Get inspired!

17,725 architecture projects

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

Bipv-Integrated Villa Featuring Windcatchers and Traditional Mashrabiya Elements

Bipv-Integrated Villa Featuring Windcatchers and Traditional Mashrabiya Elements
Explore the full project presentation!
Subscribers only
Incorporating BIPV solar panels and traditional windcatchers, this villa utilizes natural ventilation and energy-efficient materials to create a sustainable family residence in Dubai.
5 key facts about this project
01
Incorporates Building-Integrated Photovoltaic solar panels within the roofing.
02
Features traditional windcatchers for enhanced passive cooling.
03
Utilizes mashrabiya for privacy and diffused natural light.
04
Employs high-quality insulation to optimize energy performance.
05
Includes water recycling systems for sustainable irrigation.

### Overview

Located in Dubai, UAE, this residential villa is designed to reflect contemporary architectural practices while honoring local cultural heritage. The intent is to create a living environment that merges energy efficiency with traditional aesthetics, resulting in a distinctive and functional residence. The design carefully considers the local climate and cultural context, ensuring relevance in a rapidly evolving urban landscape.

### Spatial Organization and Environmental Strategies

The villa encompasses a total plot area of 450 square meters, with a built-up area of 395 square meters, structured over two levels. The layout includes four bedrooms, a maid's room, a majlis for social gatherings, and a storage area, accommodating up to nine occupants. A focus on maximizing natural light and ventilation informs the internal arrangement, which features well-positioned balconies and patios that enhance the indoor-outdoor connection.

Key sustainable elements include the incorporation of Building-Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) solar panels, which not only generate electricity but also provide shading. Additionally, double roofing minimizes heat gain, promoting thermal comfort, while strategically placed windcatchers facilitate passive cooling. The use of traditional mashrabiya screens contributes to privacy and light management, enhancing both aesthetic and functional qualities.

### Material Selection and Sustainability

The selection of materials reflects a balance of modern durability and traditional form. The structure utilizes concrete for its strength, large glass panels for light optimization, and timber for warmth and charm. Insulation materials are employed to maximize energy efficiency and reduce cooling loads, while weather-resistant finishes ensure resilience against Dubai’s environmental conditions.

Sustainability is further prioritized through various strategies: the villa's annual energy use intensity is approximately 54,054 kWh/year, with cooling loads accounting for 37,764.54 kWh/year. BIPV systems are projected to generate around 48,000 kWh/year, significantly offsetting energy consumption. Water conservation measures, including wastewater treatment for irrigation and pressure-assisted fixtures, underline the commitment to sustainable living. Passive design techniques, such as optimal window placements and blackout curtains, enhance thermal performance by controlling heat gain.

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 Architect’s 
Stair
The Architect’s Stair
Take a step and make a statement! Edition #3
The Architect's 
Chair
The Architect's Chair
Take a seat and make a statement! Edition #5
MICROHOME 2026
MICROHOME 2026
100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #11
The Next House: USA
The Next House: USA
20,000 USD Prize
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
Advance registration deadline 18 February 2026

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
Rome 
Rain Rooms

Design a rain room for Rome

ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 14 January 2026
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
Iceland 
Slow Sauna

Design slow sauna in Iceland

project COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 28 January 2026
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
Advance registration deadline 18 February 2026

Recurring architecture competitions

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
Advance registration deadline 14 January 2026
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
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
Advance registration deadline 22 January 2026
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
Final registration deadline 4 February 2026
new
MICROHOME 2026

Design a new concept of small-scale home and share a prize fund of 100,000€

100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #11 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 €
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 11 February 2026
new
Museum of 
Emotions

Use architecture to create different emotional states

Edition #8 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
Early bird registration deadline 25 February 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