Foreword

Bee Breeders in partnership with ARCHHIVE BOOKS announces the winners of its 2021 open call for submissions to be published in the upcoming print publication on modular architecture. The essay competition was run in tandem with design competition Modular Home Design Challenge 2021, seeking concepts for constructing a home using modular techniques.

Modular architecture is one of the most dynamic components of design, offering versatile solutions for efficient, sustainable spaces and building practices. Repeatable or flexible modules can yield customisable and well-designed solutions to projects without incurring excessive costs. Factory prefabrication, efficient use of materials, reduced transport requirements and ease of site installation all have the potential to reduce the embodied energy of a project.

This essay competition is called for submissions that offer a critical analysis of modular architecture and how it can be used to revolutionise architectural design in both residential and commercial spaces. How has modular construction enabled more sustainable designs? How has modular architecture been integrated into standard practice? What is the global impact of modular design trends and how will the future of architecture be impacted by this versatile design component? We sought inquiries, opinions, and analyses of all these questions and more.

We received submissions from around the world. The works of the selected authors listed below have been chosen for print in ARCHHIVE BOOKS' upcoming publication, alongside award-winning Bee Breeders competition entries as well as featured projects built using modular construction or design practices.

COMPETITION ORGANISERS
Essay:
Modular Architecture

1st Prize Winner

Project name

Why Modular needs to be(come) Flexible - a Critical Remark

Author Mario Kolkwitz
Country Finland

2nd Prize Winner

Project name

Ode to a Module

Author Blake Hageman
Country United States

3rd Prize Winner

Project name

Modular Architecture: Beyond Cookies and Pancakes

Author Felix Yiu
Country United States

Honorable Mentions

Show Honorables Mentions (6 of 6) Hide Honorables Mentions projects
Project name

Reframing Modularity for Adaptive Reuse

Author Shannon Ruhl
Country United States
Project name

Modular and Reversible Architecture towards Sustainability

Author Tecla Caroli
Country Italy
Project name

Module+

Authors Ruo Shen, Yihan Zhou
Country Germany
Project name

Modular Architecture

Authors Chiara Corchia, Chiara Corchia
Country Italy
Project name

Modular Architecture

Author Mohaimeen Islam
Country Bangladesh
Project name

The varieties of modular experience

Author Mark Bessoudo
Country United Kingdom