The contemporary home
This competition is part of a strategic partnership between Buildner and ArchDaily that aims to explore "The Contemporary Home".
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Introduction
Introducing the Beyond Isolation: Senior Housing Competition, an architecture ideas competition focused on alleviating the isolation experienced by our aging population.
As individuals grow older, they often face increased physical and social inactivity, leading to negative impacts on their physical and mental health. Furthermore, living alone or in isolation can exacerbate these issues, resulting in higher risks of accidents, depression, and difficulty accessing essential services.
COMPETITION ORGANISERS
This competition aims to reconnect seniors with their communities by inviting participants to create innovative housing systems that actively integrate elderly residents into the social fabric. The jury will be looking for designs that not only provide housing but also incorporate features that enable seniors to engage with their surroundings in meaningful ways.
With the freedom to select a site or location, participants have the opportunity to breathe new life into underprivileged areas, developing alternative visions for how architecture can address this pressing issue. Beyond Isolation: Senior Housing Competition is not simply about designing a house or apartment block; it encourages participants to explore additional functionalities such as retail shops, interest centers, and experience exchange hubs, all contributing to a sense of community and connection for seniors in their twilight years.
Download the full competition brief for more information!
The competition is open to all. No professional qualification is required. Design proposals can be developed individually or by teams (4 team members maximum). Correspondence with organizers must be conducted in English; All information submitted by participants must be in English.
The full competition brief
The full competition brief can be downloaded as often as required; no additional information will be provided after registration.
(!) FULL COMPETITION BRIEF
Prizes
TOTAL PRIZE FUND
7,000 €
1ST PLACE
3,000 €
2ND PLACE
1,500 €
3RD PLACE
1,000 €
BUILDNER STUDENT AWARD
1,000 €
+ 50 € ARCHHIVE BOOKS Gift Card
+ 50 Points BUILDNER Architecture University Rankings
+ 6 Honourable mentions & certificates
Buildner will acknowledge the outstanding performance of all winners and honourable mentions with Certificates of Achievement.
Publicity campaign
The Buildner’s extensive global publicity campaign for the competition winners:
"SEEN BY" ONE MILLION
Results published on buildner.com - one of the leading websites in the industry and is visited by over one million unique visitors each year.
"SEEN BY" 800 000 MORE
Publications on Buildner's social networks (over 600,000 followers) and newsletter campaigns (over 200,000 subscribers).
INTERVIEW
Exclusive interview published with the results and shared on Buildner's social networks.
MOVIE
The competition winners will be granted an opportunity to submit a movie about themselves. The video will be published on Buildner's website and social networks.
MEDIA PARTNERS
The competition results will get international art and design media coverage and will be featured in the world’s leading architecture media outlets.
Key dates
Send remindersClosing date for registration
2 November 2023
Competition Q&A deadline
7 November 2023
In order to guarantee equal opportunities to all competition participants,
No new questions will be answered after this deadline.
Closing date for project submission
7 December 2023
23:59 (LONDON TIME)
Announcement of the winners
15 February 2024
Competition Q&A deadline
7 November 2023
In order to guarantee equal opportunities to all competition participants,
No new questions will be answered after this deadline.
Jury
Jury members shall under no circumstances be contacted by competition participants or their representatives. Participants who attempt to contact jury members, shall be disqualified.
All jury members are involved in the evaluation based on their availability at that time. All communication regarding the competition should only be carried out with Buildner staff. For any questions please contact us on [email protected]
Flora Lee
Associate Partner, MAD Architects
USA
Guillem Carrera Rey
Guillem Carrera Arquitecte
Spain
Ondřej Chybík
CHYBIK + KRISTOF
Czech Republic
Alan Dunlop
Architect, Alan Dunlop Architects
UK
Adam Snow Frampton
Only If
USA
Avi Friedman
Professor at McGill University
USA
Dr Nirit Pilosof
Head of Research in Innovation and Transformation at Sheba Medical Centre
Israel
Maria Alessandra Segantini
founding partner and director of C+S Architects
Italy
Susanne Siepl-Coates
member of the architecture faculty at Kansas State University
USA
Steven Wright
Principal at Perkins Eastman
USA
The competition does not specify a particular demographic within the senior population. However, the focus of the design should be primarily on relatively active and able-bodied seniors. That being said, the realities of aging necessitate flexibility in design. As circumstances may change for individuals over time, including varying levels of mobility and physical health, the design should anticipate and accommodate these potential changes. This is a critical aspect of creating a senior living environment that is truly inclusive, adaptive, and considerate of a resident's evolving needs. Therefore, while our primary target demographic is active seniors, we encourage designs that exhibit adaptability and inclusivity, considering the diverse potential needs of the senior community.
