tips from a winner

When my third year professor proposed the idea of entering the JELD-WEN competition, I was immediately intrigued. I had seen posters throughout our building advertising it, but thought that I would never have time to take on another project on top of the work I already had. Fortunately for me, I was given two weeks to design the door. The prompt for the competition was taken one step further by my professor and it became a “replacement” door for a famous building that we could choose from a list he created.

I chose the Jacobs House by Frank Lloyd Wright because his Usonian architecture had always interested me, and I thought that a very unique and interesting door could result from this building. The ability to open individual doors stemmed from two ideas: the classic Dutch style door, and all the French doors and clerestory windows in the Jacobs house that were designed to open for ventilation and increase in space. I also thought that this would allow the user many different options in utilizing what is often seen as a “standard” architectural element, and enjoy the variation that results. The size and number of individual doors came from the measurements of the board and batten wall system. The frames were the “battens” and the glass the “boards.” The wood colors also came from the natural cypress that Wright used for the exterior.

The overall result pleased me: it did not compete with the existing building and integrated itself nicely into the façade, yet at the same time was its own entity and did not rely on the building to be a good door.

Nathan T. Williams
Virginia Tech
4th year Architecture major studying abroad in Switzerland

who can enter?

Any student enrolled in an accredited college or university in the United States may enter the JELD-WEN Student Door Design Contest. It doesn't matter whether you are a freshman or a graduate student. Two winners will each receive a $3,000 scholarship to their institution of higher education.

We've received several inquiries from students still in secondary school or enrolled in colleges in other countries. High school students must wait to enter until they are actually enrolled in an accredited college or university. At this time, the contest is open only to students in higher educational institutions in the United States of America. JELD-WEN is a leading global manufacturer of windows and doors, and it's possible that the competition may extend to other countries in future years.

format for drawings

Several of you have asked whether you can express your ideas by hand or on computer. The answer is - either! Wherever your creative juices flow best. When you upload your entry, the final file must be in one of these compatible formats - PDF, JPG or DWF. The online form and complete instructions are linked on our home page as "Enter Contest". Remember to tell us what inspired your design!

We'll answer other frequently asked questions on this blog. If you have more questions or suggestions or inspiration to share, let us hear from you!