Introduction

COMPETITION ORGANISERS
The Architect’s 
Stair

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.

From ancient stone steps carved into cliffs to futuristic floating staircases in contemporary design, the stair has served far more than a functional role. It punctuates the rhythm of space, dictates circulation, and often becomes a central visual and emotional anchor in architectural composition. It holds narrative power—inviting pause, procession, and perception. 

This competition invites architects, designers, and creative thinkers to explore the stair as a pure expression of architectural language. Participants are asked to reflect on its symbolism, geometry, movement, and potential—free from constraints of program, material, or scale. There are no limitations on style, function, context, or dimension. Whether monumental or minimal, abstract or inhabitable, real or speculative—what matters is the clarity and creativity of the concept. We are not looking for compliance with regulations or typical stair design solutions. Instead, this is a conceptual exploration of an essential architectural element, reimagined as a means of expressing your unique design philosophy. How can a stair tell a story? How can it embody spatial ideas, emotions, ideologies, or atmospheres? How can it become a metaphor, a movement, a manifesto? 

Take a step and make a statement! The stair is your subject—but your imagination defines its boundaries. Celebrate it. Deconstruct it. Transform it. 

Download the full competition brief for more information!  

Competition is open to all. No professional qualification is required. Design proposals can be developed individually or by teams (4 team members maximum). Correspondence with organizers must be conducted in English; All information submitted by participants must be in English.

Brief

The competition brief is available for download at any time in the following languages: English, Italian, French and Spanish.

FULL COMPETITION BRIEF [ENG] [IT] [FR] [ES]

Download brief

Prizes

Prize fund

7,000 €

1ST PLACE

3,500 €

2ND PLACE

1,500 €

3RD PLACE

1,000 €

Buildner Student Award

1,000 €

(more details)

6 Honourable mentions & certificates

Buildner will acknowledge the outstanding performance of all winners and honourable mentions with Certificates of Achievement.

Publicity campaign

The Buildner’s extensive global publicity campaign for the competition winners:

Buildner's two million

The results are published on buildner.com, a leading website in the architecture industry, attracting over one million unique visitors annually. Additionally, the campaign extends to Buildner's social networks, which boast over 800,000 followers combined, and through newsletter campaigns reaching over 200,000 subscribers.

Interview and movie

Winners will have the opportunity to submit a movie and an interview, boosting their recognizability and helping to build their name in the industry.

Extensive media network

Buildner leverages an extensive network of media industry leaders to publish the competition results. This broadens the audience further, ensuring that participants' work is showcased across multiple platforms known for their influence and reach in the architecture and design sectors.

Publicity

ArchDaily feature

As part of the collaboration between Buildner and ArchDaily, the competition winners will be showcased on ArchDaily, a leading architecture news platform.

This feature will greatly boost the winners' visibility to millions of architecture professionals and enthusiasts worldwide, increasing their chances for new opportunities, attracting new clients, and establishing their reputation in the industry.

Read more about Buildner and ArchDaily partnership
&

Jury members shall under no circumstances be contacted by competition participants or their representatives. Participants who attempt to contact jury members, shall be disqualified.

All jury members are involved in the evaluation based on their availability at that time. All communication regarding the competition should only be carried out with Buildner staff. For any questions please contact us on [email protected] 

Beste Aykut

BKSK Architects

United States

Niko Kapa

Studio Niko Kapa

United Kingdom

Ariana B. Parrish

Gensler

United States

Pippa Nissen

Nissen Richards Studio

United Kingdom

Pepyn Nolet

Stephen Taylor Architects

United Kingdom

Shinya Sueyoshi

GAMMA Architects

Japan

Takumi Takahashi

HAKUTEN

Japan

Mengyu Zhao

Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF)

United States

Zehua Zhang

KPF

United States

Siyu Zhu

Johnston Marklee

United States

Design assessment

Participants will have the option to request a personalised in-depth design assessment of their project for a fee after the competition results are published.

This feedback highlights the strengths of each submission and identifies areas for refinement, offering participants valuable insights into their work.

The design assessment serves as both a learning tool and a reflection of a project's performance. It helps participants better understand their submission, see how it compares with other entries, and identify opportunities for growth in future projects.

Key dates

Send reminders

Registration fees

I'm
I will pay in

140 €

120 €

140 €

120 €

+4.5% VAT



STUDENT REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS

Contact us to receive special student rates for group registrations (discount applies for 3+ registrations from one university/school) and to receive further information and support for getting your students involved in architecture competitions. 

Send us ([email protected]) a request from your university email address and basic information about yourself and your university/school. Only recognized university staff can apply for the reduced student rate.

