Awards guide · Ontario, Quebec & Atlantic Canada
BILD Awards (GTA) Photo Guide: Image Rules, Deadlines and How to Enter
For entrants planning the photography for BILD Awards. Checked against Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD)’s published rules on November 1, 2026.
The BILD Awards recognise new-home design, marketing, sales and builders in the Greater Toronto Area; entries come from BILD members, for projects in Ontario. The 2027 call is not published yet; the 2026 deadline was noon on February 26, 2026. Each house, suite and building design entry needs an exterior image, but BILD publishes no pixel, file-size or format rule for photos.
At a glance
| BILD Awards (GTA) | |
|---|---|
| Organiser | Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD), Greater Toronto Area |
| Who can enter | BILD member companies. Only BILD members in good standing are recognised as finalists and winners; entries acknowledge key contributors such as architects, agencies and sales teams. |
| Eligible projects | Projects or phases on the market as of January 1, 2025 and before the February 26, 2026 deadline (2026 awards), located in Ontario. Project of the Year, Best Purpose-Built Rental and Best New Community – Planned/Under Development must be in the GTA proper (Durham, Halton, Peel, Simcoe, York and Toronto). |
| Entry platform | Online entry tool on bildawards.com; physical items go to BILD, 2005 Sheppard Avenue East, Suite 102, Toronto. |
| Fee | 2026: $85 + HST per submission for marketing, architectural/design, people and sales awards; $300 + HST for project and builder awards and categories 19, 20, 25 and 26; no fee for categories 38–43 and 47. Credit card only. Full refund if cancelled by the entry deadline. |
| Next deadline | 2027 call not published as of November 1, 2026. 2026 deadline: Thursday, February 26, 2026, 12:00 p.m. |
Source: 2026 BILD Awards: Entry Rules, Categories and Criteria (R4), 2026 BILD Awards: Enter Now.
Key dates
| Date | |
|---|---|
| Deadline (2026 awards) | Thursday, February 26, 2026, 12:00 p.m. (time zone not stated) |
| Deadline for changes to recognised companies (2026) | April 3, 2026 |
| Finalists announced (2026) | April 2026 |
| Winners notified (2026) | May 26, 2026 |
| Gala (2026) | Thursday, May 28, 2026, Universal EventSpace, Vaughan |
| Deadline (2027 awards) | Not published as of November 1, 2026 |
Photo requirements
| Rule | |
|---|---|
| Size and resolution | No pixel, dpi or file-size requirement is published in the 2026 Entry Rules, Categories and Criteria. |
| File format | Not stated for photos. For advertising and campaign categories, files can be PDFs but JPEG images are preferred. |
| How many | Fixed upload slots per category. Suite design: 1 exterior, up to 3 optional interior and 4 optional extra images (model suite: 3 interior required). House and townhouse design: 1 exterior, up to 2 optional interior and 6 optional extra. Model home: 1 exterior, 2 interior and 6 optional. Mid-rise and high-rise building design: 1 exterior, 2 suite and 2 amenity images, 6 optional slots and an optional video of 1 minute or less. Project of the Year, rental and community awards: 1 exterior, 2 suite/home and 2 amenity/community images plus 8 optional slots. |
| Required shots | An exterior image is required in every house, suite and building design category. Best Architectural Design Feature takes 1–6 images or renderings of the feature in context plus an architectural drawing. |
| Staging, renderings and AI | Rendering categories 12–16 are judged on renderings. Virtual model suites and model homes are permitted if they render the complete unit or home, with materials and furnishing descriptions. Project of the Year entries must include an exterior rendering. No AI rule is published. |
| Logos, names and people | Entries include the builder company name, builder logo, project name, project logo and project location. No rule on logos or people inside photos is published. |
| Credit and permissions | The entrant warrants that submitted material is its own or its clients’ work and that it owns the copyright and all relevant rights, and grants BILD a non-exclusive, perpetual, royalty-free licence to republish it in any format. Submitted content may be used in BILD promotional materials. |
Categories
54 numbered categories in four groups: Marketing Awards (1–20, including five rendering categories), Architectural/Design Awards (21–32), People Awards (33–43) and Project and Builder Awards (44–54). Photo-heavy ones include Best Suite Design, Best Mid-Rise and High-Rise Building Design, Best Single-Detached House Design, Best Model Suite, Best Model Home and Project of the Year.
