Get inspired!

17,725 architecture projects

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

Metal Frames and Red Accents Defining Community Connections in Iceland

Author:
Maria Volter
Metal Frames and Red Accents Defining Community Connections in Iceland
Explore the full project presentation!
Subscribers only
Constructed with intersecting metal frames and highlighted by red accents, the community center in Iceland offers a dynamic space for social interaction and sustainability through hands-on activities like recycling.
5 key facts about this project
01
The upper building maximizes views with a circular layout that encourages movement.
02
The lower building features a bold red façade, serving as a visual landmark.
03
Pathways connect the buildings, designed for both pedestrians and electric vehicles.
04
An inclined entrance highlights the verticality of the upper building's design.
05
Skylights are strategically placed to enhance natural light throughout the interior.

The community center features two distinct buildings: an upper and a lower structure. These buildings are designed to serve different functions while maintaining a strong connection with the surrounding landscape. Located on a hillside, the upper building is oriented to maximize views and acts as a gathering place for relaxation, social interaction, food cultivation, and community events. The design reflects a careful balance of purpose and aesthetic considerations, creating a welcoming environment for all users.

Upper Building Design

The upper building is organized in a circular layout that encourages movement among different spaces. This design allows for panoramic views of the surrounding landscape, enhancing the community experience. Skylights are strategically placed within the roof to provide natural light throughout the interior, contributing to a bright and open atmosphere. The architecture prioritizes openness and interaction, facilitating various communal activities within a clearly defined space.

Lower Building Functionality

In contrast, the lower building focuses more on practicality and sustainability. It offers facilities for hands-on activities such as recycling and resource reuse. The structure is designed in a distinctive red sequence, making it a noticeable feature in the landscape while serving operational needs. Its location near the main road allows for easy vehicle access, complemented by a nearby parking area and a dedicated waste collection zone along the north façade for effective management of materials.

Connectivity and Accessibility

Connecting the upper and lower buildings are pathways designed for easy circulation. These include a step walkway and unpaved lanes that accommodate electric vehicles. Both elements underscore the importance of accessibility and promote movement between the two structures. The main entrance to the upper building is inviting, featuring an inclined path that enhances the visitor experience while highlighting the design's verticality.

Structural Concept and Materials

The design's structural concept relies on two intersecting rings of metal frames. This innovative approach creates a transparent volume that appears to float above the landscape, supported at minimal contact points. The design blends functionality with aesthetics, emphasizing contemporary architecture. The careful balance of solid and transparent elements allows the community center to merge with its surroundings while providing shelter and gathering spaces for its users.

Natural light pours in through the expansive glass, creating an inviting atmosphere. With each detail, the building fosters connections between people and their environment, making it a place where community members can gather, share, and engage with one another.

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

Enter an open architecture
competition now

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 Home of 
Shadows
The Home of Shadows
The light studies. Edition #4
The Architect’s 
Stair
The Architect’s Stair
Take a step and make a statement! Edition #3
MICROHOME 2026
MICROHOME 2026
100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #11
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

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 Home of 
Shadows

Design a home with no artificial lighting

The light studies. Edition #4 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 14 January 2026
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
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
Early bird registration deadline 11 February 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