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Folding Facade with Elevated Access for Enhanced User Engagement

Author:
Caden Mcwilliams
Folding Facade with Elevated Access for Enhanced User Engagement

Project in-detail

The folding facade and elevated base create a versatile environment that promotes user engagement, offering a transformative space for meditation and reflection.
5 key facts about this project
01
The exterior facade folds into itself for compactness and portability.
02
The elevated base allows access from multiple directions for enhanced interaction.
03
A hollow inner structure reduces weight while maintaining stability.
04
The design encourages user agency in personalizing their meditation experience.
05
Dynamic spatial manipulation fosters introspection and communal connection.

The design integrates user interaction with spatial manipulation through a framework called "Revolutions." It focuses on how occupants can adjust their relationship with the external environment. The aim is to create a space that supports meditation and personal reflection, emphasizing the connection between the user and the surrounding area. This focus on agency sets a foundation for a deeply engaging experience.

Mullion Structure

Central to the design is the mullion structure, which allows the exterior facade to fold in on itself. This unique feature promotes both compactness and portability, making the building adaptable to different settings. The folding mechanism creates opportunities for varied interactions, allowing individuals to customize their experience based on their needs.

Elevated Base

The elevated base enhances accessibility by allowing users to approach the space from various directions. This choice promotes movement and invites exploration around the structure. Visually, the base appears stable and heavy, resembling a solid foundation, yet it employs a hollow inner structure to keep the weight down while maintaining strength. This combination of stability and lightness enhances the overall design.

Spatial Dynamics

The design showcases a balance between integrity and adaptability, prioritizing user experience. It emphasizes how space can be arranged to support both introspection and social interaction. Each aspect of the design invites occupants to engage with their surroundings, making the architecture not just a physical form but a catalyst for personal reflection.

The exterior facade’s folding capability serves a dual purpose, combining functionality with visual intrigue. It highlights the relationship between the user and the environment, offering both practicality and an aesthetic narrative that enriches the overall experience.

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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

Enter an open architecture
competition now

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