Invitation to Participate | The 4th "Golden Pen Award" Courtyard, Garden & Villa Lands
The 4th "Golden Pen Award" Courtyard, Garden & Villa Landscape Design Competition
I. Overview
The "Golden Pen Award" Courtyard, Garden & Villa Landscape Design Competition is hosted by the Shanghai Society of Landscape Architecture and organized by the CPGE Expo Committee. This is a benchmark event dedicated to reshaping contemporary courtyard aesthetics with pioneering design thinking and selecting China's new generation of garden design elites through rigorous professional standards.
Guided by the philosophy of "Wielding the Pen of Design, Illustrating the Rebirth of Courtyards," the "Golden Pen Award" focuses on the innovation and sustainability of modern courtyard, garden, and villa landscape design. It aims to promote and develop creative activities in garden and courtyard landscape design across China, enabling more industry professionals to share their creative experiences and disseminate courtyard and garden culture.
The "Golden Pen Award" organizing committee is committed to the principles of "fairness, impartiality, and professionalism" in the judging process, conducting a comprehensive evaluation of project cases based on design, style, concept, and practical results. Designers are warmly welcome to participate and submit your work.
II. Organizers
Host: Shanghai Society of Landscape Architecture
Established in 2006, Shanghai Society of Landscape Architecture (SSLA) is the first registered non-profit academic organization in China's landscape industry. Its scope encompasses landscape discipline research, professional standard development, and industry talent cultivation.
Organizer: CPGE Expo Committee
CPGE Expo-the China Pool and Garden Expo is a premier professional event meticulously created by Leipzig Exhibition (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. It is the China's first exhibition to seamlessly integrate the two physical domains of "Courtyard & Outdoor" and "Villa & Interior." Focusing on the "Courtyard + Villa + Smart", the event provides the industry with full-chain solutions, precise business matching, and professional exchange platforms. It serves as a trendsetting event for the garden, courtyard, and villa design sectors.
III. Entry Guidelines
Participation in this competition is non-profit and free of charge (except where winners actively request promotional services).
All award categories include new development, renovation, conservation, and restoration projects. For renovation/restoration projects, comparative before-and-after visuals must be provided.
Designers must confirm they are the lead designer of the submitted project and that the work is original.
Projects submitted for the Comprehensive Design Award and the Professional Group must be completed within the last two years (2024/2025).
A single designer/team may submit only one entry per category.
A single designer/team may submit entries for a maximum of three different categories.
For team entries, the group must not exceed 6 members. All member names should be listed in the "Lead Designer" field.
For entries submitted under a company name, please include the company name in the materials.
By submitting images and text materials, entrants automatically grant permission for their use in Golden Pen Award promotional activities and on-site displays.
To submit multiple projects, please fill out and submit the project information separately for each entry.
Entry Submission Deadline: February 10, 2026
Note: Submission of an entry signifies the entrant's full understanding and acceptance of all competition rules. The organizer reserves the right to disqualify any entry or revoke any award in case of non-compliance. The final interpretation of the competition rules rests with the organizer.
IV. Entry Categories
The Golden Pen Award features two tracks: Professional Group and Student Group, with six main categories covering the full spectrum of landscape design:
Professional Group:
Courtyard Space Design: Villa Courtyards
Homestay Space Design: Homestay Courtyards
Balcony Space Design: Balconies, Terrace Gardens, Roof Gardens (Private), etc.
Commercial Space Design: Hotels, Shopping Malls, Commercial Streets, Retail Centers, Sales Offices, Restaurants, Entertainment/Leisure Venues, Offices, Clubs, etc.
Urban Ecological Design: Urban Development, Communities, Streetscapes, Plazas, Urban Villages, Industrial Parks, Theme Parks, Comprehensive Parks, Gardens, Green Spaces, Campsites, Amusement Parks, Eco-architecture, etc.
Real Estate Development Design: Real Estate Developments, Community Gardens, Roof Gardens (Real Estate), etc.
Student Group:
For university/college students. Entrants must provide a copy of their valid student ID.
V. Competition Schedule
Submission Period: Entrants register and submit works according to requirements.
Registration (From now until February 5, 2026):
Download Templates: Links at the bottom of the registration form provide access to the required material templates and entry guidelines.
Work Submission (From now until February 10, 2026): Submit all project materials based on the downloaded templates and guidelines.
Click or copy the registration link: https://jsj.top/f/nZ9kNQ
Scan the QR code to fill out the registration form
报名二维码
Judging Period (March 2-10, 2026): Evaluation conducted by expert judges. Final awards are determined.
Award Announcement & Ceremony (March 23, 2026): Winners will be announced, and trophies/certificates will be presented at the CPshow Southern Garden Conference exhibition. The results will also be published on the official website and partner media platforms.
VI. Judging Process & Awards
Judging Procedure:
Initial screening to select entries meeting basic requirements.
Preliminary judging by a panel of over 20 representatives from leading landscape firms across China.
Final judging by a panel of renowned industry experts, top masters, and principals of prestigious design firms, who will personally score the entries.
Judging Criteria:
Professional Group: Completed Project Presentation (40%), Site Plan Design (30%), Rendering Expressiveness (30%).
Student Group: Site Plan Design (40%), Rendering Expressiveness (60%).
Award Structure:
Annual Design Institution Award (5 winners)
Best Organization Award (5 winners)
Online Popularity Award (5 winners)
Future Star Award (10 winners)
Innovation Potential Award (10 winners)
Outstanding Concept Award (10 winners)
Golden Pen Award (3 winners)
First Prize for each category (18 winners total)
Second Prize for each category (18 winners total)
Third Prize for each category (30 winners total)
Professional Group:
Student Group:
Group & Special Awards:
Finalist Award (30 winners)
VII. Submission Materials
Project Images: Images should showcase the overall layout and landscaping from various angles. All images must be in .JPG format.
Site Plans: Minimum 1 image.
Renderings: Minimum 3 images.
Completed Project Photos: Minimum 5 images (not required for Student Group).
Other Images:
Lead Designer Portrait: A formal business headshot or half/full-body portrait is required. The image must clearly show the face, have a plain background, and be high-resolution (.JPG).
Company Entries: Must include the company logo (vector or .PNG format) and a copy of the business license.
Student Group Entries: Must include a photo of the student ID and the university/college logo (vector or .PNG format).
VIII. Final Submission File Requirements
Compiled File Naming Convention: Golden Pen Award + Entry Category + Lead Designer Name + Project Name
Note: Student Group entries may leave fields like project cost and construction unit blank.
Please send the compiled file to: 3633035331@qq.com
Email Subject Line Must State: "Golden Pen Award + Lead Designer Name" - This completes the submission.
IX. Contact Information
Organizing Committee: CPshow Southern Garden Conference & "Golden Pen Award" Design Competition Committee
Official Website: www.cpgeasia.com
Tel: 15869613168 (WeChat ID same as phone number)
Email: 3633035331@qq.com
(For any questions regarding registration, please contact us via WeChat or email.)
X. Intellectual Property, Copyright, & Competition Declaration
Submitted works must be original creations with independent intellectual property rights. Entrants shall bear all legal liabilities arising from any infringement of others' intellectual property.
The copyright and related intellectual property rights of submitted works belong entirely to the entrants.
The competition organizing committee reserves the right to use all submitted works for promotion, publication, distribution, display, and exhibition across various media platforms.