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An Adaptive Urban Office Combining Timber Facades and Concrete Panels

Authors:
Shi-yen Wu, Bo-ruei Huang
An Adaptive Urban Office Combining Timber Facades and Concrete Panels
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Incorporating charred timber facades and precast concrete elements, the design creates a versatile urban workspace that responds to environmental considerations while enhancing community interaction.
5 key facts about this project
01
The project utilizes charred timber shingles for exterior cladding.
02
Large glazed sections enhance daylight and urban connections.
03
A modular system allows interior space reconfiguration.
04
Solar panels optimize energy capture on a bent A-frame roof.
05
Rainwater harvesting reduces reliance on municipal infrastructure.

The design presents a cohesive blend of functionality and aesthetics, situated within a specific geographical context. The primary objective of this project is to provide a versatile space that meets the requirements of its intended use while responding sensitively to its surroundings. The architecture is informed by its site, community needs, and environmental considerations, ensuring that it stands as both a practical solution and a refined piece of design.

Materiality and Expression

The exterior combines charred timber shingles, cross-laminated timber panels, precast concrete, and glass. This palette balances durability with expressive architectural character, referencing local building traditions while emphasizing resilience. Large glazed sections introduce daylight into the interior, reinforcing visual connections with the surrounding urban fabric. Vegetated walls and green roofs extend the material strategy into the ecological realm, enhancing biodiversity and supporting passive cooling.

Modularity and Adaptability

Central to the design is a modular system that allows reconfiguration of interior spaces. Movable partitions enable multiple spatial arrangements, supporting a range of working modes and future programmatic shifts. This adaptability ensures the building remains functional in response to evolving workplace demands.

Environmental Performance

Sustainability is addressed through integrated energy and water systems. Solar panels are positioned to maximize capture across the bent A-frame roofline, while overhangs mitigate summer heat gain. Rainwater harvesting and reuse reduce reliance on municipal infrastructure, reinforcing the building’s ecological footprint.

Interior Organization

The workspace is structured around an open-plan layout interspersed with shared lounges and meeting rooms, encouraging collaboration and informal exchange. Acoustic treatments using recycled materials improve sound quality, mitigating the challenges of open-plan environments. Together, these strategies foster a balance between collective activity and individual focus.

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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
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Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025
100,000€ Prize / 2025

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

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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

Open architecture competitions

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    Selected winning projects have the potential to be constructed
  • Ideas competitions
    Experimental competitions with the focus on pushing the boundaries of creativity
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AIA (American Institute of Architects) invites you to design affordable housing in Denver

Affordable Housing Series 19th Edition ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 18 September 2025

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

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