The Architecture for Health Student Award honours outstanding master theses on the theme of Architecture for Health. This is intended to promote work in the field of healthcare architecture or architecture & urban planning for health and to encourage students in their motivation to engage in this important topic.
Winter Stations is an international design competition held annually in Toronto, Canada. We're calling artists, designers, and architects from around the world to submit public art proposals for the 2026 exhibition 'Mirage', exploring the boundary of what is seen and what is real in the age of AI.
The Municipality of Burgas and the "Burgas 2032" Foundation are excited to announces the launch of the international architecture competition "A Space for Contemporary Art and Culture – Park Zone 3!"
Open architectural competitions have long been regarded as gateways for new ideas. They level the playing field by proposing a single call, a clear set of rules, and an evaluation based on the quality of the work, conducted anonymously. For organizers, like cities, institutions, or companies, they represent a way to gather relevant proposals in a transparent public forum, backed by a competent jury. Unsurprisingly, competitions have marked decisive moments in the history of the discipline, such as the Centre Pompidou competition in Paris, which brought Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers to prominence with their "inside-out building," or the one for Brazil's new capital, won by Lúcio Costa with the Pilot Plan that synthesized the city into two intersecting axes, interpreted as either an airplane or a cross.
So, why do competitions still matter in architecture today? Beyond their historic role in shaping iconic projects, they continue to serve as testing grounds for fresh ideas, talent, and innovation. In the following sections, we explore competitions from three angles: the motivations that keep architects returning to them, the reasons organizers continue to launch them, and a practical playbook of strategies to help you approach your next competition with clarity and purpose.
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1st Prize Winner: Our Light. Image Courtesy of Buildner
Buildner has announced the results of its fourth annual Hospice - Home for the Terminally Ill international architecture ideas competition. This global call for ideas continues to explore how architecture can support end-of-life care with empathy, dignity, and contextual sensitivity. The competition invited architects and designers to move beyond clinical requirements and envision spaces that offer emotional warmth, social connection, and a profound sense of place.
Epistle announces the second edition of the Epistle Writing Prize, following its launch in 2024. The prize is an annual competition dedicated to recognising outstanding writing on design, architecture and environment. Celebrating the power of the written word, participants are invited to inform, intrigue or persuade readers by presenting novel arguments or interesting narratives on the built environment. Stemming from Epistle's mission to democratise architectural discourse, the prize seeks to highlight compelling voices and stories from the Global South, bringing attention to previously unheard perspectives.
Enter the Iceland Slow Sauna Architecture Competition now! 10,000 € in prize money! Closing date for registration: April 8, 2026
The sauna has always been more than a room of heat. It is a place of stillness, where the body slows, the breath deepens, and the mind begins to loosen. Architecture has the power to enrich this ritual — to frame silence, to choreograph the movement between warmth and air, to turn a simple act of sweating into a profound experience of presence. But what else belongs in this rhythm? How might architecture extend the ritual of renewal beyond the sauna itself?
Enter the The Architect's Chair #5 Architecture Competition now! 10,000 € in prize money! Closing date for registration: April 2, 2025
The Architect's Chair Competition offers architects and designers an exciting opportunity to showcase their creativity by designing a signature chair that embodies their unique architectural vision. Inspired by the tradition of renowned architects creating custom furniture as an extension of their work, this competition challenges participants to distill their design philosophy into a single, iconic piece.
Enter the Pavilion Atlas 2026 Architecture Competition now! 20,000 € in prize money! Closing date for registration: September 16, 2026
Every place carries a story — not just of its past, but of its present values and future possibilities. Architecture can give form to those stories, offering a way to express culture, ideas, and identity without relying on words. A pavilion, in its simplicity and scale, is an ideal format for this kind of expression. It invites reflection, exploration, and dialogue. It is not about size or permanence, but about clarity of thought and the power of a spatial idea.
Tiny House 2025 Architecture Competition invites you to reimagine the conventions to develop innovative solutions to the modern needs of shelter. Come be a part of this movement; join a new wave of habitat designers!
