Get inspired!

17,725 architecture projects

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

Meditative Courtyard Surrounded by Folded Roof Pavilions

Authors:
Petrea Sweeny, Aurelie Frolet
Meditative Courtyard Surrounded by Folded Roof Pavilions
Explore the full project presentation!
Subscribers only
A folded roof plane embraces four distinct pavilions, creating a meditative courtyard that enhances daily routines through mindful engagement with both the interior and surrounding environment.
5 key facts about this project
01
Four distinct pavilions designed for specific functions enhance spatial flexibility.
02
A central meditative courtyard is open to the sky, promoting natural light and airflow.
03
A folded roof plane channels rainwater into a cistern, emphasizing sustainability.
04
Cross-ventilation features support summer use, while a wood-burning stove caters to winter.
05
The design encourages perambulatory meditation through purposeful movement between spaces.

The Part-to-Whole House presents a modern way of living that challenges conventional designs. Located in a calm area, this residence emphasizes a thoughtful layout where four separate pavilions cater to distinct functions: sleeping, washing, reading, and relaxation. Central to the design is a meditative courtyard that enhances the connection between the indoors and outdoors. This layout promotes mindfulness, inviting residents to engage with their environment more deeply.

Spatial Configuration

The structure breaks away from typical home layouts by dividing activities into individual pavilions. This segmentation offers each space its own character while still creating a harmonious overall design. Such a layout allows occupants greater flexibility, making it easy for them to interact with different areas based on their needs. The movement between these distinct spaces fosters a sense of purpose throughout daily life.

Central Courtyard

A central feature is the meditative courtyard, which acts as a gathering place uniting the four pavilions. The courtyard is open to the sky, allowing natural light to flood the area and inviting the elements into daily living. Through this open design, a connection to nature is established, encouraging inhabitants to reflect and practice mindfulness in their everyday routines.

Roof and Sustainability

The roof is designed as a single folded plane that visually connects the pavilions while also serving practical functions. It collects rainwater, which is directed into a cistern located in the courtyard. This reflects a commitment to sustainable practices, emphasizing the importance of resource management. The design integrates eco-friendly features, highlighting the relationship between built spaces and the natural world.

Seasonal Engagement

The design considers seasonal changes by including features tailored for varying climates. One pavilion is equipped with ample cross-ventilation for summer use, while another contains a wood-burning stove to provide warmth in winter. These thoughtful adaptations ensure that the home resonates with the natural cycles of the environment, inviting residents to experience seasonal variations as they move through different spaces.

In the meditative courtyard, the rainwater cistern quietly serves as a functional detail, illustrating the thoughtful connection between the residence and its surroundings.

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

Enter an open architecture
competition now

The Home of 
Shadows
The Home of Shadows
The light studies. Edition #4
The Next House: USA
The Next House: USA
20,000 USD Prize
The Architect's 
Chair
The Architect's Chair
Take a seat and make a statement! Edition #5
Kinderspace
Kinderspace
Architecture for Children’s Development #3
The Architect’s 
Stair
The Architect’s Stair
Take a step and make a statement! Edition #3
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2026
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2026
100,000€ Prize / 2026

The Next House: USA — A Global Call to Reimagine the American Suburb

`
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.

The Next House: USA

Design the next suburban home for the USA

20,000 USD Prize ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 19 November 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
new
The Next House: USA

Design the next suburban home for the USA

20,000 USD Prize ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 19 November 2025
new
Iceland 
Slow Sauna

Design slow sauna in Iceland

project COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 26 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
new
Pavilion Atlas 2026

Design a story of your country

ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 21 January 2026

Recurring architecture competitions

new
The Home of 
Shadows

Design a home with no artificial lighting

The light studies. Edition #4 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 5 November 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
new
The Architect's 
Chair

Take a seat and make a statement!

Take a seat and make a statement! Edition #5 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 20 November 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
Final registration deadline 26 November 2025
Kinderspace

Design a kindergarten of tomorrow

Architecture for Children’s Development #3 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 26 November 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
Final registration deadline 27 November 2025
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
Advance registration deadline 3 December 2025
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
Advance registration deadline 15 January 2026
new
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
Early bird registration deadline 26 February 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