Submissions will be accepted in the 2016 George Matsumoto Prize, Recognizing Excellence in North Carolina Modernist Residential Design, starting at 8 a.m., May 1, sponsored by the award-winning non-profit organization North Carolina Modernist Houses (NCMH). The deadline for submissions is 5 p.m., May 23rd.

Now in its fifth year, the Matsumoto Prize honors George Matsumoto, FAIA, a founding member of the North Carolina State University School (now College) of Design, who is well known for the many mid-century Modernist houses he designed in North Carolina.

The Matsumoto Prize is a unique design awards program. It is the only juried architecture competition in North Carolina that focuses on Modernist houses, provides financial awards ($6000 total), involves a national jury as well as online public voting, and connects to a major architectural archive.

The competition is open to anyone with primary design responsibility for a completely built, from-the-ground-up, single-family Modernist house of at least 800 heated square feet that was completed on or after January 1, 2011. The designer does not have to be a licensed architect. The houses submitted must be in North Carolina but the designers may be from anywhere.

“The Matsumoto Prize promotes new talent and provides motivating honors and incentives for a new generation of architects,” said NCMH founder and director George Smart. “It also contributes to wider public recognition of Modernism in all its forms -- architecture, art, furniture, and fashion -- and recognizes the significant economic and aesthetic impact of Modernism across North Carolina.”

In addition to the jury, the public will vote on the submissions with the top winners getting “People’s Choice” recognition. Public voting will take place at www.ncmodernist.org/prize2016 from June 1-29.

Again this year, George Matsumoto will serve as the jury’s Honorary Chair. He will joined by: Ray Kappe, Kappe Architects, Los Angeles; Alison Brooks, Alison Brooks Architects, London; Joshua Prince-Ramus, REX, New York; Harry Wolf, Wolf Architecture, Los Angeles; Charles McMurray, Charles McMurray Designs, Miami; and Oscar-nominated production designer Nathan Crowley, Los Angeles.

The 2016 Matsumoto Prize awards ceremony will be held Thursday, July 1, from 6-8 p.m., at McConnell Studios, 324 Dupont Circle, Raleigh.

Competition rules, submission procedures and guidelines are available at http://www.ncmodernist.org/prize2016. To see last year’s submissions and winners: http://www.ncmodernist.org/prize2015.