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Culturally Inspired Home Featuring Custom Mashrabiya and Sustainable Materials

Culturally Inspired Home Featuring Custom Mashrabiya and Sustainable Materials
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Custom-designed mashrabiyas inspired by local heritage enhance privacy and light control in a structurally robust home that seamlessly integrates sustainable materials and contemporary living spaces.
5 key facts about this project
01
Custom mashrabiyas inspired by local heritage enhance natural ventilation and light filtration.
02
High durability reinforced concrete forms the structure, ensuring long-term stability.
03
Interior layouts prioritize cultural gathering spaces while maintaining private areas.
04
Vertical gardens integrated into the design improve biodiversity and air quality.
05
Double-height living spaces create a sense of openness and connectivity with the landscape.

## Overview
The Hubara House is located in a region of the UAE that necessitates a nuanced understanding of cultural values, particularly regarding privacy within Emirati society. The design optimizes site constraints while adhering to the competition brief. Assigned with the task of maximizing spatial efficiency, the architects have developed a layout that thoughtfully maintains privacy and facilitates connections between various areas of the house.

## Spatial Configuration and Access
The layout strategically employs three entrances that promote a fluid congregational environment, directing guests to communal areas such as the Majlis while preserving the seclusion of private spaces. The central mass of the house is interrupted by carefully designed voids that enhance air circulation and natural lighting. These elements also contribute to the overall visual interest of the structure, minimizing street-level intrusion while capitalizing on the abundant daylight.

## Material and Environmental Integration
The selection of materials facilitates both aesthetic goals and practical durability. Reinforced concrete forms the structural framework, ensuring stability, while large glass panels in the facades maximize light entry and connectivity to the exterior landscape. Metal elements, such as the mashrabiyas and louvers, serve both decorative and functional purposes—providing shading and enhancing privacy. Sustainable vegetation is incorporated in vertical gardens and along the property's boundaries, contributing to improved environmental quality and biodiversity. The architectural design incorporates passive cooling strategies, including roof overhangs and optimized ventilation, creating a comfortable indoor climate while reinforcing the house's environmental sustainability.

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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

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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

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