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Teardrop Structure Crafted from Local Timber Featuring Communal Hearth Spaces in Icelandic Landscape

Teardrop Structure Crafted from Local Timber Featuring Communal Hearth Spaces in Icelandic Landscape
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Crafted from local timber and designed as a teardrop structure, the ski cabin offers communal hearth spaces that enhance the connection to Iceland's rugged landscape and winter sports activities.
5 key facts about this project
01
Crafted from locally sourced cross-laminated timber panels to ensure sustainability.
02
Incorporates charred wooden shingles for enhanced durability and weather resistance.
03
Features a unique bent A-frame design that optimizes space and snow runoff.
04
Offers panoramic views through expansive glass panels seamlessly integrated into the structure.
05
Includes a central communal hearth, fostering social interaction among visitors.

**Overview**

Located within a prominent ski resort area in Iceland, the Viking’s Hut encapsulates a design that merges traditional Viking architectural influences with modern functionality. The project seeks to create a multifaceted space, allowing visitors to engage with Iceland’s cultural heritage while appreciating the local landscape. The design is a thoughtful response to its geographical context, optimizing the natural topography and vistas inherent to the region.

**Spatial Strategy and Site Integration**

The structure is characterized by an elongated, teardrop shape that aligns with the contours of the surrounding landscape, encompassing mountains, glaciers, and plains. This form not only reduces the visual impact on the environment but also enhances structural performance, minimizing snow accumulation risks. Interior spaces are organized around a central communal area featuring a fireplace, fostering social interaction and warmth. The open-plan design encourages flexible use, accommodating relaxation, dining, and information-sharing zones while maintaining a cohesive flow throughout the gathering space.

**Materiality and Sustainability**

A deliberate selection of materials underpins the hut's design philosophy, emphasizing local sourcing and sustainable practices. Timber, sourced from nearby forests, serves as a nod to traditional construction methods, while a stone façade ensures durability and integration with the geological context of Iceland. Expansive glass elements are incorporated to maximize natural light and offer unobstructed views of the environment, bridging the interior with the exterior landscape. Metal accents provide structural support without dominating the design aesthetic. Eco-friendly insulation materials contribute to energy efficiency, essential for temperature regulation in Iceland's cold climate, thus supporting the project’s sustainability goals.

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The Buildner’s Unbuilt Award 2025: Celebrating Architectural Creativity and Visionary Unbuilt Designs with a Total Prize Fund of €100,000

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The Buildner’s Unbuilt Award 2025 is an international architecture competition dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the value of unrealized architectural designs. It invites architects, designers, and students worldwide to submit visionary projects that have not yet been constructed, highlighting the power of ideas and the creativity behind the design process. By focusing on unbuilt work, the competition aims to bring forward concepts that shape the future of architecture and push the boundaries of the profession. 

Participants can compete in three categories based on project scale: Small Wonders (up to 100 m²), Medium Marvels (101–999 m²), and Large Visions (over 1,000 m²). Each category winner will receive €20,000, and additional prizes include honorable mentions, student awards, and a special Best Presentation Award. Winning projects will gain significant international exposure through Buildner’s publicity campaign and a feature article on ArchDaily, providing a unique opportunity to showcase creative ideas to a global audience. 

The Buildner’s Unbuilt Award 2025 encourages entrants to submit any type of unbuilt project, from conceptual visions to detailed designs, celebrating bold innovation without the constraints of realization. Important deadlines: registration closes on October 30, 2025; submissions are due by November 20, 2025; winners will be announced on December 17, 2025.

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

100,000€ Prize / 2025 ideas COMPETITION
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