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Living Walls and Steel Framework Redefining Modular Residential Design

Living Walls and Steel Framework Redefining Modular Residential Design
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Utilizing a central steel core and integrated living walls, this residential design reimagines modular living with a focus on adaptability and community engagement.
5 key facts about this project
01
Designed with a central steel core to enhance structural integrity and flexibility.
02
Incorporates integrated living walls to improve air quality and aesthetics.
03
Features cross-laminated timber panels for efficient, sustainable construction.
04
Utilizes charred wooden shingles to provide a durable, weather-resistant exterior.
05
The bent A-frame design allows for optimal natural light and spatial openness.

## Overview

Located in a vibrant residential area, this design reinterprets contemporary living by emphasizing flexibility, sustainability, and a cohesive relationship with the surrounding environment. The project aims to move beyond conventional residential models, which often prioritize density and box-like structures, by offering a more individualized and adaptive living experience. The central idea centers on a trunk-like core that serves as the backbone for modular living units, facilitating diverse spatial arrangements that cater to a variety of lifestyles.

## Structural Framework and Materiality

The modular system is characterized by its reliance on a central core that provides all primary structural support, allowing for distinctive configurations of living spaces. This design minimizes spatial inefficiencies, ensuring each unit receives ample natural light and maintains privacy. The use of a steel framework enhances durability, while glass used in the modular units fosters transparency and a connection with the outdoors. Additionally, wooden elements in the façade and interior finishes contribute warmth, resonating with the treehouse metaphor that inspired the overall concept. Concrete forms a stable base, ensuring solid ground interaction with the landscape, while living walls promote ecological benefits such as improved air quality and visual ties to nature.

## Community Interaction and Functional Distribution

Functional distribution across multiple levels is strategically designed to enhance the user experience. Vertical circulation, facilitated through stairs and elevators, promotes accessibility and encourages interaction among residents while preserving individual privacy. Shared communal spaces are incorporated to foster community engagement, allowing for moments of connection as well as the option for personal retreat. This thoughtful arrangement strikes a balance between individual retreat and collective interaction, positioning the project as a contemporary residential solution that is both functional and community-oriented.

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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.

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Early bird registration deadline 19 November 2025

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