Annual International Architecture Competition

Modular Home
Design Challenge

Edition #1 (2021)

Results

Foreword

Competition organisers

Modular Home 
Design Challenge

This competition tasked participants with submitting innovative design proposals for a modular home that could be constructed in any form, or layout, in any location. The first annual Modular Home Design Challenge competition is part of Bee Breeders’ Small Scale Architecture Appreciation Movement showcasing small projects that contain big ideas, as well as its Affordable Housing series run in partnership with ARCHHIVE BOOKS. This competition was launched in tandem with the - Modular Architecture Essay Competition - winners from both events will be included in an upcoming print book on the topic of modular architecture.

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.

Bee Breeders worked with an international jury of innovative architects and modular design specialists: Ben van Berkel, founder and principal of UNStudio; Chris Precht, architect and co-founder of Studio Precht; Mathew Aitchison, CEO of Building 4.0 Cooperative Research Centre (CRC); Camino Alonso, Carlos Alonso and Ignacio Lechón, co-founders of Madrid-based ÁBATON Arquitectura; Sarah Broadstock, architect at London-based Studio Bark; Enrico De Lotto and George Kolliopoulos, co-founders of Milan-based Mandalaki and designers of the Monocabin Prefab project; Inés Olavarrieta, architect and designer at Madrid-based selgascano; Ivan Rupnik, architect, scholar, consultant, and Associate Professor of Architecture at Northeastern University College of Arts, Media and Design and founder of MOD X, a platform for international exchanges related to the volumetric modular industry, and Ewelina Woźniak-Szpakiewicz, Chief Executive Officer at DMDmodular Ltd, based in Poland. Bee Breeders received an excellent range of submissions from around the world, each testing its own modular techniques or studying potential forms and variations such modular designs might yield. Those selected by the jury were chosen for being especially responsive to their chosen environments, for their innovative use of materials, or for their constructability and potential for realisation.

Bee Breeders and its jury panel would like to thank all the designers that participated in this competition.

1st Prize Winner

Project name

Pop up - DIY

Authors

Gabriel Chivu
Laura Mazâlu
Stefan Mircea
Thomas Herrera

Romania

Why do you enter architecture
competitions?

We view competitions as a means to challenge ourselves, our views, our ideas. One of the main goals is to develop trust as a team in pushing ourselves as far as possible in order to achieve our goals.

Jury feedback summary

The ‘Do It Yourself Pop Up House’ was the favoUrite among the jurors. The project proposes a 12.2 x 2.4 x 3.15m container carrying the 35 prefabricated components needed to assemble the home to one’s liking – an adaptable and versatile solution to the brief. Even the container itself is used as part of the assembled structure’s envelope, to reduce throw-away parts after transportation. The jury writes, “The proposal demonstrated a good understanding of environmental design, and a pragmatic approach to re-thinking the status quo. The introduction of a patio is laudable – the clear organization around it makes the proposal very rich in terms of space and distribution. The project meets, with very well-argued proposals, sustainable development, an easy installation, and responsible use of materials.” In addition to the design, the jury commented on the project’s outstanding representation, “Its use of the thin-line drawing style and visuals shows a peaceful and balanced design and a fitting representation of it.” 

 

 

2nd Prize Winner +
BB STUDENT AWARD

Project name

Re-Imagining Makoko: Modular Floating Home

Authors

Jessica Michelle Rithika Anand
Tiffany Chen
Angelina Yihan Zhang

University

Syracuse university
+146 points Buildner University Rankings!

United States

Why do you enter architecture
competitions?

Architecture competitions allow one to share architectural designs with a broader audience while contributing to a larger discourse. The experience and process throughout empowers creative thinking and provides opportunities to learn from each other. Although it can be a challenge, it is a way to apply the knowledge we have acquired and let ourselves explore our interests. Lastly, it is always rewarding if you win a prize!

Jury feedback summary

‘Re-Imagining Makoko’ is a proposal for a modular floating home designed for Lagos, Nigeria: self-sustained mobile pods that remain undamaged by rising sea levels while also providing desperately needed access to clean water and sewage systems. The home is composed of linked pods, constructed of plastic, wood, and corrugated metal, and topped with a sloped metal roof lined with solar panels – innovative solutions to reduce environmental impacts. According to the jury, “The project presents a balance between the costs and the needs of the inhabitants. It is practical while keeping the flexibility and creativity expressed within the architectural modularity. It shows understanding of modularity through a variety of lenses. Formally less sophisticated than other choices, but the functional concept behind the organization of the modules is simple and rational, its flexibility responding effectively to the needs of each user. Clever, ecological, humane, appropriate.” The jury also applauded the proposal’s presentation and the intelligent and thoughtful way in which Makoko's specific climate, economics, and culture were considered. 

3rd Prize Winner

Project name

Standardization / Customization

Authors

Jerry Zhang
Tory Tan

University

Carnegie mellon university
+74 points Buildner University Rankings!

Canada

Why do you enter architecture
competitions?

