Awards guide · Ontario, Quebec & Atlantic Canada
Prix Nobilis (Québec City) Photo Guide: Image Rules, Deadlines and How to Enter
For entrants planning the photography for Prix Nobilis. Checked against APCHQ – Région de Québec’s published rules on November 1, 2026.
The Prix Nobilis reward residential and commercial projects built by member contractors of APCHQ – Région de Québec on that association’s territory. The 2027 call is not published; in 2026 entries ran from February 16 to March 16, 2026 on the website, while the March 2026 rules give March 20, 23:59. The jury judges blind, so photos must not name the company, architect, designer or client; each photo must be 1–3 MB, and renderings are not accepted.
At a glance
| Prix Nobilis (Québec City) | |
|---|---|
| Organiser | APCHQ – Région de Québec |
| Who can enter | Member companies of APCHQ – Région de Québec with a head office or place of business on its territory, holding the right Régie du bâtiment licence and accredited with the Garantie de construction résidentielle (GCR). The contractor’s work must be at least 80% of the project value. |
| Eligible projects | Completed between January 1 and December 31, 2025 for the 2026 edition (the calendar year before the entry period), on the APCHQ – Région de Québec territory. Up to 5 projects per entrant and one per sub-category (two per sub-category in Commercial building). |
| Entry platform | app.prixnobilis.com (online account) |
| Fee | 2026: first project free; $175 + taxes for each project from the second. Refunded if a category is closed, a project is rejected as incomplete or the awards are cancelled. |
| Next deadline | 2027 call not published as of November 1, 2026. 2026: March 16, 2026, 23:59 on the website; Friday, March 20, 2026, 23:59 in the March 2026 rules. |
Source: Prix Nobilis : Inscription, Règlement Prix Nobilis 2026 (mise à jour – mars 2026).
Key dates
| Date | |
|---|---|
| Entry period (2026 edition) | February 16 – March 16, 2026, 23:59 (website) |
| Deadline in the rules (2026 edition) | Friday, March 20, 2026, 23:59 |
| Pre-selection announced (2026) | April 15, 2026 |
| Jury site visits (2026) | May 4–15, 2026 |
| Finalists revealed (2026) | June 25, 2026 |
| Gala (2026) | September 17, 2026 |
| Entry period (2027 edition) | Not published as of November 1, 2026 |
Photo requirements
| Rule | |
|---|---|
| Size and resolution | Each photo must be at least 1 MB and at most 3 MB. The rules ask for professional-quality images at the required dimensions but publish no pixel size. |
| File format | Plans must be PDF. The photo format is not stated in the public rules. |
| How many | Not stated in the public rules or on the website. |
| Staging, renderings and AI | Perspectives (renderings) are not accepted. No rule on virtual staging or AI-generated images is published. |
| Logos, names and people | Photos and plans must not mention the company, architect, designer or client, because the jury judges blind. The project description must not name them either. |
| Credit and permissions | Images must be rights-free. The entrant must get the client’s permission before entering, and the client accepts that photos and videos of the project may be taken and broadcast. The project address and owner’s name are not published by the organisers. |
Categories
Six parent categories, each split into price or size sub-categories that are reviewed every year: New house (single-family, semi-detached or row; eight price bands in 2026), Multifamily building, Kitchen, Interior renovation, Major renovation and Commercial building.
How to enter
- Check membership, the Régie du bâtiment licence, GCR accreditation, and that the project was completed in the previous calendar year on the territory.
- Ask the client’s permission and tell them the jury will visit if the project is pre-selected.
- Read the rules and the Terms and conditions, then create an account on app.prixnobilis.com.
- Submit the complete file: an anonymous description, PDF plans and 1–3 MB photos with no names.
- Pay for the second and later projects before the deadline.
- If pre-selected, make the project available for the jury visit during the weeks set by APCHQ.
How entries are judged
- An impartial jury of construction professionals, split into three groups that each judge the categories in their field; a juror who worked on an entry withdraws from judging it.
- The jury judges blind. Criteria are construction quality, design quality, project features and technical constraints, and value for money, weighted by a grid specific to each category.
- Two stages: an online pre-selection, then in-person visits to assess finish, details and integration. About three finalists per sub-category are named; Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton supervises the process.
- A category with fewer than five entries may be closed. The jury may ask for a detailed cost breakdown and may check client satisfaction.
Planning the photography
- Keep anything that names the contractor, architect, designer or client out of frame, including signs and logos.
- Export each file to land between 1 MB and 3 MB; files outside that range break the rule.
- Photograph the finished project: renderings are refused.
- Shoot within the year of completion: projects finished in one calendar year are entered in February–March of the next.
Not in the published rules
As of November 1, 2026 the organiser’s public documents do not state:
- Number of photos per category
- Pixel dimensions and photo file format
- File naming rules
- Rules on editing, virtual staging or AI-generated images
- Weighting of the evaluation grid
- 2027 dates and fees
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 Prix Nobilis (Québec City) 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 Prix Nobilis?
Prix Nobilis photos must be good quality, between 1 MB and 3 MB each, rights-free, and free of any mention of the company, architect, designer or client. Renderings (perspectives) are not accepted, and the number of photos is not stated in the public rules.
When is the Prix Nobilis deadline?
The 2027 Prix Nobilis entry period had not been published as of November 1, 2026. In 2026 the website gave February 16 to March 16, 2026, 23:59, while the March 2026 rules gave Friday, March 20, 2026, 23:59.
Is Prix Nobilis judging anonymous?
Yes. The Prix Nobilis jury evaluates entries blind, so photos, plans and descriptions must not name the company, architect, designer or client. Pre-selected projects are then visited in person by the jury.
How much does it cost to enter the Prix Nobilis?
For the 2026 Prix Nobilis, the first project was free and each project from the second cost $175 plus taxes. Each entrant can submit up to five projects.
This guide summarises APCHQ – Région de Québec’s published rules and is not affiliated with APCHQ – Région de Québec. The official documents take precedence.