How to enter
- Confirm that the entering company is a BILD member and that the project falls in the eligibility window and region.
- Register on bildawards.com and open the online entry tool.
- Choose a category and read its criteria, required information and word limits.
- Answer the questions and list every key contributor under ‘Additional organizations to acknowledge’.
- Upload plans, the required images and any optional images or video; deliver physical items to BILD’s office with the submission number.
- Pay by credit card before noon on the deadline, then confirm recognised company names before the April edit deadline.
How entries are judged
- Independent judges appointed by BILD; they cannot be BILD members and need at least 15 years of experience in their field. At least 3 judges score each category, and at least 4 score project and builder awards.
- Judges score each entry independently against points-based criteria and confer only to break ties. Suite and house design, for example: use of space 25, functionality 25, uniqueness of design 25, target market relevance 15, value 10.
- Entries are evaluated on the answers and supporting documentation, including images. Where BILD member judges take part, the finalist round is 20% independent and 80% member judges, and member judges pick the winner.
- A category needs at least three entries to proceed; one winner is chosen per category.
Planning the photography
- Make the exterior the strongest frame: it is the one image required in every house, suite and building design category.
- For building and Project of the Year entries, plan specific suite and amenity shots: each requires two of each.
- Settle the image licence before entering: the entrant warrants it holds the copyright and all rights, and BILD gets a perpetual, royalty-free licence to republish.
- With no published size limit, ask BILD ([email protected]) about upload limits before exporting final files.
Not in the published rules
As of November 1, 2026 the organiser’s public documents do not state:
- 2027 dates and fees
- Entry opening date
- Photo pixel size, dpi, file size and format for architectural categories
- File naming rules
- Rules on editing, AI-generated images or people in photos
- Whether judges visit projects
- Homeowner release requirements
Check the entry platform or ask the organiser before the shoot.
Using this as a photo brief
I photograph architecture and interiors in British Columbia, so for a project outside BC this page works best as a brief for a local architectural photographer. Send them the photo rules above, the categories you plan to enter and the deadline, and ask for:
- A shot list built from the category criteria, one image for each thing the judges score.
- Files exported to the BILD Awards (GTA) spec, already named and counted per category.
- A licence that covers the organiser’s promotional use of winning images, plus a ready credit line.
The awards photo calendar lists the other programmes the same photos can be re-exported for.
Frequently asked questions
What are the photo requirements for the BILD Awards?
The BILD Awards publish no pixel, dpi or file-size rule for photos. Each house, suite and building design entry needs one exterior image, with optional interior images and 4–8 extra slots depending on the category, and the entrant must own the rights to every image.
When is the BILD Awards deadline?
The 2027 BILD Awards deadline had not been published as of November 1, 2026. The 2026 deadline was Thursday, February 26, 2026 at 12:00 p.m., and the gala was held on May 28, 2026.
Do BILD Awards projects have to be in the GTA?
BILD Awards entries must be for projects in Ontario, submitted by a BILD member. Project of the Year, Best Purpose-Built Rental and Best New Community – Planned/Under Development must be in the GTA proper: Durham, Halton, Peel, Simcoe, York or Toronto.
How much does it cost to enter the BILD Awards?
For the 2026 BILD Awards, most marketing, architectural/design, people and sales entries cost $85 + HST each. Project and builder awards and categories 19, 20, 25 and 26 cost $300 + HST, and categories 38–43 and 47 were free.
This guide summarises Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD)’s published rules and is not affiliated with Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD). The official documents take precedence.