Get inspired!

17,725 architecture projects

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

Vertical Structure Utilizing Double-Layered Façade for Efficient Healthcare Access

Author:
Svetlana Kizilova
Vertical Structure Utilizing Double-Layered Façade for Efficient Healthcare Access
Explore the full project presentation!
Subscribers only
A double-layered façade optimizes natural ventilation while sky gardens provide designated green spaces for patients, medical staff, and researchers in a vertical structure designed to enhance healthcare delivery in a densely populated urban environment.
5 key facts about this project
01
Double-layered façade enhances natural ventilation and energy efficiency.
02
Sky gardens allocated for patients, staff, and researchers prevent contamination.
03
Located near the Pinheiros River for rapid city access.
04
Open floor plan allows flexible room configurations for healthcare needs.
05
Recreational modules offer views of the surrounding urban landscape.

COVISION Hospital is located in São Paulo, Brazil, and it serves as a response to the healthcare challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The design implements a vertical hospital model that optimizes space in a densely populated urban area. This approach allows for quick access to medical services, vital for emergency care situations. The overall design emphasizes functionality while responding to the urgent healthcare needs of the community.

Design Concept

The design features a double-layered façade system that enhances ventilation and energy efficiency. Air flows between the layers of the façade, bringing fresh air into the hospital rooms. This system improves indoor air quality and aligns with sustainable building practices, which are essential in modern healthcare facilities. The emphasis on natural ventilation creates a more comfortable environment for patients and staff alike.



Sky Gardens

Sky gardens are a key component of the design. These gardens are placed throughout the building, according to careful studies of sunlight and wind patterns. Each garden supports different user groups—patients, medical staff, and researchers—helping to maintain hygiene while providing outdoor spaces for relaxation. They contribute essential greenery to the environment and enhance well-being for everyone who uses the hospital.



Recreational Modules

Recreational modules appear on the northern façade, designed to complement the outer shell of the building. These modules provide views of the surrounding area, including the notable Ponte Estaiada bridge. By integrating these spaces, the design creates a welcoming atmosphere that encourages connection with nature and the urban landscape. This approach highlights the importance of visual engagement within healthcare settings.



Open Floor Plan

An open floor plan allows for flexibility in the arrangement of hospital rooms. This layout supports quick adjustments based on changing healthcare needs, ensuring the hospital can adapt over time. This design promotes efficiency in operations while providing a supportive environment for patients and medical staff.



Overall, COVISION Hospital combines multiple thoughtful elements to create a functional healthcare space. The design focuses on comfort, accessibility, and connection to both nature and the city, addressing the immediate needs of the community while also considering long-term well-being.

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

Enter an open architecture
competition now

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
The Home of 
Shadows
The Home of Shadows
The light studies. Edition #4
The Architect's 
Chair
The Architect's Chair
Take a seat and make a statement! Edition #5

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

`
Competition organisers

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.

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

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
new
Iceland 
Slow Sauna

Design slow sauna in Iceland

project COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 26 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
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

Recurring architecture competitions

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
new
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
Early bird registration deadline 5 November 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
new
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
Early bird registration deadline 20 November 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
Final registration deadline 26 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
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

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