A PRIZE OF $1000. FOR THE BEST HOUSE OF THE YEAR

In the interest of better homes Country Life in America offers a prize of a thousand dollars, which will be paid to the owner of that house, occupied for the first time within the year 1913, which, in the opinion of the judges, attains the greatest all-around excellence. It is hoped that the award will so justify itself as to cause this offer to be repeated year after year.

                                         CONDITIONS

The house must be a country or suburban home, first occupied between Jan. I, 1913 and Jan. 1, 1914. It must have cost not less than $5,000 exclusive of the land and interior furnishings. It must he a year-round home, completely equipped with healing, plumbing, etc.

                                         BASIS OF AWARD

It is intended that the best house of the year shall win the prize. The cost will not enter into the matter at all. To that a $5,000 house will have just as much chance of winning as one costing many times that amount. To this end the entries will be judged on a point system, in which the 100 points representing perfection are divided as follows: plan, 35; exterior appearance, 25; interior equipment and furnishing, 25; setting (by which is meant the arrangement of paths, garden, and planting in the immediate surroundings), 15.

                                        ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

The competition is open to any house built on the North American continent   conforming to  the "conditions" above stated. (The owner need not necessarily be a subscriber to Country Life in America). Each house must be represented to the judges with the following material, which shall be in the hands of the Competition Editor,  Country Life in America, Garden City, L. I. on or before July 1, 1914: (1) - Plans of first and second floors in black on white paper, drawn to a given scale or dimensioned, (2) - Sketch block plan of house and immediate surroundings. (3) - At least 8 photographs, not smaller than 5 x 7 in., of which not less than three shall be of the exterior, nor less than one each of living-room, dining-room, and owner's bedroom. (4) - A type-written description of about 1,000 words, supplementing the photographs and plans, and describing materials, color schemes, and special points of construction, arrangement, and furnishing.

                                        THE JUDGES

Mr. Guy Lowell, architect and landscape architect, of Boston. Mr. Howard Van Doren Shaw, architect, of Chicago, and the Editor of Country Life in America will be the judges. These three will designate the winner of the prize and will award honorable mention to such other houses entered as may in their opinion merit it.

$1,000 to the owner - a gold medal to the architect

$1,000 will be paid to the owner of the house selected of the best of those submitted. A gold medal, suitably engraved will be awarded the architect of the same house. Plans, descriptions, and photographs entered will be returned only to those enclosing postage or return express charges. The material describing the prize-winning house will become the property of Country Life in America. The material describing houses awarded honorable mention may be retained and paid for at the magazine's regular rates. The prize house and a number of those awarded honorable mention will be published in  Country Life in America, "The Best House of the Year"' appearing in the October (1914) Annual Building Number. Arrangements are now being made to exhibit photographs and plans of the successful houses in several of the larger cities.