This competition is part of a strategic partnership between Buildner and ArchDaily that aims to explore "The Contemporary Home".

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Introduction

COMPETITION ORGANISERS
Kinderspace

Introducing the Kinderspace: Architecture for Children's Development competition / Edition #3, an architectural challenge dedicated to crafting innovative educational spaces that enhance early childhood learning. As young children navigate their formative years, the environment in which they learn plays a pivotal role in their cognitive, emotional, and social development. Traditional educational settings often do not fully cater to the dynamism of early childhood, potentially stifling creativity and exploration. 

This competition seeks to transform kindergarten design by creating environments that are not only safe and functional but also stimulating and inclusive. Participants are encouraged to conceive spaces that foster learning, creativity, and community interaction, using sustainable and innovative design solutions that promote healthy development.

With the flexibility to select a site within their home country, participants have the unique opportunity to integrate their designs within diverse community settings, potentially revitalizing underutilized areas. The Kinderspace #3 competition is more than just designing educational facilities; it's about enriching communities and enhancing the educational landscapes to nurture the youngest members of our society. Participants are invited to think beyond conventional boundaries and develop spaces that inspire, educate, and connect.

Download the full competition brief for more information! 

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.

Brief

The full competition brief can be downloaded as often as required; no additional information will be provided after registration.

Full Competition Brief

Download brief

Prizes

Prize fund

10,000 €

1ST PLACE

5,000 €

2ND PLACE

2,500 €

3RD PLACE

1,000 €

Buildner Student Award

1,000 €

(more details)

Buildner Sustainability Award

500 €

(more details)

6 Honorable mentions & certificates

Buildner will acknowledge the outstanding performance of all winners and honourable mentions with Certificates of Achievement.

Publicity campaign

Buildner's publicity campaign offers extensive exposure to the architectural community, ensuring that the results of the competition are seen by a vast audience:

Buildner's two million

The results are published on buildner.com, a leading website in the architecture industry, attracting over one million unique visitors annually. Additionally, the campaign extends to Buildner's social networks, which boast over 800,000 followers combined, and through newsletter campaigns reaching over 200,000 subscribers.

Interview and movie

Winners will have the opportunity to submit a movie and an interview, boosting their recognizability and helping to build their name in the industry.

Extensive media network

Buildner leverages an extensive network of media industry leaders to publish the competition results. This broadens the audience further, ensuring that participants' work is showcased across multiple platforms known for their influence and reach in the architecture and design sectors.

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]  

Aybars Asci

Efficiency Lab

USA

Betsaida Curto Reyes

Founder, Estudio Copla

Spain

Jake Heffington

...and other works

USA

Matthias Roller

Dannien Roller Architekten + Partner

Germany

Yu-Ying Tsai

architect at ZJJZ Atelier

China

Mona Vijaykumar

 

USA

Edward Weysen

WE-S architects

Belgium

Design assessment

Participants will have the option to request a personalised in-depth design assessment of their project for a fee after the competition results are published.

This feedback highlights the strengths of each submission and identifies areas for refinement, offering participants valuable insights into their work.

The design assessment serves as both a learning tool and a reflection of a project's performance. It helps participants better understand their submission, see how it compares with other entries, and identify opportunities for growth in future projects.

Key dates

Send reminders

Registration fees

PRE-REGISTRATION

First 30 registrations free

0

free registration available

Free registrations are available to Architects’ Network Plus subscribers on a first-come, first-served basis. Each Architects’ Network Plus subscriber is eligible for one free registration per account. An invitation to claim the free registration is issued via the Buildner newsletter at the launch of the competition.

REGISTRATION

17 Oct - 26 Nov

I'm
I will pay in

140 €

full award package

100 €

no monetary award

120 €

full award package

90 €

no monetary award

140 €

full award package

100 €

no monetary award

120 €

full award package

90 €

no monetary award

+4.5% VAT

 

STUDENT REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS


Contact us to receive special student rates for group registrations (discount applies for 3+ registrations from one university/school) and to receive further information and support for getting your students involved in architecture competitions. Send us request from your university email address along with basic information about yourself and your university/school. Please note that only recognized university staff can apply for the reduced student rate.

