Get inspired!

17,725 architecture projects

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

Lightweight Structure with Nepalese Wood and Solar Panels for Remote Sanitation

Author:
Nathan Chiu
Lightweight Structure with Nepalese Wood and Solar Panels for Remote Sanitation
Explore the full project presentation!
Subscribers only
Constructed with a lightweight structure and local Nepalese wood, this facility incorporates solar panels and composting toilet technology to effectively address health and sanitation needs in a high-altitude environment.
5 key facts about this project
01
Constructed for quick assembly and disassembly in remote locations.
02
Utilizes lightweight components for transportation by helicopter or yaks.
03
Integrates composting toilet technology to minimize environmental impact.
04
Incorporates solar panels for sustainable energy generation.
05
Designed specifically for high-altitude health and sanitation needs.

The Sagarmatha Snowdrift Sanctuary is a carefully designed facility located on the slopes of Mt. Everest, aimed at meeting important health and sanitation needs in a challenging environment. It serves multiple functions, acting as both a health station and a sanitation facility. The design concept focuses on resilience and sustainability, ensuring that the structure is effective while also being mindful of the ecological requirements of the area.

Design Concept

The primary design of the Sagarmatha Snowdrift Sanctuary emphasizes its role as a multifunctional health and sanitation station. The layout prioritizes easy assembly and disassembly, allowing for rapid deployment when necessary. Thoughtful organization within the space enhances accessibility, ensuring that users can navigate it efficiently and comfortably.

Material Selection

Materials play a significant role in the building's effectiveness and relevance. Steel is used for its strength, which is essential given the conditions at high altitudes. Local Nepalese wood is incorporated to establish a connection to the surroundings, respecting both culture and environment. Additionally, solar photovoltaic panels generate renewable energy for the facility, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable design.

Functional Features

A key feature of the sanctuary is its composting toilet technology, which aligns with the goals of the Gorakshep Processing Facility. This innovative approach addresses sanitation issues without harming the ecosystem, which is crucial in such a fragile setting.

The design accommodates the need for mobility as well. The sanctuary's components are light enough to be carried by helicopter or yaks, making transportation feasible in this remote location.

The building's exterior is robust yet simple, blending into its mountainous surroundings while fulfilling the required functions of a health and sanitation station. This attention to detail ensures that it serves its purpose effectively, all while being situated in the demanding conditions found at Mt. Everest.

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

Enter an open architecture
competition now

Pavilion Atlas 2026: Rethinking Nations Through Architectural Storytelling

`
Competition organisers

Buildner launches Pavilion Atlas 2026, a global architecture competition inviting designers to create conceptual pavilions that tell the story of a country. Participants are challenged to express cultural, social, environmental, or political identity through spatial storytelling, focusing on ideas rather than symbols or technical constraints. The competition offers a total prize fund of €20,000, with final registration open until September 16, 2026, and winners to be announced on December 8, 2026. All submissions will become part of a global design archive.

Pavilion Atlas 2026

Design a story of your country

ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 16 September 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
The Oak 
Moon 
Pavilion

Design a yoga pavilion in Italy

project COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 27 August 2026
Vancouver 
Tall Challenge

Design the future of Vancouver’s skyline

Building higher downtown ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 9 September 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
Portugal Long Table 
Restaurant

Design a slow-living restaurant in Portugal

project COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 23 September 2026
New York High Falls 
Riverfront Market

Design a New Riverfront Market in Rochester, New York

ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 7 October 2026
Valli Wine 
Tasting Room

Design a wine tasting room in Italy

project COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 8 October 2026
The 
Quiet 
Tower

Design an observation tower in Latvia

project COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 15 October 2026

Recurring architecture competitions

Kinderspace

Design a kindergarten of tomorrow

Architecture for Children’s Development #4 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 27 August 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
Final registration deadline 10 September 2026
new
Museum of 
Emotions

Use architecture to create different emotional states

Edition #9 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
Early bird registration deadline 10 September 2026
Underbridge #2

Design housing in underutilized bridge spaces

Affordable Housing Edition #20 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 17 September 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
Final registration deadline 23 September 2026
The 
Architect's 
Chair

Take a seat and make a statement!

Stockholm Furniture Fair Edition #6 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award + Exhibition at Stockholm Furniture Fair
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 24 September 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