Introduction

The House of the Future competition was launched in collaboration with the Dubai Government in the spring of 2023. The competition sought concepts from architects and designers around the world for an affordable, expandable and innovative single-family prototype home suited for modern Emirati needs.

The competition was organized in partnership with the Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation and the Mohammed bin Rashid Housing Establishment, as well as with the architecture firms Zaha Hadid Architects and Calatrava International. The event was open to all and offered a prize fund of €250,000 (1 million AED). Winning submissions will be considered for incorporation into the national registry of housing options available to Emirati citizens.

Participants were tasked with designing a template for a new-age home for Emiratis in Dubai. The government sought sustainable, innovative projects suited to the needs of a typical Emirati family. The proposals were to respond to a standard development plot in Dubai, sized no larger than 450 square meters.

The response to the competition was unprecedented, with submissions received from design offices, individuals and teams representing 127 countries. Buildner and its partners worked with a stellar international jury to select the winning entries: Micael Calatrava and Andrew Mason of Calatrava Grace and Calatrava International, Charles Walker of Zaha Hadid Architects, Abdul Redha Abu Al Hassan of the Dubai Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), Martin Voelkle of BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group, Christina Seilern of Studio Seilern Architects, Ahmed Bukhash of Dubai-based Archidentity, Stefan de Koning of Rotterdam-based MVRDV, and Will Plowman who leads the Dubai office of Foster + Partners.

"This was an important international competition not just from an architectural standpoint but also a professional challenge to promote adaptability, sustainability and value in one of the world's leading countries for look-ahead development and growth. The winning submissions satisfied all the base criteria but also chose to blend in wonderful aesthetics to shape the environment. Clear choice of detail and sharp focus is required for this type of competition. The excellent format of the competition brought out the best in the global participants, given the overall entry numbers and quality of submissions."

- Calatrava International

The jury’s collective discussions were invaluable to questioning the fundamentals of housing in Dubai. The panel weighed the ambitions of this competition with the realities of Dubai’s construction and housing markets. The projects selected as winners were determined to be pragmatic, buildable and cost-effective when produced at scale. From an aesthetic level, the submissions were evaluated for their capacity to be amenable to Emirate lifestyles by being ‘cozy and welcoming’, as per the brief and client requests.

Among the technical aspects that differentiated projects is whether the homes were setback from property lines. Many proposals provided standalone homes, while others were built to the site perimeter. Several submissions proposed interesting courtyard conditions and outdoor spaces that provided spatial variety with the potential to connect residents with their sites. The jury came to the conclusion that whether a home was detached or not, the ‘perception’ of having one’s own house is culturally important for Dubai. Some of the winning projects, for instance, found ways to build to the site line and avoid space lost to small side yards, while also rendering the residence with a sense of individuality in the context of an urban or suburban streetscape.

"The competition was pioneering for tackling fundamental issues related to future Emirati housing in terms of sustainability, practicality and affordability. The submissions were highly sophisticated in terms of planning and visual representation while delving into meticulous planning details for materiality and constructability. The winners were special in terms of their aesthetic appeal for the local Emiratis as global citizens while balancing all of the diverse factors related to the competition parameters in a simple and efficient proposal that can function in both an existing master plan or a newly planned zone with the city."

- Ahmed Bukhash, Archidentity

The jury was receptive to projects that considered compactness, cost and intelligent layouts. While many sustainable solutions were proposed, such as wind towers, green walls and pools, the jury only viewed these positively if they were correctly incorporated from a technical point of view. Opportunities for passive design were also weighed. At an urban level, projects were evaluated for whether they could offer high-quality street frontage with the potential to support well-designed future communities.

The collective partnership involved in organizing this competition extends its congratulations to the winning and shortlisted teams for their outstanding propositions. We also thank each participant for their time and energy. The competition was a resounding success!

Award ceremony in Dubai

The results of the “House of the Future” competition were announced in a prestigious ceremony in Dubai on 8th February, 2024, with the Crown Prince himself presiding over the event. This momentous occasion marked the culmination of the competition, highlighting the incredible talent and innovative designs that were submitted. The winners received personal congratulations from the Crown Prince, adding a significant honor to their achievement.

