3. Whole Building Projects (where the same designer has been responsible for both the interior and the exterior lighting
4. Exhibition Lighting and Temporary Installation (Note: Please indicate the duration of time the exhibit/installation is/was installed.)

In addition to the main categories, entrants may also submit in any of the applicable Special Citation Award categories. Entrants CANNOT submit directly in a Special Citation category without first submitting in one of the main categories.

Special Citation Award Categories:

• Best Use of Color
• Best Incorporation of Daylight
• Best Lighting Design on a Budget

Important Deadlines
Friday, May 6, 2016 → Submission deadline for early entries
Friday, June 3, 2016 → Submission deadline for final entries (Additional Entry Fee Applies per each project submission)

Entry Fees

Please Note: You will be charged an additional $50 fee per entry for any materials submitted after May 6, 2016. This fee will automatically be added to all entries starting May 7. All final entry materials must be received by June 3, 2016. No refunds will be issued under any circumstances.

All materials submitted to the 2016 AL Light & Design Architecture Awards program become the property of Architectural Lighting, which will not be responsible or liable for them. Entry fees are non-refundable.

How to Prepare a Project Entry
The AL Design Awards is a completely digital process. You can register, complete your entry forms, and upload your entry materials (including images, videos, descriptions, and documentation) by submitting everything through this website in a two-step process.

STEP ONE: Register your project(s) and pay fees.

Complete general registration, project registration, and pay fees.

Make sure all of your general registration information is correct. Once this information is submitted you WILL NOT be able to go back and amend this portion of your entry.

STEP TWO: Fill out online project entry forms and upload your entry materials, as outlined below. You may also return to this website to add to or modify your entry at a later date.

Entry Materials:
Your entry will consist of an online project entry form and supporting documents that can be uploaded to this website.

The online project entry form asks for the following information:

• Entrant Information (contact details for the person preparing the entry)
• Project Information (including project name, location, and completion date; project team info; photographer; project and lighting costs; watts per square foot; energy-code compliance; and more)
• Luminaire and lamp type including manufacturer list and applications
• Written description (up to 600 words max) outlining the project brief, project challenges, and lighting design solution(s)

After filling out this information, you will have an opportunity to upload supporting documents for your entry.

• Text documents must either be PDFs or Microsoft Word .docx files.
• Image files must be .jpg images (150dpi and minimum of 5” x 7”) If your project is a winning entry you will be asked to supply higher-res images (TIF files at 300dpi and minimum of 8 ½” x 11”)
• Drawing files must be .eps or .pdf format
• Video file requirements: Video files are preferred in H.264 format with a .MOV extension. Resolution should be 1920 x 1080; and acceptable frame rates are either 24 fps or 30 fps.
• Please limit your uploaded materials to a TOTAL of 50 MB.

In addition to the main categories, appropriate submissions may also be submitted for any of the three Special Citation Awards. You cannot submit in a Special Citation category unless you have submitted in a main category first. If the specific materials requested are not provided for the Special Citation Awards, or if they do not meet category requirements, projects will not be judged. These awards require the following additional information:

Best Use of Color: Entrants must include an explanation (no more than 300 words) clarifying the use of color in the project. The text must be different than the main description text. Use of Color may be interpreted liberally; however, judges will be asked to consider the complexity of the design and the meaningful use of color to complement the design strategy.

Best Incorporation of Daylight: Entrants must include daylighting analysis and an explanation (no more than 300 words) clarifying how the project integrates daylighting with electric lighting. The text must be different than the main description text. If this documentation is not provided, the project will not be evaluated.

Best Lighting Design on a Budget: Entrants must include an explanation (no more than 300 words) clarifying why theirs is a budget project; in addition, they must include project construction costs, lighting materials costs, and lighting and electrical subcontractor costs (preferably on a per-square-foot basis). The text must be different than the main description text. Judges understand costs are relative to project type; however, they reserve the right to determine whether it is truly a budget project.

Rules and Regulations

WHO CAN ENTER:
Submissions are encouraged from all design professionals, including but not limited to architects, lighting designers, interior architects, interior designers, and landscape architects. Projects must have been completed after July 2014.

PUBLICATION: Winners will be featured in the July/August 2016 issue of Architectural Lighting as well as AL Notes (the publication’s online newsletter), and online at archlighting.com.

ANONYMITY: To maintain anonymity in judging, no names of entrants or collaborating parties may appear on any submission materials except where specifically requested on the online entry forms. Do not, however, conceal the identity or location of projects. Architectural Lighting will not adjust any submission to make it comply with this rule.

ENTRY FORMS Each submission must be registered online ahead of the submission deadline using this website. Payment is made at time of registration. Additional materials must also be uploaded to the website prior to the submission deadline.

PUBLISHING RIGHTS All materials submitted to the 2016 AL Light & Architecture Design Awards program become the property of Architectural Lighting. Architectural Lighting retains the right to consider all non-winning entries for future publication, but entrants will be notified beforehand. Keep a copy of all entry materials for your records. Note that awards are left up to the judges’ discretion. An award may not be granted in each category.

EARLY ENTRY Early entries must be registered and submitted online by May 6, 2016 at 11:59 p.m. EST. The fee is $150 for submissions in Main Entry Categories, $100 for each subsequent submission; and $125 for the Special Citation Categories, as outlined above. Entry fees must be paid online by credit card, and are nonrefundable.

FINAL ENTRY Final entries are all submissions made starting May 7, 2016 12:00 a.m. EST through June 3, 2016 11:59 p.m. EST to which an additional fee ($50) applies to each entry. Fees must be paid online by credit card. Please note that entrants registering after the early deadline of May 6, 2016 will have the additional $50 fee automatically included in each entry submission. Additional fees are also nonrefundable.