Get inspired!

17,725 architecture projects

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

Recycled Wood Integration and Green Roofs Amid Iceland's Thermal Caves

Authors:
Sergio Hernández Martos, Ignacio Montes Montero, María De La Luz Frías Piñero
Recycled Wood Integration and Green Roofs Amid Iceland's Thermal Caves
Explore the full project presentation!
Subscribers only
Built with recycled wood and topped with green roofs, the structure seamlessly blends into Iceland’s rift landscape while serving as a hub for visitors exploring the nearby thermal caves.
5 key facts about this project
01
Recycled wood panels are used throughout the structure to enhance sustainability.
02
Green roofs are designed to integrate with the natural landscape and promote biodiversity.
03
A double water system captures rainwater for building use while managing gray water for irrigation.
04
An observation tower offers strategic views of the surrounding geological features.
05
Pedestrian pathways facilitate direct access to the thermal caves, enhancing visitor engagement.

The Iceland Cave Tower is located in a unique geological area in Iceland, marked by the rift created by two tectonic plates. This distinctive setting serves as an important backdrop for a design that aims to enhance visitor interaction with the region's thermal caves. The design concept focuses on blending architecture with the natural surroundings, encouraging exploration while respecting the delicate environment.

Concept and Design Integration
The design emphasizes a connection between the architecture and the landscape. A network of pedestrian pathways guides visitors through key areas, allowing them to engage with the thermal caves and surrounding nature. This approach promotes movement and exploration, offering individuals a close-up experience of Iceland's geological features. The layout is carefully planned to ensure accessibility, making it easy for visitors to navigate and enjoy the site.

Functional Elements
Key components of the design include a reception building with an observation tower that serves as the main entry point. This structure helps orient visitors while providing views of the impressive geological formations in the area. An observation deck is thoughtfully placed within the layout to allow guests to appreciate the landscape from different perspectives. Additionally, parking and intervention areas have been integrated to support visitor access, ensuring minimal disruption to the natural landscape.

Sustainability Practices
Sustainability is a significant focus of the design, reflected in both material choices and environmental management techniques. Wood panels made from recycled materials are utilized, aiming to reduce environmental impact and highlight ecological awareness. Extensive green roofs and efficient drainage systems are incorporated, further emphasizing the commitment to sustainability and the preservation of the area’s natural resources.

Water Resource Management
The design also features a double water system that reduces stress on the local aquifer. This system captures rainwater for use in the building and filters gray water for irrigation. Such measures demonstrate an understanding of water conservation, ensuring that the building meets visitor needs while promoting ecological balance.

The observation deck provides clear views across the landscape, framed by the natural edges of the rift, allowing visitors to connect with the geological heritage of Iceland.

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