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Vertical Habitat with Steel Frame and Rainwater Trays

Authors:
Andrew Brookes, Nicolo Guida
Vertical Habitat with Steel Frame and Rainwater Trays

Project in-detail

The thin steel frame of the tower integrates rainwater trays that create habitats for local wildlife, while also serving as a community gathering space within the Latvian Ardennes landscape.
5 key facts about this project
01
The tower's steel frame allows for a lightweight structure that minimizes its environmental impact.
02
Rainwater trays enhance biodiversity by providing habitats for local plant and animal life.
03
The design incorporates a vertical journey, offering panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.
04
Inspired by personal memories, the project connects history and ecology in its conceptualization.
05
Vines and plants naturally envelop the tower, illustrating its integration with the environment.

The site is located in the Latvian Ardennes, featuring a slender tower designed to serve as both a landmark and a gathering space. The design concept draws on a deep relationship with nature and memory, creating an attachment to the landscape. The tower invites exploration and promotes engagement with the surrounding environment, making it a focal point for visitors.

Integration with Landscape
- The tower uses a thin steel frame, providing a light appearance that fits well within the natural setting. This choice allows the structure to blend in with the surroundings, showing how the building interacts with its environment. Changes in light and weather create different moods, affecting how people perceive the site throughout the day and across the seasons.

Functional Ecosystem
- Rainwater trays are incorporated into the design, serving both a practical and ecological purpose. These trays create habitats for plants and animals, supporting local biodiversity. Visitors can actively engage with the space, fostering a sense of care for the environment and encouraging a connection to nature.

Narrative Through Design
- The tower embodies memory through features like the seed trays, which represent themes of growth and continuity. As the landscape evolves, so does the tower, telling a story of both human and natural history. This narrative connection enriches the experience, allowing visitors to reflect on their relationship with the place.

Dynamic Architectural Experience
- Climbing the tower offers expansive views of the surrounding landscape, enhancing the sense of connection between the built structure and nature. Each step upwards creates a changing perspective, emphasizing the tower’s role as a lively structure that adapts to its surroundings and the people who visit.

Visitors will find that moving from the base of the tower to its top reveals not just the beauty of the landscape, but also a well-considered journey that encourages interaction and reflection. The tower engages with nature while promoting a thoughtful experience of the environment around it.

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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

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