Architecture Competition Greening the Industrial City Honorable mention winners – Joel Samuel, Yelena Vieyra, Chris Blahuta and Gassan Nasr

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to one of our Honorable mention winners for our "Greening the Industrial City" competition – Joel Samuel, Yelena Vieyra, Chris Blahuta and Gassan Nasr from United States!

Honorable mention winners from United States

We met each other in architecture school at the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture at the University of Houston. Over the course of our time there, we have become very close as friends and worked together on various studio projects. During this time, we also participated in the 2022 ULI Hines Student urban design competition in which we gained valuable insight into the world of real estate development and urban planning. Recently this year, we graduated with our B.Arch. degree and started working at notable architecture firms in the Houston Area.

Joel, Yelena, & Chris started work at Kendall/Heaton Associates, A firm based in Houston that primarily focuses on providing Architect of Record Services for many premier design firms across the world. Some notable projects they have worked on include the Salesforce Tower in San Francisco & The Texas Tower in Houston. Gassan started working at Page Southerland Page, A multidisciplinary design firm with a focus on architecture & engineering with offices across the U.S. and abroad. Some notable projects designed by Page include the Texas Capitol Complex Master Plan & the Indeed Tower in Austin, Texas.

Brief information about the projects that you/your company have been involved with. For instance, what scale have you focused on/preferred, any significant projects where the company/ individuals have been involved?

As a group, we have worked on several urban-scale projects as part of the QUAD-Zero studio at the University of Houston College of architecture run by Dr. Bruce Race, which had a heavy focus on Net-Zero development in terms of water, waste, energy, and greenhouse gases. One such project we enjoyed was a project in which we transformed acres of parking lots surrounding the Historic Houston Astrodome into a vibrant Mixed-Use district that we called “The AstroGreen”.

Another project that we enjoyed working on is actually located just south of the competition site; along Telephone Road, which is Eastwood’s main commercial street corridor. Despite this, the street largely remains focused on vehicular use with little regard for Pedestrians. Our design, titled “Eastwood Cantero” aims to boost local businesses and bring in essential services while enhancing the pedestrian experiences and offset the environmental impact of the current land use & infrastructure.

What does architecture mean to you and what is the role of an architect in your society?

Architects have the opportunity to shape all ways people interact with the world and with each other. We believe it’s the architect’s obligation to create the full potential of every inch of space and make it accessible to all groups of people. Successful Architecture and planning can evoke many moods & boost confidence, assure comfort, and provide opportunities.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

Architectural competitions, such as this one, give us the opportunity to step out of our day-to-day routine and explore new concepts and ideas. They are the perfect way to boost our personal portfolios and get the desired recognition while increasing our creativity and imagination. As architectural designers, these competitions are an amazing opportunity to imagine a better world without the typical limitations.

What advice would you give to individuals who struggle to decide whether it would be beneficial for them to participate in architecture competitions?

The advice I would give to individuals who struggle to decide whether they should participate in architecture competitions would be to understand that it’s all about having fun! Don’t stress out too much, architecture competitions are all about learning new tools, expressing your creativity, and showcasing your talents. For young designers, like our team, participating in architecture competitions has led to amazing opportunities which have enabled us to enrich our portfolios and build self-confidence. Such competitions have also helped develop our presentation skills, expand our experience, gain recognition, and further our understanding of architecture. It’s a win-win!

Open architecture competitions

  • Closest Deadline first
  • Project competitions first
    Selected winning projects have the potential to be constructed
  • Ideas competitions first
    Experimental competitions with the focus on pushing the boundaries of creativity
project COMPETITION
Sansusī Forest Food Court

Design a sustainable food court structure for the heart of a classical music festival

Prize: MONETARY AWARD + CONSTRUCTION
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Jan 10
Feb 08
Apr 06
ideas COMPETITION
The Home of Shadows

Design a home with no artificial lighting

Prize: MONETARY AWARD
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Dec 05
Jan 24
Apr 18
project COMPETITION
Portugal Elderly Home

Design a comfortable and accessible home for the elderly in Portugal

Prize: MONETARY AWARD + CONSTRUCTION
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Dec 06
Jan 25
Apr 19
project COMPETITION
Portugal Olive Guest House

Design a guest house and olive oil tasting room located in Portugal

Prize: MONETARY AWARD + CONSTRUCTION
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Dec 08
Jan 27
Apr 21
project COMPETITION
Yoga House in the Bog

Design a yoga guest house located within rich bog wildlife

Prize: MONETARY AWARD + CONSTRUCTION
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Jan 11
Feb 08
Apr 26

Reccuring architecture competitions

ideas COMPETITION
Silent contest
For this competition, NO DESCRIPTION TEXT is allowed. The architecture ideas must be communicated strictly with visuals.
Architectural Visualization Award
Edition #2

Present your best work and submit your favorite architectural visualization

Prize: MONETARY AWARD
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Mar 23
May 25
Jul 27
ideas COMPETITION
MICROHOME
Small living, huge impact! Edition #6

Design a new concept of small-scale home

Prize: MONETARY AWARD + PUBLICATION IN MAGAZINE
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Feb 16
Apr 18
Jun 16
ideas COMPETITION
Silent contest
For this competition, NO DESCRIPTION TEXT is allowed. The architecture ideas must be communicated strictly with visuals.
Museum of Emotions
Edition #3

Use architecture to create different emotional states

Prize: MONETARY AWARD
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Mar 17
May 19
Jul 21
Run repeatedly
Portable Reading Rooms
Edition #2

Design a portable reading room that encourages reading in any location

Prize: MONETARY AWARD + SCOLARSHIP
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Feb 13
Mar 23
May 15
Register now
Run repeatedly
Pavilion Of Humanity: First Contact
Edition #2

How would you represent the best that humanity has to offer through architecture?

Prize: MONETARY AWARD
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Mar 27
May 25
Jul 24
Register now
Run repeatedly
Children's Hospice
Home for the Terminally ill / Edition #2

Design a safe and supportive space for children struggling with a terminal illness

Prize: MONETARY AWARD
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Dec 06
Feb 08
Apr 06
Register now
Run repeatedly
Milan Affordable Housing Challenge
Affordable Housing Series #15

Design a concept for affordable housing in Milan

Prize: MONETARY AWARD
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Dec 07
Jan 26
Apr 20
Register now
Run repeatedly
Virtual Home
Edition #2

Design virtual home as architecture moves into the metaverse

Prize: MONETARY AWARD
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
May 02
Jul 04
Sep 06
Register now
Run repeatedly
Office
Office Design Challenge / Edition #2

Reimagine the workplace of the future, and design the new way of working

Prize: MONETARY AWARD
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Jan 03
Mar 01
May 04
Register now

Creativity gym Short term competitions for you to exercise your creativity

T-SHIRT DRAWING COMPETITION
The Architect's T-shirt
Edition #18

Design THE architect's t-shirt!

Prize: 3,000 €
Eligibility: open to all

registration deadlines

Remind me
Feb 28
Mar 31
Apr 30
Register now
ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO COMPETITION
The Buildner's Architecture Portfolio Competition
Edition #2

Submit your online portfolio!

Prize: 5,000 €
Eligibility: open to all

registration deadlines

Remind me
Mar 31
Apr 30
May 31
Register now

Please enter your email address to receive download link

Thank you!

The download link will be sent to your email shortly

please check the spam folder
in case you can not find it
OK

Competition results

Hong Kong 
Pixel Homes

Hong Kong Pixel Homes

Affordable Housing Series #2
MICROHOME

MICROHOME

Small living, huge impact! Edition #4

Sign up for our newsletter

Be the first to know when
new competitions are launched!