Get inspired!

17,725 architecture projects

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

Wooden Pathway Ascending from Earth Beneath a Reflection Pool

Authors:
Noah Ryzewicz, Jack Dalgleish-morel, John Yoon, Connor Scoffield
Wooden Pathway Ascending from Earth Beneath a Reflection Pool
Explore the full project presentation!
Subscribers only
A pathway made of wooden members guides visitors from a secluded reflection pool beneath the earth to a symbol of life above, creating a unique space for contemplation and connection in a columbarium.
5 key facts about this project
01
A reflection pool is positioned at the lowest depth, encouraging personal contemplation.
02
The wooden pathway symbolizes the ascent from the earth to a universal symbol of life.
03
Niche excavations create direct connections to the afterlife throughout the columbarium.
04
Structural wooden columns enhance the integration of the building with its natural surroundings.
05
A helical ramp facilitates movement while guiding visitors toward a central gathering space.

The columbarium presents a space that reflects on life and mortality through thoughtful architectural design. Set within a natural landscape, it leads users on a journey that begins with a descent into the earth. The overall concept revolves around creating a connection to themes of the afterlife, guiding visitors through a carefully arranged sequence of spaces that encourages contemplation and reflection.

Conceptual Framework

The design symbolizes the transition between life and death. Visitors enter and descend to a reflection pool located at the lowest point. This pool acts as a focal point for personal and spiritual contemplation, inviting travelers to pause and engage deeply with their thoughts. The surrounding environment enhances this contemplative experience, making the space feel both intimate and profound.

Spatial Organization

As visitors ascend from the depths, they follow a path made from wooden members. This upward journey signifies a rise from the earth, culminating at a tree, which represents growth and vitality. The path serves both a functional role and enhances the narrative of life and decay throughout the experience, connecting users more closely to the themes of the design.

Connection to Nature

Essential elements within the context plan include structural wooden columns that provide support while integrating the architectural form with the natural setting. Niche excavations add depth to the design, allowing for meaningful connections to the afterlife. A viewing platform is also included, promoting interaction with the landscape and encouraging visitors to reflect on their place within it.

Circulation and Interaction

Circulation paths are intentionally designed around water, which acts as a point for reflection. A helical ramp guides users upward, leading them toward the representation of life at the top of the structure. Various elevations highlight how the interior relates to the exterior, and the ground floor plan showcases thoughtfully arranged spaces that invite user engagement with the project’s themes.

The reflection pool, situated at the lowest level, provides a calm area for contemplation, framing the journey of existence within a peaceful and natural environment.

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 Next House: USA
The Next House: USA
20,000 USD Prize
The Architect's 
Chair
The Architect's Chair
Take a seat and make a statement! Edition #5
Kinderspace
Kinderspace
Architecture for Children’s Development #3
The Architect’s 
Stair
The Architect’s Stair
Take a step and make a statement! Edition #3
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
Early bird registration deadline 19 November 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
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
Early bird registration deadline 19 November 2025
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 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
Kinderspace

Design a kindergarten of tomorrow

Architecture for Children’s Development #3 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
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
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
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