International Architecture Competition

Romantic Cabin
For Two

Results

Foreword

Competition organisers

Romantic Cabin
For Two

Official Partners

Romantic Cabin
For Two

Bee Breeders has focused much of its recent attention on questions of small-scale, affordable and sustainable living. It has done so by organising a number of international competitions seeking innovative solutions to the dual crises of global housing and climate change. Examples of the small-scale living series range from the Silent Meditation Forest Cabins to the MICROHOME competitions; events run as part of the affordable housing series have included competitions for the cities of San Francisco, Melbourne, and London. Bee Breeders has also partnered with ARCHHIVE Books to feature key competition proposals alongside topical interviews with global industry leaders and entrepreneurs in its print publications What is Affordable Housing? and What is Small-Scale Architecture?

The Romantic Cabin for Two Competition fits perfectly within this growing library of design ideas for small-scale, sustainable living. The competition was run in partnership with The Earth Energies Sanctuary, a 200-acre farm located in northern New Zealand. It is a functioning organic farm which uses seaweed fertilisers and follows the principles of natural solid biology to create a more balanced ecosystem on the land, and produces beeswax used in local products and remedies. It seeks ideas for a small, open plan cabin on the Earth Energies property that can provide a comfortable and relaxing escape for two guests to connect with nature and one another. It calls for construction technologies and materials that meet best green-building practices. This is the second competition organised with the Sanctuary after the Tiny Kiwi Meditation Cabin.

This competition posits that eco-tourism and architecture can evolve together to provide visitors with world-class experiences in well-constructed, sustainable buildings that use local materials, are small in scale, and reduce impact on their environments or sites. 'Green building' is not only material in nature - it is also social, economic and ecological. All of these ideas can and should be embedded in architectural solutions. This requires not just well-considered designs by architects but also input from researchers, entrepreneurs, planners and members of communities.

The jury for the Earth Energies Sanctuary competition was regional and international in nature and included: Nancy Beka, an architectural designer and co-director of Studio Edwards, a Melbourne-based design practice established in 2016: Mari Hunt, an Estonian architect, partner and co-founder of the architecture office b210, a lecturer at the Estonian Academy of Arts, a polar enthusiast and a tiny house builder; Suzanne Hunt, founder and principal architect at Suzanne Hunt Architect, a multi-awarded practice in Perth, Australia; Pablo Larroulet, a Chilean architect and founder of LARROU ARQ  - Pablo Larroulet Arquitectura: Marco Lavit founder of Atelier LAVIT based in Paris in 2014, which has realized an exclusive tree house, Origin, for the Park of Raray Castle, France, and a series of surprising, floating cabins for an hotel in Chateauneuf-du-Pape; and Cristina Verissimo, co-founding partner of Lisbon-based CVDB arquitectos and chief curator of the Lisbon Architecture Triennale 2022.

Bee Breeders and its jury panel would like to thank all the designers that participated in this competition.

1st Prize Winner

Project name

Intimo

Authors

Maria Lucia Arce
Lucas Cardona
Gonzalo Camargo

Uruguay

Why do you enter architecture
competitions?

In our public university there is a strong tradition (75 years and running) of a housing competition, sponsored by the students every year, which has stuck and carried over with us. To us, competitions offer the challenge and opportunity to break free of academic and/or commercial restrictions which we may encounter day to day.

Jury feedback summary

‘Intimo’ is an intimate refuge with an open concept plan of 6x6m surrounded by a 3m perimeter space that is designed to merge interior with exterior. A timber structure, it is topped by a green roof and large floor-to-ceiling glass panels. Its layout and design permit expansive views and pockets of privacy. The jury writes: “Poetic, elegant, yet innovative and rational in intimate dialogue with the surrounding landscape. It frames views of the landscape as if painting on the walls. An intriguing exploration of landscape and sanctuary: connecting the user to the landscape through placed openings, it demonstrates balance, restraint and design maturity.” It was also lauded for its strong imagery and constructability, and the use of its organizational grid which carries the project without being too heavy-handed.

2nd Prize Winner

Project name

cocoon

Authors

Marcel Dawid
Anita Wiśniewska
Brian Dam

Poland

Why do you enter architecture
competitions?

Architecture competitions are a great way of collaborating with like-minded people on projects that reflect your values and provide an opportunity to implement them into real-world use. Having great and inspiring ideas is one thing, but competitions provide realistic boundaries, further shaping and honing whatever you have in mind. Additionally, they present a real need and purpose, and nothing is more satisfying than a realised project that may be of benefit to others.

Jury feedback summary

‘Cocoon’, according to the project statement, is meant to ‘wrap its inhabitants in a warm embrace.’ The project considers opposing forces to establish a cohesive and intimate space: openness and enclosure, shade and sunlight, warmth and coolness. The timber and steel-plate structure is clad on the interior with warm, natural materials - pine board, ceramic tiling -and topped by aluminum roofing and solar panels. According to the jury: “Cocoon presents a minimal proposal with interesting subtleties such as the inclination of the roof and sidewall that contribute to the performance of the space and systems. The project is well optimized and its concept carries through to its details.”

