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Solar-Powered Community Hub Featuring Integrated Creeper Plants

Author:
Jia ying Mak
Solar-Powered Community Hub Featuring Integrated Creeper Plants

Project in-detail

With integrated solar panels and creeping vegetation, the community hub emphasizes sustainable living and wellness, providing spaces for social interaction and yoga.
5 key facts about this project
01
Integrated solar panels provide energy for lighting and cooking.
02
Creeper plants are cultivated within the furniture design.
03
Sun jali elements create dynamic light patterns indoors.
04
Open-plan layout fosters communal interactions and ventilation.
05
Rainwater harvesting systems irrigate the edible garden.

The Desabafar is an architectural endeavor that reflects a balance between sustainability, functionality, and community engagement. Set within a natural landscape, the design serves various functions, providing energy-efficient living spaces while encouraging connections among inhabitants. The concept emphasizes harmony with the environment through a modern approach to traditional design elements, influencing both form and use.

Design Concept
Transparent solar panels cover the roof, demonstrating a commitment to renewable energy. These panels not only meet the needs for lighting, cooking, and heating but also add an aesthetic quality to the structure. The inclusion of sun jali for shading recalls Portuguese architectural styles, allowing light to filter in and create engaging patterns within the spaces while limiting heat gain.



Vegetation Integration
The design carefully considers the relationship between furniture and the architecture itself. Specially designed furniture supports the growth of creeper plants, which enhances the environment while promoting urban agriculture. This approach blends the indoor and outdoor spaces, showcasing the potential for self-sufficiency in an urban setting.



Community Spaces
The layout features open communal areas that facilitate interaction. The kitchen and eating area invite conversation and socializing, with plenty of natural ventilation and views of the landscape promoting a welcoming atmosphere. The central staircase acts as a transition point, separating the dining space from the yoga studios, encouraging movement and engagement.



Natural Light and Perspective
The large yoga space on the ground floor is defined by extensive windows that offer clear views of the outdoors, drawing in natural light. This design choice enhances the experience of being in the space and connects users to the natural surroundings. Meanwhile, the upper-level yoga room features intricate jali designs that create captivating shadows, contributing to a serene environment suitable for meditation and reflection.

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MICROHOME 10: Celebrating Small-Scale Living with €100,000 Prize Fund and Kingspan’s Innovation

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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

Enter an open architecture
competition now

Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025
100,000€ Prize / 2025
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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
Kinderspace
Kinderspace
Architecture for Children’s Development #3
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