The biggest reason for our participation is probably the fruitful learning experiences competitions are able to offer us. During the duration of this competition, we were not only able to improve our conceptual development and our representational/graphic sensibilities, but also our collective communicational skills and teamwork capabilities. Towards the end of the competition, there was a noticeable improvement in the coordination of our workloads and our ability to rely on each other’s strength.

Jury feedback summary

The layout of this house is divided into a base module and four flexible sliding rooms that expand from both sides of the structure. According to the proposal, it comes with built-in furniture and responds to the changing needs of its inhabitants. The jury writes, “This was chosen for its combination of compact, space-saving and reconfigurable spaces with its broader argument about the nature and purpose of contemporary housing.”

 

BB GREEN AWARD

Project name

the family’s background

Authors

Julia Ciężar
Matylda Wolska
Alicja Bakalarska

University

Warsaw university of technology
+76 points Buildner University Rankings!

Poland

Why do you enter architecture
competitions?

As we are at the very beginning of our architectural journey, we wanted to face a real competition task on our own. We want to provoke discussions on topics important to us in architecture and society. Thanks to competitions, we can reach a larger group of recipients.

Honorable mentions

VIEWclose HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Project Name

MHDC House

Country

Uruguay

Project authors

Federico Borges Pérez
Agustín Lagreca Herrmann

Project Name

Modewood

University

Politechnika poznańska
+72 points Buildner University Rankings!

Country

Poland

Project authors

Marcjanna Wabińska
Eliza Tomczak
Patrycja Skawicka
Piotr Skorupiński

Project Name

A Manifesto on Home: Reflections on Freedom, Flexibility, and Sustainability in Life and Place

Country

United States

Project authors

Gioia Montana Connell
Sam Golini
Eamon Roche

Project Name

Home +

Country

Germany

Project authors

Ruo Shen
Yihan Zhou

Project Name

KAO - PUÊ

Country

Taiwan

Project authors

Chi-Chia Tsao
Zhi ray Wang
Cheng Yen Tsai
Hung Yu Chu

Project Name

SILVANUS

Country

Australia

Project authors

Yi Zhou
Yikai Chang
Tianshuo Liu
Haoxuan Liang

Shortlisted projects

VIEWclose Shortlisted projects

Egypt

Massar integrated bim & project management

mostafa etman
mohamed samy
yara rafat

Poland

Warsaw University of Technology , Politechnika Warszawska

+76 points Buildner University Rankings!
julia ciężar
matylda wolska
alicja bakalarska

United States

Cornell University College of Architecture, Art, and Planning

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
lauren lam
kyrie graham
aishah alhady
gracie meek

United States

ben quint-glick
christian smoke

United States

gioia montana connell
sam golini
eamon roche

Uruguay

federico borges pérez
agustín lagreca herrmann

United States

University at Buffalo, SUNY The State University of New York

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
olivia he
xing hua lin
xiaofeng jiang

United States

University at Buffalo, SUNY The State University of New York

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
xuecheng cai

Austria

Vienna University of Technology , Technische Universität Wien, TU Wien

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
katarina sesic

United Kingdom

Archetypes design

carlo bughi

Australia

yi zhou
yikai chang
tianshuo liu
haoxuan liang

United States

tommy kyung-tae nam
soohyuk choi
jongbang park
heejin cho

Canada

Carnegie Mellon University

+74 points Buildner University Rankings!
jerry zhang
tory tan

Netherlands

Uarchitects

misak terzibasiyan

United States

nicholas horvath
jean dufresne

United States

University of California, UC Berkeley

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
adriana salim
yin ching chan

Philippines

University of the Philippines Diliman, UP Diliman

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
cheaster marie lorono seville
marc joseph espino

Taiwan

Tamkang University

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
cheng-yang huang
william chandra
yu-hsi lin

Argentina

marina ercole
aldana lorenzo

Taiwan

chi-chia tsao
zhi ray wang
cheng yen tsai
hung yu chu

United States

University of Florida

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
sydney sinclair
marla stephens
ann nguyen

Romania

gabriel chivu
laura mazâlu
stefan mircea
thomas herrera

Mexico

alejandro ricote
diego sierra
miriam engelmayer
alejandro cárdenas

United States

akash raina
regina amirova

Poland

Warsaw University of Technology , Politechnika Warszawska

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
aleksandra krawczyk
jakub bąbik
monika popkiewicz

Cyprus

University of Cyprus

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
marios tsangaris
marios solomou

Poland

Poznan University of Technology , Politechnika Poznańska

+72 points Buildner University Rankings!
marcjanna wabińska
eliza tomczak
patrycja skawicka
piotr skorupiński

United States

Syracuse University

+146 points Buildner University Rankings!
jessica michelle rithika anand
tiffany chen
angelina yihan zhang

Colombia

Latitud23º

santiago montegranario
andrés rodríguez
estefanía cortés
hanna montegranario

Germany

jonas klemens
elif siva dinler
 

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Competition results

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