Registration for the 2010 competition is now underway. Learn more >
The Natural Talent Design Competition (NTDC) is a nationwide design challenge that was started in 2003 by the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Emerging Green Builders program. The competition began as a vehicle for young designers to gain applied learning experience in the principles of integrated design, sustainability, and innovation, all of which are components of USGBC’s LEED® Green Building Rating System™.
Students and emerging professionals from all over the United States and other countries compete in local competitions hosted by USGBC local chapters. These local chapters convene a panel of judges who work in the design and construction fields and have LEED project experience. International teams are matched up with chapters on a case by case basis.
The winners from each local competition move on to compete for a national grand prize and recognition throughout the USGBC community. Past winners have included teams from New York City, North Carolina, Colorado, Boston, Phoenix, The District of Columbia, and Ontario, Canada.
Since its inception, the Natural Talent Design Competition has focused on many different design challenges around the country and has grown and evolved in each subsequent year. Despite this growth, the competition has maintained its core values of including the young designers of the world and working to establish a more sustainable built environment.
USGBC’s mission is to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life.
