Get inspired!

17,725 architecture projects

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

Bamboo Walkway Connecting Rammed Earth Spaces in a Tranquil Zen Environment

Authors:
Jessica Thomson, Lauren Copping, Grace Losasso
Bamboo Walkway Connecting Rammed Earth Spaces in a Tranquil Zen Environment
Explore the full project presentation!
Subscribers only
A bamboo walkway guides users through spaces defined by rammed earth and permeable greenery, culminating in a tranquil zen garden designed for yoga practice and communal reflection.
5 key facts about this project
01
A bamboo walkway spans the site, enhancing the connection with nature.
02
Rammed earth walls provide structural support while integrating functional spaces.
03
Vegetation openings allow plants to merge with the walkway, enriching the experience.
04
An elevated yoga studio offers panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.
05
The zen garden features a communal seating area and fire pit for gatherings.

"From Ground to Air" is a space designed to create a meaningful connection between people and nature. Located in a setting that encourages calmness and reflection, the project functions primarily as a pathway for yoga practitioners. The central idea is to guide occupants through various experiences, leading them from a grounded beginning to a sense of elevation and calm.

Site Integration

The journey starts with a bamboo walkway that serves as the main route across the site. This walkway meets a rammed earth wall, which provides a strong and solid presence. The wall mirrors the colors and textures of the local landscape, allowing it to blend in while still standing out. Functional areas for rest, changing, and washing are carved into the wall, highlighting practicality within the design.

Spatial Progression

As users move along the walkway, they navigate through spaces that transition from open to enclosed. The western side of the path is open to the elements, inviting fresh air and light, while the eastern side offers a more sheltered experience. Lush foliage lines the walkway, and openings in the structure allow plants to spill onto the path, enhancing the connection to the landscape and creating a richer atmosphere.

Verticality and Light

An important element of the design is the yoga studio, positioned above the walkway. Large windows provide a flow of natural light, and they frame views of the nearby zen garden. A clerestory window further illuminates the space, ensuring it feels open and bright. The presence of exposed timber beams adds structural support, while creating a visual frame that draws attention to the surrounding environment.

Community Space

When participants leave the yoga studio via a rammed earth staircase, they find themselves in the zen garden. This space offers a serene setting for reflection and community. With seating around a fire pit, individuals can gather and share experiences while enjoying the natural backdrop. The garden serves as the concluding part of the journey, emphasizing the shift from the focused practice of yoga to a tranquil outdoor space that encourages relaxation and connection.

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

Enter an open architecture
competition now

The Home of 
Shadows
The Home of Shadows
The light studies. Edition #4
The Next House: USA
The Next House: USA
20,000 USD Prize
The Architect's 
Chair
The Architect's Chair
Take a seat and make a statement! Edition #5
Kinderspace
Kinderspace
Architecture for Children’s Development #3
The Architect’s 
Stair
The Architect’s Stair
Take a step and make a statement! Edition #3
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2026
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2026
100,000€ Prize / 2026

The Next House: USA — A Global Call to Reimagine the American Suburb

`
Competition organisers

Buildner is launching The Next House: USA, a global architecture competition that challenges architects, designers, and thinkers to reimagine the American suburban home for the 21st century. For decades, the suburban house has symbolized comfort and stability, but today it often reflects excess, isolation, and environmental strain. This competition asks: how can the American home evolve to address climate urgency, economic pressures, and shifting social values?

Participants are tasked with designing a prototype home of no more than 1,500 sq ft (≈140 m²) for a household of two adults and one child. The design should be compact yet generous, adaptable, sustainable, affordable, and replicable across diverse U.S. contexts. More than a design exercise, the competition aims to spark a conversation about how homes can support healthier, smarter, and more connected communities.

The total prize fund is $20,000 USD. The final registration deadline is May 20, 2026, and winners will be announced on September 22, 2026. The Next House: USA invites architects, students, and visionaries worldwide to redefine what the American home means today—and what it should mean tomorrow.

The Next House: USA

Design the next suburban home for the USA

20,000 USD Prize ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 19 November 2025

Open architecture competitions

  • Closest deadline first
  • Project competitions first
    Selected winning projects have the potential to be constructed
  • Ideas competitions
    Experimental competitions with the focus on pushing the boundaries of creativity
new
The Next House: USA

Design the next suburban home for the USA

20,000 USD Prize ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 19 November 2025
new
Iceland 
Slow Sauna

Design slow sauna in Iceland

project COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 26 November 2025
Concrete 
Pavilion

Design a concrete pavilion

Edition #3 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 27 November 2025
new
Pavilion Atlas 2026

Design a story of your country

ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 21 January 2026

Recurring architecture competitions

new
The Home of 
Shadows

Design a home with no artificial lighting

The light studies. Edition #4 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility OPEN TO ALL
Early bird registration deadline 5 November 2025
The Last 
Nuclear Bomb Memorial

Design a memorial that speaks to the cause of ending all nuclear weapons programs

Edition #6 ideas COMPETITION SILENT CONTEST For this competition, NO DESCRIPTION TEXT is allowed. The architecture ideas must be communicated strictly with visuals.
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 13 November 2025
new
The Architect's 
Chair

Take a seat and make a statement!

Take a seat and make a statement! Edition #5 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 20 November 2025
Hospice - 
Home for the 
Terminally ill

Design a safe and supportive space to those struggling with a terminal illness

Edition #5 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 10,000 €
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 26 November 2025
Kinderspace

Design a kindergarten of tomorrow

Architecture for Children’s Development #3 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 26 November 2025
Museum of 
Emotions

Use architecture to create different emotional states

Edition #7 ideas COMPETITION SILENT CONTEST For this competition, NO DESCRIPTION TEXT is allowed. The architecture ideas must be communicated strictly with visuals.
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 27 November 2025
Re:Form - 
New Life 
for Old Spaces

Choose a site—used, abandoned, or forgotten—anywhere in the world, and give it a new purpose

Edition #2 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 3 December 2025
The Architect’s 
Stair

Take a step and make a statement!

Take a step and make a statement! Edition #3 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 15 January 2026
new
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2026

Celebrating your unbuilt architecture visions with a €100,000 prize

100,000€ Prize / 2026 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 €
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 26 February 2026

Media, partners and clients

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