Get inspired!

17,725 architecture projects

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

Local Brick and Green Roofs Defining a Tranquil Retreat in the Umbrian Valley

Author:
Matthew Potts
Local Brick and Green Roofs Defining a Tranquil Retreat in the Umbrian Valley
Explore the full project presentation!
Subscribers only
Rooted in the local context, the guest house integrates a courtyard surrounded by guest suites with local brick facades and green roofs, offering a serene space for visitors to experience the culture and flavors of the Umbrian Valley.
5 key facts about this project
01
Local brick is used for cladding, enhancing regional character.
02
The design incorporates green roofs to promote biodiversity.
03
A central courtyard features flowing water and cypress trees.
04
Guest suites include clerestory windows for natural light.
05
An existing farm building is transformed into a wine cellar.

The Certosa guest house is located in the Umbrian Valley and serves as a retreat that connects visitors with the local landscape and the offerings of Tili Vini, a nearby winery. The design is inspired by the traditional form of a monastery, creating a peaceful environment for guests. By renovating existing buildings and adding new elements, the guest house creates a strong link between its historical context and modern design.

Design Concept

The concept focuses on how buildings interact with their surroundings. The project preserves the existing structures while incorporating new designs that enhance the site. A connecting arcade brings different parts of the guest house together, ensuring that movement through the area is smooth and visually cohesive. This approach respects the history of the Umbrian Valley while providing modern conveniences for guests.

Spatial Arrangement

The layout of the guest suites centers around a calm courtyard. This arrangement encourages guests to gather and interact while also allowing for quiet moments of reflection. The courtyard features gentle water flows and cypress trees, creating a relaxing atmosphere. It also acts as a space for shared experiences, such as wine tastings and meals that highlight local ingredients.

Sustainability Practices

Sustainability is a key consideration in the design. Existing structures have been retained and updated to minimize the carbon footprint. Flat roofs are designed with green elements to support biodiversity and improve insulation. Local brick has been chosen for the new buildings, reinforcing the relationship between the architecture and the cultural backdrop of the region.

Interior Features

Each guest suite balances spaces for privacy and togetherness. They feature kitchens and living areas with thermally broken steel doors for energy efficiency. Careful placement of clerestory windows allows natural light to fill the interiors and frames beautiful views of the surrounding hills. Cozy fireplaces provide warmth and comfort, making each suite a welcoming space for visitors to relax and enjoy their time in the Umbrian Valley.

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

Enter an open architecture
competition now

Denver Affordable Housing Challenge
Denver Affordable Housing Challenge
Affordable Housing Series 19th Edition
The Architect's 
Chair
The Architect's Chair
Take a seat and make a statement! Edition #4
MICROHOME
MICROHOME
100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #10
The Architect’s 
Stair
The Architect’s Stair
Take a step and make a statement! Edition #3
Kinderspace
Kinderspace
Architecture for Children’s Development #3
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

`
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

  • 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
Denver Affordable Housing Challenge

AIA (American Institute of Architects) invites you to design affordable housing in Denver

Affordable Housing Series 19th Edition ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 18 September 2025

Recurring architecture competitions

The Architect's 
Chair

Take a seat and make a statement!

Take a seat and make a statement! Edition #4 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 18 September 2025
Museum of 
Emotions

Use architecture to create different emotional states

Edition #7 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
Advance registration deadline 18 September 2025
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
new
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 #2 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 2 October 2025
Hospice - 
Home for the 
Terminally ill

Design a safe and supportive space to those struggling with a terminal illness

Edition #5 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 10,000 €
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 9 October 2025
new
The Architect’s 
Stair

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
Kinderspace

Design a kindergarten of tomorrow

Architecture for Children’s Development #3 ideas COMPETITION
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

100,000€ Prize / 2025 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 €
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 30 October 2025
The Last 
Nuclear Bomb Memorial

Design a memorial that speaks to the cause of ending all nuclear weapons programs

Edition #6 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
Final registration deadline 13 November 2025
Concrete 
Pavilion

Design a concrete pavilion

Edition #3 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 27 November 2025

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