2026-2027 ASHRAE High School Design Competition

2026-2027 ASHRAE High School Design Competition Register

Overview | Owner’s Requirements | Design Guidelines | Abbreviations and Definitions | Design Resources |   Submission Requirements | Judging Criteria | Timeline | Awards

 Questions? Submit them here

Congratulations to the 2025-2026 ASHRAE High School Design Competition Winners!

1st Place: Modern School Ahmed Esmat, Ain Shams Al-Sharqia, Cairo Governorate
2nd Place: KIPS School, Soan Gardens, Islamabad, Pakistan
3rd Place: St. Thomas School Sahibabad, Sahibabad, Uttar Pradesh, India 

Welcome to the world of Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) design. This competition will expose students to the process that designers and engineers go through when developing building systems and provide the opportunity to take the first steps in designing a building’s HVAC system. ASHRAE is a global engineering society that supports the HVAC industry. To learn more about ASHRAE please go to ashrae.org.

As you work through this competition, you will use an engineering design process that will involve systematic problem-solving with criteria and constraints. This process is used to develop multiple solutions to the problem described and then requires you to narrow those possible solutions to find one final solution for your design.

Owner requirements, design assumptions, a general building description, heating loads, equipment information, necessary equations, and ductwork sizing information are provided to assist you in your design efforts.

Artificial intelligence (AI) policy: ASHRAE prohibits the entry of content from any ASHRAE publication or related ASHRAE intellectual property (IP) into any AI tool, including but not limited to ChatGPT. Additionally, creating derivative works of ASHRAE IP using AI is also prohibited without express written permission from ASHRAE. For the full AI policy, click here. 

Competition Objective:

The 2026-2027 ASHRAE High School Design Competition focuses on the design of a new exhibit hall at the San Diego Zoo.  Participants can choose to design a tropical rainforest animal exhibit or an aquarium exhibit.

Participants in this competition are tasked to determine summer cooling requirements for the different spaces in the building, select the HVAC equipment to be installed, and model the building and systems utilizing 3D Design Software.

Owner’s Requirements

Building and Space Descriptions

The center will have a dedicated HVAC system to ensure optimal comfort for all visitors as well as the animals. The layout should include areas such as public viewing areas, animal habitat, back-of-house animal holding area, keeper work area, mechanical space, and a classroom.

• Public Viewing Area: Main area where the public will view the animals.
• Animal habitat, choice of:
  • Tropical rainforest exhibit: A warm, humid indoor habitat that provides a natural environment for rainforest animals.
  • Aquarium exhibit: Exhibits featuring aquatic habitats, interactive displays, and viewing areas. Note: the water conditions inside the tank(s) and all equipment associated with it would be handled by a consultant and not part of this submission.
• Animal holding / back-of-house: A staff-only area used for animal care, feeding, veterinary examinations, and temporary housing.
• Keeper work area: A staff-only office area
• Mechanical room: Room to house all the HVAC and mechanical systems
• Classroom / education space: A flexible learning area designed for educational programs, presentations, and interactive activities where visitors can learn about wildlife, conservation, and the animals featured in the exhibit.

Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Considerations

Visitors to zoos and aquariums spend extended periods observing animals, while staff work throughout the day caring for them, making Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) an important consideration for both people and animals. Designing for optimal IEQ helps provide a safe, healthy, and enjoyable environment while supporting animal welfare. A common challenge in animal exhibits is locating HVAC equipment where it can effectively condition the space without creating excessive noise or disturbing the animals. The new design should incorporate quiet, energy-efficient HVAC systems that minimize acoustic impact, maintain good indoor air quality, and provide appropriate temperature and humidity conditions throughout the exhibit. Show in your model where you recommend locating the HVAC equipment to reduce noise concerns and maintain effective operation. Describe and show ceiling heights, ductwork, equipment locations, and the types of HVAC equipment provided.

The HVAC system must maintain stable thermal conditions appropriate for both visitors and the exhibit’s biological needs. For a rainforest environment, this typically means warm, humid air in the range of 75-80°F (24-27°C) with elevated relative humidity to support tropical plant and animal species. For an aquarium focused design, temperature and humidity must be controlled to prevent condensation, protect sensitive equipment, and maintain visitor comfort, generally around 70-75°F (24-27°C). These conditions ensure a healthy habitat for the exhibits species while providing a comfortable experience for guests moving through viewing galleries, educational spaces, and support areas.

Design Guidelines

Climate and Weather Considerations

San Diego’s coastal climate is characterized by mild temperatures, moderate humidity, and minimal seasonal extremes, which creates a favorable baseline for energy efficient building operation. Summers are warm and dry, with daytime temperatures typically ranging from 75-85°F (24-29°C) and cool evenings. Winters are mild with daytime temperatures between 60-70°F (16-21°C).