Volume Zero invites each one of you to participate in the 28th edition of our architectural competitions and the 6th edition of Tiny House Architecture Competition. This year's Tiny House aims to celebrate individuality, reimagine sustainability and to exalt simple, innovative yet resourceful living. The Tiny House Movement is also a platform that not only explores the avenues of 'mobile' or 'Off the Grid' Living spaces but also the freedom and independence they would offer. Come be a part of this movement; join a new wave of habitat designers! - https://bit.ly/4nQ8Kag
International Invited Design Competition for Construction of Hwaseong Museum of Art
Hwaseong City has achieved rapid growth in a relatively short period of time. Furthermore, as a youthful city with a high birth rate and the youngest average age, it possesses immense potential for future development. Youthful Hwaseong City faces an urgent need to expand its cultural and art spaces, as it currently lacks sufficient infrastructure to enjoy works of local, domestic and foreign artists.
Archstorming launches a new humanitarian architecture competition to rethink education through earth construction and innovation In rural Senegal, thousands of children are forced to abandon school after completing primary education due to the absence of secondary schools. This is the case in Djilakh, a village of over 4,000 people with two primary schools but no secondary school—resulting in alarmingly high dropout rates, especially among girls.
The competition entries are expected to deliver: - Identity and Program of the Park-Forest– A functional solution for the planned program elements with strong design qualities intended for the rest and recreation of citizens. A space should be designed for various activities and events throughout the year –a multifunctional recreational park area with facilities such as an area for rest and outdoor recreation, children's play, sports and recreation, culture/education. The park program should be attractive, inclusive and accessible to all user groups; - Emphasis on the ecological aspect – the focus is on a design approach that focuses on nature-based solutions, ensuring that the future Park-Forestpromotes biodiversity and improves the stability of the ecosystem. In designing the park, priority should be given to the restoration and establishment of local flora and fauna, contributing to the preservation of nature and improvement of quality of life in the city.
Applications for the National Green Earth Challenge close on 10th October! Submit today.
The National Green Earth Challenge is organized by the Prem Jain Memorial Trust (PJMT) in collaboration with Young Leaders for Active Citizenship. This challenge honors Dr. Prem Jain's legacy as the Father of the Green Building Movement in India, encouraging students to develop sustainable solutions.
Join the next “modern conversation”: we examine the relationship between time, modernity, and architecture, searching for traces of time. We aim to reflect on the connection between the built environment and the regulation of time, whether through obvious examples like clock towers or less obvious ones such as religious and industrial buildings. What is the relationship between the regulation of time and modernity? How has the introduction of certain structures and typologies shifted our understanding of time and the way we quantify it? What constitutes architecture that is strongly connected to time, and what is truly timeless? What ruptures occur that challenge such architecture?
Enter the The Architect’s Stair #3 Architecture Competition now! 7,000 € in prize money! Closing date for registration: March 5, 2026
The stair is one of the most elemental and enduring components of architecture. It is a structure in motion—a connector of levels, a sculptural form, a spatial sequence, and a symbol of ascent, descent, and transition. It guides the body and engages the mind. It is at once practical and poetic.
Enter The Home of Shadows / Edition #4 Architecture Competition now! 10,000 € in prize money! Closing date for registration: March 2, 2026
Light is one of the most important factors when designing homes, and the use of natural light is vital in creating a space that feels both comfortable, inviting and practical. It could be said that lighting is a form of language that architects can use to communicate emotions in the spaces and structures they design.
NOT A HOTEL DESIGN COMPETITION 2026, the latest installment of its annual design competition for architects and creators under 40. The winning entry will receive a prize of ¥10 million JPY, and its design will be built by NOT A HOTEL (which entails an additional design fee.)
Buildner, in partnership with the Government of Dubai, has announced the results of the 2024/25 House of the Future competition. Following the success of its inaugural edition in 2023, this second edition invited architects and designers worldwide to develop an affordable, expandable, and forward-thinking prototype home tailored to the evolving needs of Emirati families.
Organized in collaboration with the Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation and the Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme, the competition offered a total prize fund of €250,000 (1 million AED). Winning entries are now being reviewed for potential inclusion in the UAE's national catalogue of housing designs, which provides citizens with a selection of pre-approved, innovative home models.
The SOM Foundation is pleased to announce the opening of the 2025 Research Prize, the 2025 European Research Prize, and the 2025 Robert L. Wesley Award.