Get inspired!

17,725 architecture projects

Learn from past Buildner architecture competition participants through our extensive project library, curated over more than 15 years!

Amber Forest Concept with Elliptical Niche Design and Tranquil Water Features

Authors:
毛千芝 李, 展鹏 何
Amber Forest Concept with Elliptical Niche Design and Tranquil Water Features

Project in-detail

Incorporating elliptical forms and tranquil water features, the design captures familial memories within an amber forest concept, creating a reflective space for communal remembrance in a cemetery setting.
5 key facts about this project
01
Incorporates an amber forest concept to symbolize memory preservation.
02
Utilizes elliptical forms to enhance visitor circulation and reflection.
03
Features tranquil shallow water elements to foster a calming environment.
04
Integrates transparent containers for personal memorial items.
05
Emphasizes seasonal changes, altering the landscape's appearance throughout the year.

The design embodies a thoughtful approach to memory and reflection, centered within a cemetery. Inspired by the notion of an "Amber Forest," it aims to capture the essence of familial memories, much like how amber preserves elements of the past. The layout employs an elliptical form, creating a smooth circulation path that guides visitors through the space. It balances personal remembrance and the shared experience of loss, inviting contemplative moments throughout the journey.

Spatial Organization

The configuration of walls, both high and low, delineates the boundaries of the site. This change in elevation creates a gradual descent as visitors enter, leading them toward an open area intended for significant events. The shift from higher ground to lower zones symbolizes a transition into introspection. The design of these walls adds a sculptural quality, enhancing the experience as individuals navigate the landscape.

Water Features

A shallow body of water features prominently at the cemetery's exit. This element fosters a calm environment, representing closure while encouraging quiet reflection. The interaction between the water and surrounding nature enhances the sensory experience. As light plays off its surface, it engages visitors in a dynamic relationship with the landscape.

Engagement Through Transparency

External containers hold items of remembrance, allowing personal tributes to coexist with the larger context of the memorial space. This transparency invites meaningful connections, enabling visitors to interact with memorials on a personal level. The variation in terrain creates visual interest, ensuring each niche resonates within its surroundings while supporting individual reflection alongside collective memory.

Lighting Design

At night, amber-hued lighting within the niches and containers casts a gentle glow across the cemetery. This subtle illumination extends the engagement beyond daylight hours. It fosters a peaceful atmosphere, enriching the reflective quality of the setting. Light and shadow interact, producing textures that change as visitors move through the space.

The design carefully considers these details, crafting an environment that encourages contemplation and connection with both memory and nature.

Noticed a mistake?
Highlight the text and click on
Noticed a mistake

MICROHOME 10: Celebrating Small-Scale Living with €100,000 Prize Fund and Kingspan’s Innovation

`
Competition organisers

The MICROHOME 10 competition invites participants to submit visionary designs for off-grid, modular microhomes that push the limits of sustainable, small-scale living. Organised by Buildner in partnership with Kingspan and Hapi Homes, this tenth edition sets the challenge of designing a dwelling for two people within a maximum floor area of 25 m², encouraging bold solutions adaptable to any urban or rural location. The competition continues Buildner’s mission to foster innovative approaches to compact, energy-efficient housing that can address pressing global challenges.

This year’s edition offers a generous total prize fund of €100,000, including the Kingspan Award for designs that integrate high-performance Kingspan products and the Hapi Homes Award for a project selected for real-world construction. In addition to cash prizes, the winners gain international exposure through Buildner’s media partnerships, publications, and a dedicated MICROHOME magazine, further amplifying their ideas to the wider architectural community.

Key dates for MICROHOME 10 include the closing date for registration on 25 September 2025, the submission deadline on 29 October 2025 (11:59 p.m. London time), and the announcement of winners on 9 December 2025. These milestones ensure participants have clear timelines to develop and present their concepts, with early registration discounts available to support students and emerging designers worldwide.

MICROHOME

Design a new small-scale home concept in the 10th edition of MICROHOME — 100,000 € prize + construction

100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #10 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 € + Potential realisation
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 25 September 2025

Enter an open architecture
competition now

Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025
100,000€ Prize / 2025
Denver Affordable Housing Challenge
Denver Affordable Housing Challenge
Affordable Housing Series 19th Edition
The Architect's 
Chair
The Architect's Chair
Take a seat and make a statement! Edition #4
MICROHOME
MICROHOME
100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #10
Kinderspace
Kinderspace
Architecture for Children’s Development #3
To view this project in detail,
please log in with your
Architects’ Network Plus account.
Subscription instantly unlocks all the architecture projects plus other member-only benefits:
  • Access the 17,725 Concept Library
  • Professional tools including file transfer, email, portfolio management, and more
Register now
Already a member? Log in

This website uses cookies to improve user experience and gather usage statistics.

More information is available in our Privacy & Cookie policy