This relatively stable climate will allow the building to leverage natural ventilations, nighttime cooling, and passive solar strategies where appropriate. However, specialized habitats require precise mechanical conditioning to maintain temperature, humidity, and air quality independent of outdoor conditions.

System Selection and Sizing Guidelines

Note that airflows to spaces and buildings are generally sized based on peak design conditions. A building space gains heat from many different internal and external sources, such as lights, occupants, solar radiation, and the difference in temperature from inside to outside. The sum of all these sources is referred to as the heat gain for the building. In the summer, the peak cooling load is the amount of heat you need to remove from a space on the hottest day of the year to maintain a room’s temperature.  Heating and cooling loads are typically expressed in units of measure such as BTU/hour or watts.

While building HVAC systems are designed to operate at peak loads, this typically only occurs for a short period of time for the year, so designers and engineers will include the ability to vary the amount of heating or cooling that is provided at a given time in their designs to improve building energy efficiency. Be creative, consider all owner requirements and how they apply. Be thoughtful of building orientation, equipment placement, and ductwork routing, both supply and return, within space.

Take into consideration the Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), including air (IAQ), noise and sound levels in spaces.

Abbreviations and Definitions

The abbreviations and definitions provided below will help you better navigate through the equations and design information provided:

Design Resources

Using the information below, determine the required air conditioning unit capacity. Refer to the table below listing unit dimensions and supply airflow rates for different capacities. Note that you might want to utilize more than one unit to meet the air conditioning needs. Your model should include the air conditioning unit(s) shown on the roof with the correct physical dimensions, as well as the ductwork necessary to distribute the supply and return air to each area.

Available Air Conditioning Unit Schedule

 Ductwork Sizing Table

Design weather conditions from ASHRAE:

Although San Diego has a mild climate, the HVAC system must be capable of maintaining indoor comfort during the hottest days of the year. For this competition, assume the peak outdoor summer temperature is 85°F (29°C). Use this temperature when calculating cooling loads and sizing HVAC equipment.

Humidity Control: Participants may choose to design either a Tropical Rainforest Exhibit or an Aquarium Exhibit Hall. In both exhibit types, maintaining proper humidity is a critical part of the HVAC design. Students should consider how the HVAC system will control humidity while maintaining comfortable conditions for visitors and supporting the needs of the exhibit. The design should also address moisture management, including minimizing condensation on viewing windows and protecting the building from excess moisture.

Indoor Setpoints

Tropical Rainforest Setpoints

Aquarium Setpoints

Heat Gain Tables

Sources of heat gain and their respective rates/quantities to utilize for cooling equipment sizing

Insulation of surfaces:

Submission Requirements

Summary of Requirements

• Teams (1 to 5 students) must come up with a unique name for the exhibit hall.
• All work must be completed by students 13-18 years of age
• Model must be submitted using the freely available software, SketchUp (www.sketchup.com).

*Your model may be generated in other programs and then imported into SketchUp for final submission.

The model must be original and not a copy or recreation of any other work.

Registration Deadline

The deadline to register is midnight eastern standard time December 7, 2026.  The purpose of registration is so that you receive information on where to submit your project and any clarifications.  It is highly recommended that you register early so we can facilitate any questions.

Submission Deadline

The deadline for submissions is midnight eastern standard time January 5, 2027. The finished model should be downloaded as a .skp file and uploaded along with the student’s information and a brief narrative.

Files for Submission shall include:

• Model to show walls, windows and doors as well as HVAC equipment and ductwork.
• Narrative to include description of the process used to develop the model.  Narrative to be 2-4 pages in PDF format.
• Narrative to include appendix with backup calculations used for sizing of equipment. (Appendix do not count against your narrative page limit)

Judging Criteria

• Does the model meet the building owner’s requirements?
• Were any of the additional desires of the building owner addressed?
• What level of modeling skill is demonstrated?
• How creative are the solutions to the various challenges with the building design and layout?
• Does the model represent something that can be realistically constructed (i.e. walls, windows, doors)?

Timeline

• Competition opens: August 10, 2026
• Registration deadline: December 7, 2026
• Submission deadline: January 5, 2027
• Winners announced on March 1, 2027, and awards to be sent out shortly after

Questions

Should you have any questions regarding this competition or need clarifications on the project details please submit to https://forms.ashrae.org/Forms/sdpcquestion.

Awards

• 1^st place: $1,000, a plaque, and recognition in Insights
• 2^nd place: $500, a certificate, and recognition in Insights
• 3^rd place: $300, a certificate, and recognition in Insights

The ASHRAE Student Activities Committee will evaluate all entries and select the winners. Awards will be sent to applicable Student Activities RVCs (Regional Vice Chairs) to be presented at their Regional CRC (Chapters Regional Conference) or Chapter meeting.