The House of the Future competition reaffirmed Dubai's position as a beacon of innovation and creativity on the global stage, driven by our dedication to improving the quality of life for the people of Dubai.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council

We sincerely thank our jury panel
for their time and expertise

Will Plowman

Partner at Foster + Partners

UAE

Micael Calatrava

Calatrava Grace and Calatrava International

UAE

Charles Walker

Director of Zaha Hadid Architects

UK

Abdul Redha Abu Al Hassan

Roads & Transport Authority (RTA)

UAE

Martin Voelkle

Partner at BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group

USA

Christina Seilern

Studio Seilern Architects

UK

Andrew Mason

Director of Contracts for Calatrava International

UAE

Ahmed Bukhash

Founder of Archidentity

UAE

Stefan de Koning

Partner at MVRDV

Netherlands

Enter the next competition edition
House of the Future 2024/25

Design the new home standard for UAE and share a prize fund of 250,000€

250,000 € Prize fund project COMPETITION

1st Prize Winner

Prize

140,000 €

Project name

Al Dara : Harnessing Heritage For A Sustainable Future

Competitions are fast exercises. Very useful intellectually to disconnect from day to day work and spend a couple of weeks on a competition.

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Authors
Mohamed Al Mufti
Souaid Georges
Natalie Elmir
Country
Lebanon

2nd Prize Winner

Prize

45,000 €

Project name

Block Yard

In our view, engaging in architecture competitions is a means of keeping the creative process active and exploring architectural typologies that are not part of our daily routine

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Authors
Andrea Baldo
Angelo Emilio Brollo
Gino Leonardo Brollo
Country
Spain

3rd Prize Winner

Prize

20,000 €

Project name

Dune House

I participate in architecture competitions for fun, to explore new ideas and to develop my skillset as a designer.

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Author
Thomas William Ewing
Country
United Kingdom

Self-sustained House

Prize

45,000 €

Project name

House of the Future

We believe in endless professional development in a constantly changing world in order to keep pace with the latest trends. Competitions in general provide great basis for research in areas where conventional commercial architecture does not leave enough room for such endeavours in this scale.

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Company
Authors
Katarina Jägrová
Jakub Ürge
Jakub Demčák
Lucia Medlenová
Country
Slovakia

Honorable mentions

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Project name

Climate Echoes - A Dance of Shadows and Light

We participate in architecture competitions to push creative boundaries, explore innovative design possibilities, and showcase our skills. It's a way for us to stay current and challenge ourselves.

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Authors
Claudio Cristian Araya Arias
Kanstantsin Remez
Country
Austria
Project name

Shadow Rift

The future is a risk we all must embrace. We are challenged to devise advanced design solutions to solve humanity's problems. Architects stand at the forefront, envisioning new civilizations.

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Authors
Stephane Herve Maupin
Paul Etienne Brule
Country
France
Project name

The Rammed

Authors
Teymur Osmanov
Lala Iskandarli
Ilgar Manafli
Country
Germany
Project name

Block By Block

Architectural competitions serve as a dynamic medium through which we articulate our ideologies to a broader audience. These competitions provide a unique platform, offering us the opportunity to redefine our creative boundaries and push the limits of innovation.

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Authors
Arup Tiwari
Sarthak Wadhwa
Poornima Verma
Country
India
Project name

Zephyr

Engaging in architectural design challenges is not just a pursuit; it is a deliberate effort to refine my skills and stay abreast of the evolving landscape in the field. For me, these challenges are more than a sporadic endeavour—they are a continuous journey of learning and growth. Participating in architecture competitions serves as a dynamic canvas where I can give life to my most audacious design ideas and delve into the realm of innovative concepts. These competitions become a playground for exploration, urging me to break free form conventional norms and venture into uncharted territories within the realm of architecture. It is not merely a test of skills, but a push towards thinking beyond boundaries and embracing the limitless possibilities that design can offer.

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Author
Boris Olivier Hilderal
Country
France
Project name

Emirati Oasis

As an established architecture firm, we typically participate in competitions that are held for construction. However, in this case, we thought it could be an incredible opportunity to open new relations with people in the UAE, in which we, as a firm, are quite interested. One of our partners, Xavier Marín, has lived in Dubai, and he is genuinely interested in the Emirati potential to develop a new architectural model based on the region's historical knowledge but with modern tools and ideas.