3rd Prize Winner

Project name

TAPATORU

Authors

Grzegorz Mączka
Marta Mączka

Poland

Why do you enter architecture
competitions?

By participating in architectural competitions, we learn the methods and ways of finding architectural ideas. It`s always surprising to find many different solutions for one location.

Jury feedback summary

‘Tapatoru’ in the indigenous New Zealand language of Maori means ‘triangle’, a shape considered to connect body, mind and soul. This project presents a box-form containing a bedroom raised above a shallow wading pool on four triangular wings which open to the surrounding landscape. When these wings are closed, the form becomes a pure cube which glows from within at night. The jury commented “This project is simple and elegant, in line with its graphic presentation and imagery. An innovative way to represent a strong concept. The architectural form rests on the landscape as an intimate and simple sculpture that takes advantage of the incredible views of the terrain. Its simple geometry and clear plan offers a profound experience for visitors, with different levels and views to connect inhabitants with nature, while at the same time offering privacy.”

BB STUDENT AWARD

Project name

Sanctuary Beacon

Authors

Yolande Wang
Zekun Qin

University

Architectural association
+74 points Buildner University Rankings!

United Kingdom

Why do you enter architecture
competitions?

Competitions are great platforms to test out our skills and ideas as young architects. They provide a “middle space” between academia and practice, where the unavoidably competitive nature of the profession is channelled positively into a collective intellectual output.
BB GREEN AWARD

Project name

Romantic Cabin - Nature Retreat

Authors

Naro Goller
Burak Camgöz
Alexander Lehmann

Germany

Client Favorite

Project name

Romantic Cabin For Two

Authors

Andrea Smaniotto
Barbara Sandri

Italy

Honorable mentions

VIEWclose HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Project Name

Love nest

University

University of architecture, civil engineering and geodesy
+72 points Buildner University Rankings!

Country

Bulgaria

Project authors

Plamena Draganova
Tsvetelina Gadzhelova

Project Name

Nurture Amongst Nature

Country

New Zealand

Project authors

Amanda Wijaya
Annuska Menoita

Project Name

Romantic Quarters

Country

France

Project authors

Rand El Haj Hasan

Project Name

Nestled

Country

Finland

Project authors

David Gallo
Franklin Min
Shivani Bakhru

Project Name

all in ONE

Country

Turkey

Project authors

Hüseyin Melih Baktır
Nebile Ece Onulay
Çağla Kıran

Project Name

The Circle of Life

Company

Uarchitects

Country

Netherlands

Project authors

Misak Terzibasiyan
Taura Aurylaitė
Amir Feizinezhadgheshlaghi
Danai Dafnouli

Shortlisted projects

VIEWclose Shortlisted projects

United States

Design with frank

yaoyi fan
gabriel munnich

Italy

emanuele cavaglion
giovanni cavaglion
xing li
xiaoxu liang

Uruguay

maria lucia arce
lucas cardona
gonzalo camargo

Canada

Toronto Metropolitan University - TMU

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
christian maidankine

Australia

University of Sydney

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
bridget scott
manjeera kancharla
tyler dodd

Poland

marcel dawid
anita wiśniewska
brian dam

Thailand

Nikken sekkei (thailand) ltd.

warisa chaisutyakorn
thong-ek kladpan
surunchana chotivisit
yotsawadee potippayawong

Bulgaria

UACEG , University of Architecture, Civil Eng. and Geodesy

+72 points Buildner University Rankings!
plamena draganova
tsvetelina gadzhelova

Hungary

Jánszky design kft.

györgyi teréz jánszky
vanda beatrix buriana

Canada

mark chalhoub
lejla sejdinovic
niyousha ahmadi naeini

Thailand

King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
mayawee panjaphakdee
thapana kositchaiwat
natchanan bonoy
wachiraporn sumranjit

Guatemala

Francisco Marroquín University (Universidad Francisco Marroquín)

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
javier anzueto busto
maría arriola flesch

Netherlands

Uarchitects

misak terzibasiyan
taura aurylaitė
amir feizinezhadgheshlaghi
danai dafnouli

Germany

naro goller
burak camgöz
alexander lehmann

United States

graham oakley
wilfred rodriguez
hanna aaron

Poland

Silesian University of Technology , Politechnika Śląska

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
artur gała

New Zealand

amanda wijaya
annuska menoita

New Zealand

Victoria University of Wellington

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
seth trocio
chris gandhi
william creighton

United Kingdom

Architectural Association School of Architecture

+74 points Buildner University Rankings!
yolande wang
zekun qin

Turkey

hüseyin melih baktır
nebile ece onulay
Çağla kıran

United Arab Emirates

ufaira abida
sulaiman abedi

Egypt

ahmed elmaghraby
taha ghaleb
mohammed zaki

Finland

david gallo
franklin min
shivani bakhru
 

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