Get inspired!

17,725 architecture projects

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

Circular Huts with Concrete Roofs and Reflective Water Features for Creative Retreats

Authors:
James Maurer, Alex Villa
Circular Huts with Concrete Roofs and Reflective Water Features for Creative Retreats
Explore the full project presentation!
Subscribers only
Experimenting with circular forms and incorporating reflective water features, the design blends concrete and natural elements to create intimate spaces that encourage creativity and contemplation.
5 key facts about this project
01
Huts utilize circular forms to enhance unity and foster connection to nature.
02
Reflective water features are integrated into the courtyards for meditation and contemplation.
03
Concrete roofs provide durability while minimizing maintenance in a coastal environment.
04
High-efficiency insulation improves energy performance and comfort year-round.
05
The layout promotes a balance of solitude and community interaction among occupants.

The Pāvilosta Poet Huts are located on the coast of Pāvilosta, Latvia, designed to promote reflection and creativity. They respond to their natural surroundings, offering spaces that encourage deep thinking and artistic expression. The overall concept focuses on creating a harmonious relationship between people and nature, inviting a connection between the built environment and personal experiences.

Spatial Arrangement

The layout consists of a series of interconnected circular huts that form intimate courtyards. This design facilitates both solitude and community, allowing for moments of quietude as well as opportunities for social interaction. The circular shapes emphasize unity and continuity, reflecting the organic forms found in nature.

Material Selection

Materials are chosen carefully to support both function and sustainability in the huts. The concrete roof is cast in place and features integral coloring, which contributes to strength and visual cohesion. A waterproofing membrane protects the structures from the coastal elements, while the use of double glazing combined with operable clerestory windows ensures proper ventilation and light control. Additionally, high-efficiency phenolic foam enhances thermal performance, making the huts more energy-efficient.

Sensory Engagement

The design is aimed at engaging the senses and enhancing the experience of those who inhabit the huts. Water plays an important role, incorporated through meditative pools and reflecting surfaces that add tranquility to the courtyards. These features deepen the connection to the environment and create a peaceful atmosphere that supports creativity and introspection.

Environmental Integration

The Poet Huts are carefully integrated into their coastal environment, considering the natural landscape and its ecological characteristics. The design maintains a relationship with historical architectural styles present in the region while introducing contemporary approaches. The interaction between the huts and the coastal scenery includes the sounds and sights of the sea, enriching daily experiences for visitors and residents alike.

The dynamic qualities of the landscape harmonize with the architectural forms, creating spaces that are at once calming and inspiring. Each hut encourages an active engagement with the natural world, allowing occupants to immerse themselves in their surroundings while reflecting on their thoughts and creativity.

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