Get inspired!

17,725 architecture projects

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

Reclaimed Wood Retreat with Courtyard Overlooking Cernostes Lake

Authors:
Thomas Stankowski, Nate St. John, Rachel Mordaunt, Dan Stripp, Nate St. John, Rachel Mordaunt, Dan Stripp
Reclaimed Wood Retreat with Courtyard Overlooking Cernostes Lake
Explore the full project presentation!
Subscribers only
Built from reclaimed wood and salvaged stone, the artist retreat harmonizes with its natural surroundings while offering flexible workshop spaces and communal areas for creative collaboration.
5 key facts about this project
01
Reclaimed wood cladding enhances sustainability and ties the retreat to local ecology.
02
Salvaged stone from nearby foundations ground the structure in its historical context.
03
Built-in greenhouse features complement the communal courtyard for biodiversity.
04
A ramped roof provides panoramic views of Cernostes Lake, encouraging exploration.
05
Flexible studio spaces adapt to varying needs of resident artists throughout the year.

The design situated near Cernostes Lake serves as an artist's retreat that integrates its form with the natural surroundings. The concept focuses on creating a setting that supports creativity while enhancing the relationship between the residents and the landscape. The structure features a diagonal shape that allows for efficient passive cooling and facilitates collaboration among artists.

Design Concept

The structure makes use of a diagonal line along a northwest axis to take advantage of wind patterns for ventilation. Workshop studios are placed to capture views of the lake, offering a light-filled environment for creative work. These spaces are adaptable, allowing them to be set up as open areas for gatherings or as smaller zones for focused individual work, striking a balance between collaboration and privacy.

Spatial Organization

The layout includes two separate living areas located in opposite corners, ensuring privacy for each artist's family. Communal spaces, like the kitchen and living room, encourage interaction among residents while also providing individual retreats. The large glass doors create a strong connection between indoor spaces and the outdoors, allowing natural light and views of the landscape to enter.

Sustainability and Materials

Sustainability is a key element of the design, highlighted by the choice of materials such as locally reclaimed wood and salvaged stone from existing structures. These materials connect the building to its cultural context and promote environmentally friendly practices. The roof features overhangs that collect sunlight in winter while thermal mass floors store heat, reflecting responses to local weather conditions.

Interior Features

The interior courtyard plays a role in bringing natural light and fresh air into the building. Rainwater collection systems support the responsible use of resources. Roof plantings not only add to insulation but also echo traditional thatched roofs. The ramp leading to the roof offers a high view of Cernostes Lake, enriching the experience of the retreat and inviting a deeper connection with the surrounding environment.

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