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2026

Annual AFSF High School Design Competition

Design Brief
Inquires

AFSF High School Design Competition 2026

San Francisco, like many other coastal cities, is re-imagining its waterfront with an eye towards mitigating sea-level rise and meeting other urban challenges while enhancing iconic civic spaces.

Aligned with the city’s Climate Action Plan, the plan, called “Fisherman’s Wharf Revitalized,” calls for mixed-use development of Seawall Lot 300/301, a section of the waterfront just west of Pier 39.  Proposed elements include:

1)  Two public plazas or promenades (one of which will replace the last block of The Embarcadero)

2)  A visitor’s center

3)  A restaurant & boba cafe

4)  Eight short-term vacation rental units

 

Find details in this year’s design brief, along with context, suggestions, and more aspects to consider. 

Feel free to copy or share the brief as needed.

Teachers: Note that the design brief PDF includes live links to online resources and contacts, so distributing a digital copy to your students will likely benefit them.

 

Competition Schedule: 

Final entries must be submitted on FRIDAY, May 8th, 2026

The awards presentation reception will be SUNDAY, May 10th, 2026

 


The competition has an online submission process with two options:

1)   Individual Entry

2)   Group Entry

Awards will be given to the best designs in each of these two categories.  The option you choose to enter will determine which awards you are eligible for.

All deliverables (drawings, model, and design description) must be captured in a Google Slides deck for presentation. 

To explain your thinking to the judges, we also require a brief video describing your project (2 minutes max). In previous years, many entrants enjoyed this opportunity to talk about the overall goals and aspirations for their design and their design process.

 

In addition to the standard prizes, the first place winner in the overall superiority category receives a four-week Summer Pre-college Scholarship at the California College of the Arts.

Ryan Lee of Woods Bagot is once again the Competition Chair and Author. He is available to discuss the program with students and teachers.  Contact him directly: 415-277-3041 ryan@afsf.org

E-mail info@afsf.org to be informed about other AFSF program updates.

 

Thank you for your interest in the HSDC.  We eagerly anticipate your creative participation!

Samples of student work submitted to the AFSF High School Design Competition

Highlights from the 2025 AFSF - HSDC

For the 2025 challenge, participants were invited to design a vibrant, socially-active public realm along San Francisco's Market Street in support of the city's economic recovery effort downtown.

Click here for the 2025 HSDC design brief

153 student designers from 18 high schools participated in this year’s competition:

 

7 States

·        California (128)

·        Florida (1)

·        Massachusetts (1)

·        New Jersey (1)

·        Ohio (1)

·        Virginia (1)

·        Washington (1)

·        Online (1)

 

4 Countries

·        United States (134) 

·        China (3)

·        Republic of Korea – South Korea (1)

·        Taiwan (11)

 

 

18  Schools

·        Basis international School Shenzhen (Shenzhen, China) (1)

·        Burlingame High School (Burlingame, CA) (119)

·        CLRC Academy (Online) (1)

·        Foothill High School (Pleasanton, CA) (1)

·        Hale School (Wembley Downs, WA) (1)

·        Korea International School (Seoul, South Korea) (1)

·        Lick-Wilmerding High School (SF, CA) (3)

·        Mills High School (Millbrae, CA) (1)

·        Phillips Academy (Woburn, MA) (1)

·        Ruth Asawa School of the Arts (SF, CA) (1)

·        Shenzhen Middle School, (Shenzhen, China) (1)

·        Taipei American School (Taipei, Taiwan) (11)

·        The International School of San Francisco (SF, CA) (3)

·        Virginia Episcopal School (Lynchburg, VA) (1)

·        Western Reserve Academy, (Orlando, FL) (1)

·        Westfield High School (Westfield, NJ) (1)

·        Westlake High School  (Westlake, OH) (1)

·        Wuhan Yingzhong Senior High School (Wuhan, China) (1)

 

73 Entries

·        24 individual

·        49 group

 

Jurors:

Manuel Bailo Esteve – Professor of Architecture, University of Virginia

Mark Donohue – Chair, Architecture Program, CCA

Alexander Schofield, Associate Chair, Graduate Architecture Program, CCA

 

High School Design Competition Chair and Author:

Ryan Lee – Woods Bagot, Chair & Author

 

 

Congratulations to all Awards Winners!!!
  

  Number           Project                        Name                                       School

 

Best Individual Design, Overall Superiority

  1. # 5          “Rift Pavilion:”                                Cathy Luo                          Shenzhen Middle School, China
  2. # 49         “Elevation”                                     Lucas Zhu                           Burlingame High School
  3. # 67         “The EMB”                                      Justin Chang                      Taipei American School

 

Honorable Mention                                      

# 4         “The Gaze Chamber at                  Aurora Liu                                         Western Reserve Academy

   UN Plaza”                                     

# 9         “Serenity Pavilion”                          Catherine Yoonwon Shin               Korea International School

# 51       “Civic Brews: A Layered                Yiru Mu                                              Virginia Episcopal School

  Coffee Experience”       

# 68       “Folding Connections”                  Jacob Lovett                                     Ruth Asawa School for the Arts          

 

Best Group Presentation

  1. # 39       “Sen Project”                                 Ashley Zeng                       Burlingame High School

Lucia Hayes         

  1. # 53       “Foundation Flora”                        Annie Ma                           Burlingame High School 

Vivian Elizabeth Lee

Kira Haine

  1. # 45       “Harboring Harmony”                   Kailyn Nyhus                     Burlingame High School

Brinda Murali

Chloenxia Fu

 

Honorable Mention

        # 64       “Common Ground”                         Mica Haggarty                  Burlingame High School

Allegra Terry      

               # 71       “The Accordion”                             Saskia Lee                          Lick-Wilmerding High School

Flynn Griffin-Schmidt

Patrick Romero

# 72       “Improving Embarcadero”          Charlotte Guglielmi         Burlingame High School 

Brooke Schuman

Sophie Lin

 

 

Watch the 2025 AFSF High School Design Competition Award Ceremony on our YouTube channel:

 

https://youtu.be/YNk633xgCOk?si=nnHsuztz3kMmFOXD

 

 

Four more samples of student work submitted to the Architectural Foundation of San Francisco's High School Design Competition

Highlights from prior years of the AFSF High School Design Competition