Get inspired!

17,725 architecture projects

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

Cork-Walled Retreat Elevated Above Nature's Embrace

Author:
Lukas Keller
Cork-Walled Retreat Elevated Above Nature's Embrace
Explore the full project presentation!
Subscribers only
Elevated on pillars and clad in cork, the retreat integrates seamlessly with its surroundings while providing a tranquil space dedicated to meditation and self-reflection.
5 key facts about this project
01
Elevated design reduces moisture impact on wooden structure.
02
Cork wall coverings provide acoustic insulation and visual texture.
03
Front terrace includes a meditation zone and herb garden.
04
Minimalist kitchen incorporates rainwater harvesting for sustainability.
05
Rounded edges enhance integration with the natural landscape.

The Meditation Cabin located on the Ozolini Teamakers Farm in Latvia serves as a quiet retreat designed to promote meditation and relaxation within a natural landscape. The overall design focuses on simplicity and practicality, emphasizing a close relationship with the surrounding environment. The cabin aims to provide a space for individuals to step away from daily routines and reflect in peace.

Design Concept
The cabin is designed to create a strong connection with nature, using a form that blends into its surroundings. Its rounded edges contribute to a softer aesthetic and enhance its fit within the landscape. This approach helps cultivate a sense of safety and calm, allowing users to fully engage with the stunning scenery of the Ozolini area.

Spatial Organization
Inside, the cabin is laid out in distinct areas that serve specific purposes. There is a meditation space, kitchen, bathroom, and sleeping area, each optimized for functionality. This clear organization allows for comfortable movement throughout the cabin while ensuring a light, open feel. Large windows are strategically placed to invite in natural light and provide views of the outdoor environment, linking the interior to the exterior seamlessly.

Material Choices
The materials chosen for the cabin play an important role in its character and functionality. Wooden planks for the floor offer a warm, welcoming touch to the space. Cork is used for the lower walls, providing both sound insulation and visual interest, while light plasterboard above creates a sense of height. These choices highlight a commitment to environmental awareness, aligning with the overall design philosophy.

Elevational Design
The cabin is raised on pillars, protecting it from moisture and creating a lighter appearance, as if it is gently poised above the ground. This elevation allows for easy access via a short flight of stairs, welcoming visitors to enter the space. A front terrace extends the living area outdoors, featuring a meditation zone and a small raised bed for growing herbs and vegetables, underlining the emphasis on self-sufficiency.

At the back, the kitchen is minimalist but functional, equipped with essential amenities. Water is gathered from a filtered rain barrel, reinforcing the theme of sustainable living. The overall details of the cabin, including large windows and soft interior finishes, create a calming atmosphere that encourages reflection and mindfulness.

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

Enter an open architecture
competition now

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 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
MICROHOME 2026
MICROHOME 2026
100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #11
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

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 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
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
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