Get inspired!

17,725 architecture projects

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

Translucent Shell with Flexible Openings for Meditation Retreat

Author:
可月 司
Translucent Shell with Flexible Openings for Meditation Retreat
Explore the full project presentation!
Subscribers only
The design integrates a translucent shell with adjustable openings to create a serene environment that invites users to engage in meditation and self-reflection.
5 key facts about this project
01
The structure is designed as a flexible retreat that adapts to various user needs.
02
Adjustable openings allow for personalized views of the surrounding environment.
03
A white translucent shell contributes to a calm and diffused lighting effect.
04
Removable cushions enhance comfort during meditation sessions.
05
Integration of LED strip lighting provides adjustable ambiance for differing activities.

The design presents a space known as a "shell," where individuals can find solitude and peace amidst a busy environment. Located in a context that encourages personal reflection, the space serves as a quiet retreat for meditation and introspection. The overall design focuses on the balance between inner tranquility and the connection to the surrounding natural world.

Sphere Geometry

The shape of the structure is spherical, representing continuity and endless possibility. This geometric choice allows users to feel centered within their experience. The smooth curves invite movement and curiosity, encouraging exploration. Inside, the design creates an environment that promotes reflection and a sense of calm.

Adaptable Openings

One of the key features is an opening that users can adjust, allowing them to connect with the outside world in different ways. Whether viewing the sky, observing trees, or noticing the ground, this flexibility enables a customized experience. Users can engage with nature at their own pace, building a sense of harmony between the sheltering space and the expansive environment around it.

Material Selection

Material choices are significant in shaping the feel of the design. A white translucent material forms the shell, letting soft light filter through and creating a tranquil ambiance. This choice helps dissolve the barriers between inside and outside, fostering a spacious, airy feeling. Additionally, a removable seat cushion adds comfort, while LED lighting and sconces with easy-to-reach switches allow users to control the room's mood.

Functional Versatility

The versatility of the design allows it to serve multiple purposes, fitting the needs of various activities and group sizes. This aspect emphasizes the importance of creating spaces that can adapt. Structural elements like the gray surface and supporting features ensure durability while maintaining functional flexibility, providing a reliable space for reflection and connection.

Within the shell, the soft glow of light creates a warm atmosphere that changes throughout the day, casting gentle shadows that enhance the experience of calm and contemplation.

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 Architect’s 
Stair
The Architect’s Stair
Take a step and make a statement! Edition #3
The Architect's 
Chair
The Architect's Chair
Take a seat and make a statement! Edition #5
MICROHOME 2026
MICROHOME 2026
100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #11
The Next House: USA
The Next House: USA
20,000 USD Prize
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
Advance registration deadline 18 February 2026

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
Concrete 
Pavilion

Design a concrete pavilion

Edition #3 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 27 November 2025
new
Rome 
Rain Rooms

Design a rain room for Rome

ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 14 January 2026
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
Iceland 
Slow Sauna

Design slow sauna in Iceland

project COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 28 January 2026
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
Advance registration deadline 18 February 2026

Recurring architecture competitions

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
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
Advance registration deadline 22 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