Foreword

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!

COMPETITION ORGANISERS
House of the Future
Official partner
House of the Future House of the Future House of the Future House of the Future

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

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Country British Indian Ocean Trty.
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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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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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

Iraq

Al Dara : Harnessing Heritage For A Sustainable Future

Lebanon

Shared Riad

Azat Saryyev

Merdan Shajayev

Nepes Hojanazarov

Turkmenistan

Kalah Modular Villa

Sadyr Khabukhayev

Raikhan Seilova

Kazakhstan

OHouse

SKOON Architecture

United Arab Emirates

Air Catcher

Israel

Spatial Fluidity

Pennsylvania State University

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
United States

Solaria

Mohsen Marizad

Mahla Mohades

Negar Khasheh

Mohammadreza Lotfi

Marizad Architects

Oman

The Wind Catcher

Kristina Klimova

Pe.Pl.CULT

Kazakhstan

UNITY

Politecnico di Milano / Polytechnic University of Milan

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Italy

THE FUSION

Luxembourg

House of the Future - BREATHING HOUSE

CONCEPTARCH Ltd.

Slovakia

Transcendence House

Anique Azhar Shore

Ahad Ayaz

Pakistan

The house of sand

Paula Soler Soler

Marta Woodward Moncho

Spain

‘HOUSE OF THE FUTURE - HOUSE OF THE PAST’

New Zealand

Window House

Fatima Jalali

Barbod Alimohamadi

Razieh Zirrahi

Ali Jafari

United States

YANNA HOUSE

Spain

Modular Oasis of Tomorrow

Argentina

Block By Block

Studio Form Plus Function

British Indian Ocean Trty.

Dune House

United Kingdom

The Rammed

Germany

Domestic Sandscape

Metope Studio LLC

United States

PROTOTYPE_OASIS

Alan Ferrando Shearer

Spain

Climate Echoes - A Dance of Shadows and Light

Austria