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

Learn more

Introduction

COMPETITION ORGANISERS
MICROHOME
Official partner

The MICROHOME Kingspan Edition 2024/25 is an exciting development in the evolution of the MICROHOME architecture competition, marking the eighth edition of this esteemed event. This special edition is hosted by Buildner in a key partnership with Kingspan, a collaboration that showcases a mutual vision and shared objectives, amplifying the reach and impact of the competition with a substantially increased prize fund of €100,000.

The Buildner-Kingspan partnership embodies a united commitment to drive forward architectural design, particularly in the realm of small-scale, sustainable, and affordable living solutions. The shared ethos rests on the belief that innovative design, quality, and sustainability are of paramount importance, and that they can create transformative solutions without being restricted by size.

 

The MICROHOME Kingspan Edition 2024/25 invites participants to conceptualize an off-grid modular dwelling that would accommodate a hypothetical young professional couple. This scenario serves as the benchmark family size for the competition. The total floor area of the structure should not exceed 25 m2, thereby encouraging participants to push their creativity and innovate within these parameters.

The competition challenges participants to radically rethink spatial organization, to introduce distinctive aesthetics, and to implement state-of-the-art technologies and materials. The end objective is to propel the micro home from a mere architectural form to a revolutionary genre in its own right.

 

There are no geographical restrictions on the hypothetical sites for these designs, allowing for unlimited creativity. Whether urban or rural, any location worldwide can be the backdrop for these micro homes. Designs that prioritize sustainability and present solutions to economic, social, and cultural challenges through fresh architectural methods will receive preference. 

The MICROHOME Kingspan Edition 2024/25 is an opportunity to contribute to the evolution of residential architecture. It looks forward to uncovering visionary designs and innovative ideas that are poised to redefine the future of micro-living. 

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.

Previous Kingspan Microhome competition winners

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

100,000 €

1ST PLACE

40,000 €

2ND PLACE

20,000 €

3RD PLACE

10,000 €

Buildner Student Award

10,000 €

(more details)

Buildner Sustainability Award

10,000 €

(more details)

the kingspan award

10,000 €

Publicity campaign

The Buildner’s extensive global publicity campaign for the competition winners:

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.

Microhome Magazine

Winners will be featured in the Buildner Microhome Magazine.

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.

Publicity

ArchDaily feature

As part of the collaboration between Buildner and ArchDaily, the competition winners will be showcased on ArchDaily, a leading architecture news platform.

This feature will greatly boost the winners' visibility to millions of architecture professionals and enthusiasts worldwide, increasing their chances for new opportunities, attracting new clients, and establishing their reputation in the industry.

Read more about Buildner and ArchDaily partnership
&
Publicity

Microhome magazine

Winners and selected participants will be featured in the Buildner's Microhome magazine.

Jury members shall under no circumstances be contacted by competition participants or their representatives. Participants who attempt to contact jury members will be disqualified.

Please note that this is not a final jury panel, as new jury members can be added up until the registration deadline. All jury members will be involved in the evaluation process based on their availability at that time.

All communication regarding the competition should be conducted exclusively with Buildner staff. For any questions or concerns, please contact us at [email protected].

Sandra del Bove

Head of Innovation, Kingspan

USA

Paulo Flores

Director, Zaha Hadid Architects

UK

Anne Cecilie Haug

Senior Architect, Snøhetta

Norway

Flora Lee

Associate Partner, MAD Architects

USA

Brent Trenga

Director of Sustainability, Kingspan Insulated Panels

USA

Silvana Ordinas

Founder and Partner, Peter Pichler Architecture

Italy

Stephanie Deumer

Visual Artist

USA

Key dates

Send reminders

Registration fees

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190 €

170 €

Register now

190 €

170 €

Register now

+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.

This project has no set budget.
No specific site has been selected for this competition.
Clarifications on the MICROHOME's 25 square meter limit - https://architecturecompetitions.com/microhome-25sqm
You may submit a previously published design concept as long as you are the author and the project presentation materials are original and have not been published before.
As it is explained in the competition brief - for this competition participants are required to upload four A2 presentation panels. Presentation deliverables set listed in the competition brief is a suggestion only. Participants are not required to present the entire list. Please choose only the most essential information set that would explain your design in the most efficient manner.
For the Microhome architecture competition, participants are invited to submit their designs for a single micro home – an off-grid modular structure that would accommodate a hypothetical young professional couple.
You may use rooftop, however in this case it would need to be part of the 25m².
Underground construction can be proposed.
For the Microhome architecture competition, participants are invited to submit their designs for a single micro home – an off-grid modular structure that would accommodate a hypothetical young professional couple.
There is no defined building code that participants are asked to follow, however, we would recommend using Eurocode Building standards as a general guideline.
Internal courtyards, even if open-air but enclosed on all sides, should be included in the 25 square meter limit of the building.
While you can propose modular extensions, the primary focus should remain on the original 25 sqm building design.
All necessary information, including the utilization and integration of Kingspan products, should be presented on the A2 panels. If you are competing for the Kingspan Award, you will need to provide a brief, separate text explaining your approach to using Kingspan products when submitting your project.
You should mention the specific Kingspan products you are using in your presentation. You are also free to propose and mention any other materials that enhance your design.
While you can use other Kingspan products in your design, to be eligible for the Kingspan Award, you must select from the products listed for the competition.
Both options are acceptable for the competition. You can choose to design a prefabricated Microhome that is moved to the site in one piece, or a home that is built directly on site.
The microhome should be designed for a young professional couple and intended for permanent living. The design should focus on creating a practical and sustainable living space suitable for two people in a long-term living scenario.
The choice of materials for the MICROHOME competition is open. While incorporating Kingspan products is an option, it's not a requirement unless you aim to compete for the optional Kingspan Award. For this specific award, using selected Kingspan products in your design is essential. However, for the general competition entry, you are free to choose the materials you find most suitable for your design.
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.
Celebrate your idea. Register today!