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Elevated Coastal Retreat Featuring Angular Design and Steel Framework
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An elevated structure on stilts, constructed with a steel framework and expansive glass facades, maximizes coastal views while providing a functional living space that integrates seamlessly with its maritime environment.
5 key facts about this project
01
An elevated design on three steel supports minimizes site disruption and enhances ocean views.
02
Extensive use of glass creates a seamless visual connection between interior spaces and the exterior landscape.
03
The combination of angular forms and an A-frame structure offers distinctive aesthetic and functional benefits.
04
Sustainable wood materials include cross-laminated panels, ensuring durability and environmental sensitivity.
05
The layout balances communal gathering areas with private zones, fostering both interaction and solitude.

### Project Overview
Located on Pahlitt Beach in southern Sweden, the Beach Box is a two-story beach house designed to foster a strong connection with its coastal environment. The structure emphasizes openness and aims to maximize views while enhancing spatial interactions. The architectural intent promotes a respectful relationship with the surrounding landscape, prioritizing both functionality and aesthetic coherence.

### Spatial Dynamics and Structural Design
The Beach Box features an innovative elevated design supported by three angled legs, which minimizes disruption to the sandy beach and respects the natural topography. This elevation not only offers protection from potential flooding but also provides unobstructed vistas of the coastline. The open floor plan enhances social interaction among occupants, facilitating smooth transitions between living areas while permitting ample natural light to permeate the interiors, effectively creating a sense of spaciousness.

### Materiality and Sustainability
The architectural vocabulary of the Beach Box is defined by a careful selection of materials that reinforce its contemporary coastal character. The use of steel in the structural framework ensures durability and enables intricate forms, while extensive glass surfaces contribute to transparency and connection with the outdoors. Wood accents are incorporated in flooring and outdoor decking, providing a warm contrast to the steel and glass. Concrete is utilized for the foundation, ensuring stability against tidal forces. This thoughtful material selection not only reinforces the visual and tactile qualities of the house but also emphasizes sustainability through durability and climate responsiveness. The minimal footprint, combined with the design's elevated nature, helps preserve the coastal flora and reduce environmental impact.

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MICROHOME
MICROHOME
100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #10
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Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025
100,000€ Prize / 2025

MICROHOME 10: Celebrating Small-Scale Living with €100,000 Prize Fund and Kingspan’s Innovation

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Competition organisers

The MICROHOME 10 competition invites participants to submit visionary designs for off-grid, modular microhomes that push the limits of sustainable, small-scale living. Organised by Buildner in partnership with Kingspan and Hapi Homes, this tenth edition sets the challenge of designing a dwelling for two people within a maximum floor area of 25 m², encouraging bold solutions adaptable to any urban or rural location. The competition continues Buildner’s mission to foster innovative approaches to compact, energy-efficient housing that can address pressing global challenges.

This year’s edition offers a generous total prize fund of €100,000, including the Kingspan Award for designs that integrate high-performance Kingspan products and the Hapi Homes Award for a project selected for real-world construction. In addition to cash prizes, the winners gain international exposure through Buildner’s media partnerships, publications, and a dedicated MICROHOME magazine, further amplifying their ideas to the wider architectural community.

Key dates for MICROHOME 10 include the closing date for registration on 25 September 2025, the submission deadline on 29 October 2025 (11:59 p.m. London time), and the announcement of winners on 9 December 2025. These milestones ensure participants have clear timelines to develop and present their concepts, with early registration discounts available to support students and emerging designers worldwide.

MICROHOME

Design a new small-scale home concept in the 10th edition of MICROHOME — 100,000 € prize + construction

100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #10 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 € + Potential realisation
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 25 September 2025

Open architecture competitions

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    Experimental competitions with the focus on pushing the boundaries of creativity

Recurring architecture competitions

MICROHOME

Design a new small-scale home concept in the 10th edition of MICROHOME — 100,000 € prize + construction

100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #10 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 € + Potential realisation
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 25 September 2025
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Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 2 October 2025
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Terminally ill

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Advance registration deadline 9 October 2025
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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
Early bird registration deadline 15 October 2025
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Design a kindergarten of tomorrow

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Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 16 October 2025
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025

Celebrating your unbuilt architecture visions with a €100,000 prize

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Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 30 October 2025
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Design a memorial that speaks to the cause of ending all nuclear weapons programs

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Final registration deadline 13 November 2025
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Design a concrete pavilion

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Use architecture to create different emotional states

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Final registration deadline 27 November 2025

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