Introduction
Buildner is excited to announce the results of the Morocco Oasis Retreat Competition!
This international competition invited architects, designers, and urbanists to envision a self-sustaining, remote oasis in the Moroccan desert. Participants were challenged to create an architectural intervention that harmonizes with the harsh yet breathtaking landscape, offering shelter, water conservation strategies, and energy-efficient design. The goal was to explore how architecture can foster resilience in extreme climates while embracing traditional building techniques and contemporary sustainability principles. Entrants had the freedom to determine the scale and function of their oasis, whether as a research outpost, a place of refuge for travelers, or a small community hub.
Key design considerations included passive cooling, resource management, and integration with the surrounding topography. The competition aimed to highlight how architecture can create meaningful and functional spaces in the world’s most remote and fragile environments. Buildner collaborated with an esteemed international jury to evaluate the submissions:
-Sam Brown – Co-founder of O’DonnellBrown, a Glasgow-based studio with a strong social mission, overseeing projects ranging from housing and master planning to education
-Yang Fei – Founder and Director of Field Object Lab, an architecture and landscape consultancy in Boston and New York, specializing in adaptive reuse and contextual design
-Roxanne Kaye – Principal at SAOTA, leading high-end residential and commercial projects with a focus on sustainability and contemporary design
-Francesca Perani – Founder of Francesca Perani Enterprise in Italy, an award-winning architect and designer known for her experimental approach and advocacy for gender equality in architecture
-Lera Samovich – Architect at Fala Atelier in Portugal, with a background in architecture from Moscow Institute of Architecture and Moscow Architecture School
-Tom Schroeder – Senior Architect at Patkau Architects in Canada, working on some of the country’s most distinguished academic, cultural, and residential projects
-Liwei Shen – Landscape Designer at Sasaki, specializing in climate resilience, campus planning, and hydrological analysis, with a strong focus on environmental justice
-Lei Zheng – Associate at Zaha Hadid Architects, lecturer at the Architectural Association, and researcher in computational design and digital fabrication
The jury carefully assessed each submission based on innovation, functionality, and environmental sensitivity. Buildner and its jury extend their gratitude to all participants for their visionary contributions and congratulate the winners on their exceptional designs. We look forward to seeing how architecture can continue to shape sustainable and resilient solutions in extreme environments.
We sincerely thank our jury panel
for their time and expertise
Lei Zheng
Zaha Hadid Architects
UK
Sam Brown
O’DonnellBrown
Scotland
Yang Fei
Field Object Lab
USA
Roxanne Kaye
SAOTA
South Africa
Marta Maccaglia
Asociación Semillas
Peru
Lera Samovich
Fala Atelier
Portugal
Tom Schroeder
Patkau Architects
Canada
Liwei Shen
SASAKI
USA
Francesca Perani
Francesca Perani Enterprise
Italy
1st Prize Winner
Zellige Horizon
Competitions are where architecture is at its most ambitious. They are laboratories for ideas—spaces where constraints become catalysts for innovation, and where bold, unfiltered visions can be explored. Unlike conventional projects, which evolve within practical and commercial frameworks, competitions offer freedom to push boundaries, challenge norms, and rethink how architecture interacts with people, place, and culture. For us, competitions are not just about winning—they are about provoking dialogue and shaping the architectural discourse. They provide a rare opportunity to engage in speculative design, testing radical concepts that may one day influence mainstream practice. Competitions allow us to engage with global challenges—whether it be rethinking urban living, designing for resilience, or redefining sustainability through material and spatial innovation. At TMD, we view competitions as a platform for collaboration and storytelling. Whether developing our own proposals or supporting fellow architects through compelling visual narratives, we participate because we believe in the power of architecture to inspire, challenge, and transform. The best ideas don’t just respond to a brief—they create entirely new possibilities.
Read full interview
United Kingdom
Jury feedback summary
Zellige Horizon is a project integrating architecture, sustainability, and cultural heritage within a natural landscape. The design follows a circular spatial hierarchy, balancing private and communal spaces while ensuring functional efficiency. The layout emphasizes pedestrian permeability and a dedicated service circulation route. Sustainable strategies include water conservation, passive cooling, and locally sourced materials to minimize environmental impact.
I love how the guest rooms’ sawtooth arrangement offers a more private experience, while the overall calm material palette feels as if it grows naturally from the earth. Combined with an orthogonal grid that integrates seamlessly into the topography, the design not only evokes a sense of village living but also poetically frames moments for visitors to enjoy the outdoor space.
Yang Fei / Buildner guest jury
Field Object Lab, USA
The thoughtful use of pedestrian pathways and circular geometry fosters intuitive navigation and inclusivity, connecting guests with nature and one another. The balance between public and semi-private zones creates a welcoming retreat, with central gathering spaces serving as vibrant social anchors. A clear focus on accessibility and communal areas showcases a deep understanding of spatial harmony and user experience.
Francesca Perani / Buildner guest jury
Francesca Perani Enterprise, Italy
An enjoyable, thorough submission. Included in the design are some seductive architectural moments and considerations. -Sam Brown The concept of a retreat gradually radiating from a central point is compelling. The urban environment transitions seamlessly into green spaces. A carefully chosen selection of images and diagrams effectively conveys the project strategy and highlights the main qualities of this concentric approach.
Lera Samovich / Buildner guest jury
Fala Atelier, Portugal
This arrangement blends formal and informal systems, combining urban density with a rural landscape. It is compact and focused while maintaining clear transitions between public and private spaces. Modern sustainable technologies are seamlessly integrated with traditional materials and forms, creating a sophisticated and harmonious design.
