Architectural rendering of a redesigned Fields Corner Branch Library site with housing and a community center proposed for Dorchester, Massachusetts, by the 2011 first-place Dot Corner team.

Each award is shared equally between the student team and the developer.

What: The competition pairs teams of talented graduate students with affordable housing organizations to develop innovative and comprehensive development proposals addressing the needs of these organizations.

Who: Graduate students interested in architecture, planning, finance, and policy.

Why: Gain real-world experience, make contacts, receive credit, and help critical housing projects get off the ground.

When: The 12th annual Affordable Housing Development Competition begins February 2012.

2011 Winners:

First Place: Dot Corner, Dorchester, Massachusetts. A student team from Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology collaborated with the nonprofit Vietnamese American Initiative for Development.

Second Place: Firehouse Commons, Somerville, Massachusetts. A student team from Harvard University and Tufts University collaborated with the nonprofit Somerville Community Corporation.

Third Place: Linkage at Brighton, Brighton, Massachusetts. A student team from Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology collaborated with the nonprofit Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly.

Sponsored by: The Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston; Boston Society of Architects/AIA; Kevin P. Martin & Associates, P.C.; ICON Architecture, Inc.; and Citizens' Housing and Planning Association.

We welcome your interest and participation!