X
Architecture competitions newsletter
Absolutely not! You’ll always keep full ownership and authorship of your project. Submitting to a Buildner competition doesn’t mean giving up your rights — it simply gives us permission to share and promote your work as part of the competition. We may feature your project on our website, social media, newsletters, books, or exhibitions — all to celebrate your creativity and inspire others. This permission helps us give your work the visibility it deserves, without needing to ask you each time we publish it.
To register, simply click on "Register Now," fill out all necessary fields, select your preferred payment method, and submit your details. You will be redirected to PayPal or a card payment gateway to settle the competition fee. Upon confirmation of your payment, we will send you an email containing your Unique Identification Code (UIC). You must then log in to your Buildner account using your architecture.info credentials and validate your UIC to complete the process. Learn more here - https://architecturecompetitions.com/how-to-enter-a-competition
You can add/remove/edit team member information as often as you want in the upload panel, up until the submission deadline. Learn more here - https://architecturecompetitions.com/how-to-add-team-members-after-april-2023
Yes. If the jury panel selects a Student award's submission for the top 3, it will automatically be awarded both prizes.
Yes. If the jury panel selects a Sustainability award's submission for the top 3, it will automatically be awarded both prizes.
No. Competition entries are evaluated anonymously. The participant registration type is only revealed upon the announcement of the results.
Please contact us – [email protected] and we will address the problem directly.
The short answer is yes, you may submit a previously published design concept as long as you are the author. Before re-submitting your project, please carefully read the following clarification points listed here - architecturecompetitions.com/resubmit-your-design
As AI-generated images may be based on pre-existing work or generated using proprietary algorithms, it is best to check the specific terms and conditions of the AI tool used to generate the image to determine its ownership status. It may also be necessary to seek legal advice to fully understand the ownership rights and any restrictions that may apply. In general, it is not recommended to consider AI-generated images as your sole work or intellectual property unless you have obtained explicit permission to do so.
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Testimonials

Join our growing list of
over 1,157 winners

For us, architecture competitions are an opportunity to grow both professionally and personally. They provide a chance to explore diverse topics, take on new challenges, and stay creative beyond academic work. Competitions also allow us to connect with the wider architectural community while giving us the joy of designing and creating something new and meaningful.

Architecture competitions are one of the best ways to explore design and test ideas against those of other talented architects. Analysing the results and comparing different proposals is an excellent way to learn from other perspectives and gain inspiration from innovative ideas. Competitions also offer a unique opportunity to challenge ourselves on the international stage and push our own limits. We select sites and briefs according to the themes we wish to study and develop, treating them as a personal training ground for experimentation.

We participate in architecture competitions because they offer a unique and essential platform to experiment with ideas beyond the constraints of traditional practice. Competitions are critical for fostering speculative thinking, allowing us to explore alternative design languages and ontologies that might not be feasible in conventional, budget-driven projects. Ultimately, we are driven by the desire to challenge design norms and unlock new creative opportunities, letting our imaginations lead us to truly captivating spaces and innovative design ideas. This process of ambitious exploration and unconstrained problem-solving is what makes competitions an excellent platform to showcase our interests and push the boundaries of design.

2ND PRIZE
Authors

Aleksandra Zofia Forystek, Min Kyu Kim, and Zehua He from the United States!

My regular participation in idea competitions maintains the in-depth conceptual dimension of architectural work. This practice is also nourished by creating micro-architecture installations for contemporary art festivals. These experiences generate a continuous dynamic of experimentation, research, and reflection.

We take part in architectural competitions to test our design visions in various geographical and cultural contexts and each time learn something new about the world we live in.

LOCAL was first founded around architecture competitions, as they offer complete freedom and a clear opportunity to go beyond the brief, enabling new approaches that are rarely possible within the standard architectural process.


We participate in architecture competitions to challenge ourselves and step outside of our routine work. It’s refreshing to design freely, without the constraints of client demands, and to test our own ideas and skills. Competitions are also a valuable exercise, allowing us to compare our approach and understanding of a project with architects from around the world, and to reflect on what we did well and where we can improve.

The team joined this competition as an opportunity to explore new typologies, contexts, and ideas beyond their usual areas of practice. They view competitions as a testing ground for innovative designs, material explorations, and fresh approaches to shaping the built environment.

Architecture competitions provide a rare opportunity to explore ideas freely and test concepts without the constraints of a typical commission. They allow us to challenge norms, push creative boundaries, and engage with pressing questions through design. Beyond this, competitions offer a way to connect with the global architectural dialogue, share our voice, and grow both professionally and intellectually.

We see architecture competitions as the most democratic tool to ensure meritocracy in the profession, allowing quality to prevail over individual interests. They represent one of the best ways to guarantee higher standards in the built environment, which is why we continue to participate.

Celebrate your idea. Register today!