Tom Schroeder / Buildner guest jury
Patkau Architects , Canada
This project presents a solid, aesthetically pleasing design that appears readily implementable. Its strengths lie in its thoughtful spatial organization, attention to aesthetic and functional details, and consideration of the user experience.
Liwei Shen / Buildner guest jury
SASAKI, USA
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2nd Prize Winner
Enclave of Engrave
Occasionally, I participate in open architecture or urban design competitions to stimulate my minds, evoke new insights, and foster meaningful discussions. The nature of these competitions offers anonymity and serves as a blank canvas, allowing us to distance ourselves from preconceived ideas.
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Malaysia
Jury feedback summary
Enclave of Engrave is designed as a tranquil sanctuary that integrates architecture with the natural landscape. The master plan follows a cascading spatial arrangement inspired by traditional Moroccan riads, creating a hierarchy of private and communal spaces. The architecture blends local materials, passive cooling techniques, and sustainable water systems, ensuring minimal environmental impact.
The project demonstrates a well-programmed design layout that thoughtfully addresses the brief’s functional needs while integrating with the site's natural context. Its reinterpretation of Moroccan architectural elements, through cascading terraces and spatial voids, offers a compelling balance between tradition and contemporary design.
Francesca Perani / Buildner guest jury
Francesca Perani Enterprise, Italy
The project suggests a diversity of typologies, creating an environment with varying scales and qualities. This diversity is further explored in terms of form and materiality as one examines each building more closely. The graphical language of the proposal is strong and clear.
Lera Samovich / Buildner guest jury
Fala Atelier, Portugal
This mature design thoughtfully incorporates the surrounding topography, responds effectively to the views, and reflects the local atmosphere and color palette. It successfully combines powerful yet understated architectural forms with the practical needs of a retreat.
Yang Fei / Buildner guest jury
Field Object Lab, USA
3rd Prize Winner
Life line
Since the trend of sustainable architecture in Iran is very weak and even insignificant, she is forced to work in other countries due to her strong interest in this style. She believes that, in order to gain recognition, work on a global level, and improve her knowledge and benchmarks, she should participate in architectural competitions. Her goal is to establish herself as an international architect and office.
Read full interview
Turkey
Jury feedback summary
A project that responds to the brief intelligently and thoroughly. The design offers bold and yet sensitive concepts - simple but also complex. A compelling submission.
Sam Brown / Buildner guest jury
O’DonnellBrown, Scotland
The project thoughtfully engages with the landscape and topography. The bold, oval-shaped pathway connecting the hill and the sea is a striking feature, offering multifunctional use and a rich pedestrian experience while maintaining a simple, elegant form. However, the extended circular pathway risks being exposed and monotonous under the sun. Introducing shaded rest areas, small staircases, pavilions, or native vegetation could enhance comfort and visual interest.
Liwei Shen / Buildner guest jury
SASAKI, USA
A strong urbanistic gesture connects the marine and the retreat, proposing an appealing pedestrian path that extends beyond the settlement. The project makes use of the landscape and is thoughtfully developed in section, influencing both its architectural expression and sustainability strategies.
Lera Samovich / Buildner guest jury
Fala Atelier, Portugal
The design skillfully utilizes slopes and retaining walls to create varied garden spaces, which ensures unobstructed sea views. While the buildings follow the slope’s gesture, they lack a degree of autonomy, resulting in interior spaces that feel compromised in terms of orientation, facade treatment, and views. A more systematic approach to form, materiality, and spatial organization could strengthen the architectural identity and functionality of the structures.
Liwei Shen / Buildner guest jury
SASAKI, USA
Client Favorite
HERE COMES THE SUN
Morocco
Jury feedback summary
Here Comes the Sun' is positioned along key site axes to maximize views of the lake and surrounding terrain while ensuring privacy. The Royal Pavilion serves as a central hospitality hub, featuring suites, gardens, and shaded courtyards. Guest houses follow monolithic Islamic architecture, with introverted facades and private terraces. A sustainable approach incorporates passive cooling, shading structures, and local materials like stone and reed.
Honorable mentions
Shortlisted projects
Pathway tour
AL-QASBA
CASA DO PENEDO
ZAWIYA
AL QAMAR
QANTERRA
OASIS GARDENS
RECTANGULAR LEGACY
Wāha Wardiyya
AD ASTRA
The Revived Aguedal
IKHLAS
Oasis Alyaqut
Desert’s Silent Puzzle
_ATLAS_breeze_
Sanctuary Retreat in Morocco
Enclave of Engrave
Al-Sarab Al-Dhahabi (Golden Mirage)
Morocco Oasis Retreat
The loom
Madinat Al-Waha
Malath (Haven) Community Park
THE GATES OF WATER
Echoes of Fes : Spirit and nature
Domestic Oasis
Al-Alaoui Retreat
cascating
AL BAB Archipelago
Life line
Zellige Horizon
Palimpsest
seven - unity in diversity
Ruyah
H.O.M (House Of Morocco)
THE LAKE OLIVE GROVE
VILLA BENMIRA
Oasis
Al Fonduk
HERE COMES THE SUN
ALAOUI FAMILY _ MAROCCO OASIS RETREAT
This retreat is designed as a self-sustaining development integrating traditional Moroccan architecture with modern environmental strategies. The design follows a structured hierarchy of spaces, centered around a main water channel that divides the site and supports irrigation, agriculture, and ecological preservation. Read more Inspired by riads and courtyard-based structures, buildings are arranged in a spiral formation to maximize ventilation, privacy, and passive cooling. Locally sourced materials, earthen construction, and renewable energy systems contribute to sustainability. The retreat includes residential areas, hospitality zones, recreational facilities, and cultural spaces, all connected through an infrastructural network prioritizing water efficiency, energy conservation, and landscape integration.