Get inspired!

17,725 architecture projects

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

Spiraling Structure of Oak and Straw Integrates Nature and Community Interaction

Spiraling Structure of Oak and Straw Integrates Nature and Community Interaction
Explore the full project presentation!
Subscribers only
The spiraling form constructed from locally sourced oak and straw establishes a seamless interaction with the surrounding landscape, creating a unique environment for community engagement and exploration.
5 key facts about this project
01
The structure's spiraling ramp provides dynamic views of the surrounding landscape.
02
Locally sourced oak wood enhances sustainability while offering aesthetic warmth.
03
Wind chimes made from steel tubes create an auditory experience connected to nature.
04
The roof features straw materials, providing natural insulation and weather resistance.
05
A top viewing platform supports birdwatching, promoting an appreciation for local wildlife.

### Overview

The Dynamic Tower is located within a natural context, designed to foster interaction between visitors and their surroundings. The structure thoughtfully integrates innovative architectural principles with sustainable practices, enhancing both environmental and experiential elements of design.

### Spatial Strategy

The design features a spiraling form that guides visitors through a carefully curated journey, encouraging exploration and promoting accessibility. A continuously sloped ramp facilitates movement, allowing individuals of all abilities to navigate the space while providing diverse viewpoints of the landscape. This spatial arrangement not only enhances the experience of ascent but also creates a connection to the environment through its organic, flowing design.

### Materiality and Sustainability

Material selection is central to the tower's architectural integrity, incorporating sustainable resources that align with environmental objectives. Key materials include locally sourced oak wood, which contributes warmth and structure; straw, utilized for roofing to enhance insulation and waterproofing; and weathered steel, which offers durability while contrasting with the natural elements. This combination ensures the building is both functional and aesthetically relevant, reinforcing sustainability principles throughout its design.

### Experiential Elements

The structural design emphasizes an engaging visitor experience, characterized by three key stages of interaction. The initial phase invites connection with the natural landscape, followed by an auditory experience that amplifies ambient sounds, enhancing the sensory environment. The final stage culminates at a viewing platform designed for bird observation, further cultivating an appreciation for the local wildlife. Additionally, integrated wind chimes made from steel tubes translate ambient winds into musical sounds, enriching the visitor’s journey and underscoring the interplay between architecture and its natural context.

### Site Integration

The site plan reflects careful consideration of the surrounding landscape, positioning the tower to optimize visibility and accessibility. Strategically located amidst greenery, the structure complements its environment, reinforcing the organic themes present in its design.

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

Enter an open architecture
competition now

MICROHOME
MICROHOME
100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #10
The Architect’s 
Stair
The Architect’s Stair
Take a step and make a statement! Edition #3
Kinderspace
Kinderspace
Architecture for Children’s Development #3
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025
100,000€ Prize / 2025

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

`
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

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

Recurring architecture competitions

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
new
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
Early bird registration deadline 2 October 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
Advance registration deadline 9 October 2025
new
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
Early bird registration deadline 15 October 2025
Kinderspace

Design a kindergarten of tomorrow

Architecture for Children’s Development #3 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 16 October 2025
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025

Celebrating your unbuilt architecture visions with a €100,000 prize

100,000€ Prize / 2025 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 €
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 30 October 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
Concrete 
Pavilion

Design a concrete pavilion

Edition #3 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 27 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

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