New architecture and design competitions: International Garden Festival, Washington Architecture Awards, Toronto Recreation Center, and IAC Scholarship | News

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“Superstrata” by mat-on was one of the installations at the International Garden Festival 2024. The 2026 edition is now welcoming proposals (details below). Photo: Martin Bond

Bustler’s curated picks of new architecture and design competitions this week feature four calls seeking novel landscape art and architecture installations, Washington state’s best new architecture, proposals for a new community recreation center in Toronto, and talented international students with a passion for architecture and academia.

For the complete directory of newly listed competitions, click here.

IAC Architectural Excellence Scholarship
Register/Submit Deadline:  Sunday, Sep 14, 2025

“At the Immigrant Architects Coalition, we recognize the importance of
fostering diversity and excellence in the field of architecture. We are
pleased to announce the ‘IAC Architectural Excellence Scholarship,’ aimed at supporting international students on F-1/ J-1 visas pursuing a
Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) or Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)
degree in the United States. This scholarship is designed to provide
financial assistance to deserving students who demonstrate a passion for
architecture and academic excellence.”

2025 Honor Awards for Washington Architecture
Register/Submit Deadline:  Wednesday, Sep 24, 2025

“We live in a time of continual transformation. In the face of uncertainty, design remains one of our most powerful tools—to adapt, respond, and evolve together as a community. We know there is power in the many. How can we build on one another’s insights to foster a culture of generosity, equity, and shared purpose? How can our collective creativity shape a more just, sustainable, and resilient world?
We invite you to share your work—whether large or small—that contributes to the broader design ecosystem.”

The installations “Back / Ground,” 2025, by Patrick Bérubé, and “Les huit collines,” 2022-2025, by ONOMIAU, are part of the current International Garden Festival 2025. Photo: Jean-Christophe Lemay

International Garden Festival 2026: Mapping Sensitivity
Register/Submit Deadline:  Monday, Oct 27, 2025

“The International Garden Festival is launching a call for proposals to select designers to create the new temporary gardens for the Festival’s 27th edition, which will open on June 20, 2026, on the site of Les Jardins de Métis | Reford Gardens. 2026 theme – Mapping Sensitivity: In the wake of the triennial thematic cycle initiated a year ago, Mapping Sensitivity pursues an ongoing reflection on the poetics of space – namely how we relate to our physical surroundings and, more broadly, to the world. While Borders focused on the challenges of organizing and representing geographical space, immediately raising geopolitical concerns, the theme of this 27th edition takes the tournant sensible [‘the sensitive turn’].”

Ramsden Park Community Recreation Centre Design Competition RFSQ
Register/Submit Deadline:  Friday, Oct 31, 2025

“The City of Toronto is launching an international design competition! We’re inviting design teams from around the world to help shape the future of downtown Toronto with a new Ramsden Park Community Recreation Centre. This two-stage design competition is an opportunity to create a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable landmark that reflects Toronto’s diversity, dynamism, and commitment to design excellence.”

Would you like to contribute competitions, award programs, or calls for submissions that aren’t listed on Bustler yet? Send them directly to our team to review. We may include them in our next roundup.

Some current competitions on Bustler that may interest you…