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Authors
Xavier Martin Fontbote
Guillem Canuas
Aldana Sofia Nizza
Camila Fagnani
Country
Spain

Shortlisted projects

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Nexus

Taro Tsuruta
Aaron Kwok Wai Chan
Guillaume Laurent
Gabriella Dona
United Kingdom

Terrarium House

Wilson Lopes Do Nascimento Junior
Valerio Ziantoni
Gabriela Vitória Carvalho
João Pedro Pina
Italy

THE HUMANIZED UNIT

Azhar Ahmed Ismael
Iraq

Al Dara : Harnessing Heritage For A Sustainable Future

Mohamed Al Mufti
Souaid Georges
Natalie Elmir
Lebanon

Shared Riad

Azat Saryyev
Merdan Shajayev
Nepes Hojanazarov
Turkmenistan

Kalah Modular Villa

Sadyr Khabukhayev
Raikhan Seilova
United Arab Emirates

OHouse

Ahmed Mohammed Ibrahim Albadawy Shawareb
Fasna K K
Abd Alhadi Mostafa Thuraia
Shruti Patel

SKOON Architecture

United Arab Emirates

Pinwheel House

Maria Arroyo Wauer
Jihoon Kim
Randi Raquel Birk
Adam Sebastian Wheeler
United States

Air Catcher

Shirley Levy
Israel

Spatial Fluidity

Tariq Wael A Kenanah
Zachary Vontz
Luka Jovanovic
Joshua Raymond Conroy

Pennsylvania State University

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
United States

QALB

Manuel Villalain Gonzalez
Pedro Xavier Martins Silva
Hazem Elshafei
Netherlands

Timeless home revival

Sana Yazdani
Seyedeh Sana Rastegar
Shafagh Javidi
Ehsan Dehghani Janabadi
Germany

House of the Future

Katarina Jägrová
Jakub Ürge
Jakub Demčák
Lucia Medlenová

GFI a.s

Slovakia

THE GREEN WITHIN

Enver Mamut
Ana-Maria Marin
Miruna Matel
Tiberiu-Ciprian Ungurasu
Romania

Emirati Oasis

Xavier Martin Fontbote
Guillem Canuas
Aldana Sofia Nizza
Camila Fagnani
Spain

Solaria

Mohsen Marizad
Mahla Mohades
Negar Khasheh
Mohammadreza Lotfi

Marizad Architects

Oman

The Wind Catcher

Kristina Klimova

Pe.Pl.CULT

Kazakhstan

MANZIL AL AHLAM

Lucio Gernaert Willmar Fabre
Spain

UNITY

Pietro Credi

Politecnico di Milano / Polytechnic University of Milan

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Italy

THE FUSION

Bujar Hasani
Eldin Babic
Luxembourg

House of the Future - BREATHING HOUSE

Peter Kopják

CONCEPTARCH Ltd.

Slovakia

Transcendence House

Anique Azhar Shore
Ahad Ayaz
Pakistan

The house of sand

Paula Soler Soler
Marta Woodward Moncho
Spain

Where Wind Finds Home

Shih-Hui Teng
Min Li
Shen Tzu Chen
Nien Chen Lu
Taiwan

‘HOUSE OF THE FUTURE - HOUSE OF THE PAST’

Balint Iszak
Csenge Gyorgyi
New Zealand

Window House

Fatima Jalali
Barbod Alimohamadi
Razieh Zirrahi
Ali Jafari
Germany

ONE

Nicholas Harald Hartman
Sweden

YANNA HOUSE

Alberto Pabon Medina
Spain

Modular Oasis of Tomorrow

Ezequiel Amado Cattaneo
Argentina

Zephyr

Boris Olivier Hilderal
France

Block By Block

Arup Tiwari
Sarthak Wadhwa
Poornima Verma

Studio Form Plus Function

India

Block Yard

Andrea Baldo
Angelo Emilio Brollo
Gino Leonardo Brollo
Spain

Dune House

Thomas William Ewing
United Kingdom

The Rammed

Teymur Osmanov
Lala Iskandarli
Ilgar Manafli
Germany

Domestic Sandscape

Romain Dincau
Andres Triana Del Rio
Han Kuo

Metope Studio LLC

Mexico

Shadow Rift

Stephane Herve Maupin
Paul Etienne Brule
France

PROTOTYPE_OASIS

Alan Ferrando Shearer
Spain

ziya

Prethviraj Ramasamy Manoharan
Premith Satish Tharamal Kolarath
Ujjwal Dawar
Netherlands

Modulo

Davide Costa
Michele Maurizio Teora
Klaus Bode
Paul Ian Miller
Italy

Climate Echoes - A Dance of Shadows and Light

Claudio Cristian Araya Arias
Kanstantsin Remez
Austria