X
Architecture competitions newsletter
Absolutely not! You’ll always keep full ownership and authorship of your project. Submitting to a Buildner competition doesn’t mean giving up your rights — it simply gives us permission to share and promote your work as part of the competition. We may feature your project on our website, social media, newsletters, books, or exhibitions — all to celebrate your creativity and inspire others. This permission helps us give your work the visibility it deserves, without needing to ask you each time we publish it.
Click on "register now", fill in all the required fields, choose your payment method and submit your information. You will be forwarded to Paypal or CPS secure payment gateway, to cover the competition fee. Once we receive your payment, we'll send you an email with your username and password to upload your submission directly to the website.
You can add/remove/edit team member information as often as you want in the upload panel, up until the submission deadline.
Yes we are in the process of negotiating with multiple international industry-related media representatives. The list of media partners is constantly updated on our website, please check it regularly to find latest updates.
No. Competition entries are evaluated anonymously. The participant registration type is only revealed upon the announcement of the results.
Please contact us – [email protected] and we will address the problem directly.
The short answer is yes, you may submit a previously published design concept as long as you are the author. Before re-submitting your project, please carefully read the following clarification points listed here - architecturecompetitions.com/resubmit-your-design
As AI-generated images may be based on pre-existing work or generated
The world's leading architecture competition organiser

Why would you want to enter an architecture competition?

Learn – Gain real world experience

Create – Explore bold architectural ideas

Show – Earn global recognition

Connect – Open doors to new clients

Why Buildner?

The world’s leading architecture competition organiser!

15

years of experience

176

successfully organised
competitions

See all results

558

guest jury members

See our guest jury

1190

awards granted

Testimonials

Join our growing list of
over 1,190 winners

Competitions serve as a platform for us to explore fresh ideas, challenge ourselves, and experiment with cutting-edge design concepts. They grant us the freedom to think creatively and approach problems in unconventional ways, fostering a culture of innovation within our team. This environment also enables us to continuously refine our skills as we engage with diverse design briefs and problem-solving scenarios, offering a strong sense of growth and development.

We participate in architecture competitions because they offer a space for exploration beyond the constraints of conventional practice. Especially as a recently graduated architect and someone from other disciplines who are interested in architecture, we find them valuable for testing ideas, shaping our voice, and showing the direction we want our career to take. They allow us to engage with topics we are passionate about—such as housing, adaptability, and sustainability—even if those themes aren't always accessible in the early stages of professional practice. Competitions also create a space for dialogue: with other designers, with urgent issues, and with possible futures. In addition, they provide an opportunity to push boundaries, challenge assumptions, and develop a more critical and personal approach to architecture.

We take part in architecture competitions because they give us the freedom to experiment and exercise our creativity beyond the constraints of everyday practice. Competitions also offer a moment to pause, step back, and gain a critical perspective on our ongoing projects. Each new challenge brings valuable insights, and we often find ourselves integrating the ideas and solutions we develop into our daily work.

We participate in architecture competitions because they provide a space for exploration unconstrained by commercial, procedural, or pragmatic limitations. Competitions allow us to test ideas, challenge norms, and engage with global conversations about the future of the built environment. As a team with diverse architectural backgrounds, these platforms give us an opportunity to merge our different strengths from strategic thinking and sustainability to narrative-driven design and spatial experimentation. Competitions are a way to continually challenge our understanding of architecture as an experience, not just a discipline. They push us to rethink how spaces influence behaviour, how design can respond to social needs, and how architecture can shape more meaningful ways of living.

I enjoy participating in architecture competitions because each one is an opportunity for professional growth. Every competition leaves me enriched, with new perspectives, refined skills, and a strengthened creative approach.

THE HAPI HOMES AWARD
Competition MICROHOME #10

I participate in architecture competitions as an opportunity to learn, to identify meaningful problems and offer thoughtful, beautiful solutions. More than that, I’m curious about how my ideas can contribute to the broader architectural dialogue. What perspectives do I bring? What can I create that serves others? These challenges help me uncover my values as a designer and push me to grow.

I participate in architecture competitions as a setting to follow a design idea to its most extreme end.

 

KINGSPAN COMPLIMENT
Competition MICROHOME #10

Architecture competitions are a great opportunity to push the limits of our creativity and work in an unrestricted and speculative way which can establish an interesting narrative and really push it to its limits - which can be hard to achieve in day-to-day practice. In the case of the Microhome 10 Competition, our experience of residential architecture in London has highlighted the housing crisis that we are in. The Competition gave us the opportunity to develop on an innovative design solution to this crisis.

KINGSPAN COMPLIMENT
Competition MICROHOME #10

We participate in architecture competitions as they provide opportunities to explore new design methods and test ideas beyond the constraints of typical briefs. Competitions encourage a level of experimentation that expands our architectural thinking and allows us to investigate how theoretical concepts can translate into tangible solutions.

We participate in competitions because they provide a space for creative freedom, allowing us to explore ideas without the typical limitations of professional practice. They enable us to take on conceptual challenges, experiment with new strategies, and dive deeper into topics we consider priorities, such as minimal housing, climate resilience, and social integration. Furthermore, competitions motivate us to grow as a team, strengthen our methodologies, and share our vision with a global community.

Celebrate your idea. Register today!