Get inspired!

17,725 architecture projects

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

Cozy Isolation with Circular Layout and Efficient Insulation

Authors:
Tomasz Wuczynski, Klaudia Walaszek, Kuba Róziewicz, Bartłomiej Kolenda
Cozy Isolation with Circular Layout and Efficient Insulation
Explore the full project presentation!
Subscribers only
A circular layout enhances energy efficiency and creates a tranquil atmosphere for a guest house designed to provide cozy isolation amidst the rugged Icelandic landscape.
5 key facts about this project
01
Circular layout maximizes usable space while minimizing thermal loss.
02
Long corridors enhance solitude and facilitate gradual transitions between private and communal areas.
03
Energy-efficient design incorporates ground coverage for improved insulation.
04
Large openings frame views of the sky and landscape, integrating nature into the experience.
05
Private rooms are designed for safety and tranquility amidst a harsh environment.

The Iceland Thermal Springs Guest House is a retreat set against the rugged landscape of Iceland. Designed for visitors seeking comfort and a deeper connection with nature, the building reflects a concept of cozy isolation. Here, warm and secure interiors provide a stark contrast to the cold exterior, allowing guests to experience both quiet solitude and lively community interactions.

Spatial Organization

The design features long, private corridors that separate guest rooms from shared spaces. This thoughtful layout promotes tranquility by enabling guests to enjoy moments of peace while still providing access to communal areas for social engagement. The corridors serve as transitions, guiding movement between the desire for quiet and the opportunity for connection with others.

Energy Efficiency

Attention to energy conservation is clear in the building’s circular layout. This shape maximizes usable space while reducing wall surfaces, which enhances insulation. Selective heating strategies adapt to varying occupancy levels and weather conditions. Ground coverage is incorporated into the design, contributing to overall thermal efficiency and ensuring guests remain comfortable inside, regardless of the harsh climate outside.

Connection to Nature

Large openings throughout the guest house invite views of the sky and surrounding landscape. This design choice creates a strong link between the interior and exterior, allowing guests to feel attuned to the natural beauty that exists just outside their windows. Such elements reinforce the focus on tranquility within nature, reminding visitors of their unique setting even while indoors.

Aesthetic Considerations

The overall aesthetics of the guest house emphasize functionality and simplicity, respecting the natural surroundings. The interplay of light and shadows produced by the expansive windows adds a dynamic quality to the interiors, enhancing the atmosphere throughout the day. This attention to detail enriches the experience and encourages guests to engage meaningfully with both the architecture and the beautiful landscape that envelops them.

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

Enter an open architecture
competition now

Mujassam Watan Urban Sculpture Challenge #8

Mujassam Watan Urban Sculpture Challenge #8

Design iconic urban sculptures for the prestigious Mujassam Watan competition and compete for 50,000 €

50,000 € PRIZE project COMPETITION
Prize 50,000 + Potential realisation
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 23 July 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
Portugal Long Table 
Restaurant

Design a slow-living restaurant in Portugal

project COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 8 July 2026
Mujassam Watan 
Urban Sculpture Challenge #8

Design iconic urban sculptures for the prestigious Mujassam Watan competition and compete for 50,000 €

50,000 € PRIZE project COMPETITION
Prize 50,000 + Potential realisation
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 23 July 2026
new
Valli Wine 
Tasting Room

Design a wine tasting room in Italy

project COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 30 July 2026
Pavilion Atlas 2026

Design a story of your country

ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 16 September 2026

Recurring architecture competitions

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
Final registration deadline 18 June 2026
new
Kinderspace

Design a kindergarten of tomorrow

Architecture for Children’s Development #4 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 18 June 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 #3 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 2 July 2026
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
Advance registration deadline 9 July 2026
Underbridge #2

Design housing in underutilized bridge spaces

Affordable Housing Edition #20 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 16 July 2026
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
Final registration deadline 30 September 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