Annual International Architecture Competition

Office

Office Design Challenge / Edition #2

Results

Foreword

Competition organisers

Office

Buildner is excited to present the winning and shortlisted entries submitted to the Office Design Challenge!

This is the second in an annual competition series in which participants are tasked with exploring the work environment. The jury sought design projects that use architecture as a tool to improve a worker’s wellbeing as well as their productivity. This challenge presented an opportunity to envision the new normal of the workplace post-COVID.

To evaluate the submissions, Buildner worked with an international jury panel including: Julia Murphy is Managing Partner and USA + Canada East Practice Leader at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill - SOM; Farid Esmaeil studied architecture at the American University of Sharjah School of Design and He co-founded X Architects in 2003 in Dubai; Katrina Yin, AIA, is an architect and design manager at JDS Development Group - formally trained as an architect, she worked at boutique design firms before becoming a licensed real estate salesperson and development associate; Harsha Kotak is the Founder of Women in Office Design and an international interior designer and workplace consultant; Dr Juriaan van Meel is Co-founder of BriefBuilder and an expert in the field of architectural briefing and workplace design; and Kourosh Salehi is MENA Design Director at LWK + PARTNERS, and a British architect, urbanist and educator with over 25 years of international experience in the UK, Asia and the Middle East.

Buildner and its jury members thank each of the participants for contributing to this library of design ideas, and for instigating new questions related to the future of workplace design.

Enter the next
competition edition!

ideas COMPETITION
Workplace Reimagined
Edition #3

Redefine the future of workspaces

Prize: MONETARY AWARD
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Sep 14
Nov 16
Jan 18
Register now

Office

Office Design Challenge / Edition #2
1st Prize Winner

Project name

Blackheath Creative Hub

Authors

Claudia Takada

Australia

Why do you enter architecture
competitions?

Competitions are a unique platform in which you can test ideas and skills that you may not be able to test otherwise, all with a deadline, so you can reward yourself with a glass of wine at the end - just like in the real world!

Jury feedback summary

Blackheath Creative Hub is a proposal that aims to create a workplace that is ‘tactile, slow, and calming.’ It is innovative in that it integrates community programs with workplace programs to yield a new type of space conducive to creativity. It is sited within an Australian climbing town, chosen as a community integrated with nature where post-covid workers have begun to shift as an ideal environment to ‘work from home.’ The building is designed to be in harmony with its surroundings, a linear structure constructed in rammed earth and open on all sides to its forested environment.

 

Julia Murphy / Buildner guest jury Managing Partner at SOM USA
This project offers a poetic relationship of nature and the outdoors to the post-covid office landscape and takes a radical approach to humanism in the office environment.
Harsha Kotak / Buildner guest jury Founder of Women in Office Design UK
The idea of utilizing spaces that got left vacant after pandemic (combined with the fluid design that lets indoor space connect with the outdoor) serves the dual purpose of social elevation and mental well-being in the society. The hub design is a vision to bring the community together and increase interdependency of business which can be progressive. The simple design also evokes a sense of belonging and being one with nature.
Juriaan van Meel / Buildner guest jury Co-founder of BriefBuilder Netherlands
An appealing, serene work environment, a refuge in a very hectic world. Looks like a place where people can truly think and reflect.

Buildner's architectural communication techniques review

Have a presentation for us to review? Order your review here!
  • 10/10
    Linework
  • 9/10
    Quality of drawings
  • 10/10
    Balance of color
  • 9/10
    Layout
  • 10/10
    Hierarchy
  • 8/10
    Annotation
  • 7/10
    Text
  • 9/10
    Clarity of story
  • 10/10
    Clarity of diagrams
  • 9/10
    Quality of overall presentation

Buildner's commentary and recommendations

The presentation is clear and insightful in terms of its materiality and ambitions to provide a space connected with nature. Buildner has three principle criticisms: the use of scale figures / human inhabitants within the spaces - plans, sections, renderings - would yield insight into the spatial experience and project dimensions; currently the spaces seem void and, as a result, potentially uninspired without activity. Second, annotation on the renderings could provide significant information as to materiality, concepts and space types. Third, the text would benefit from being drastically reduced, divided into key concepts, and arranged across all four sheets.

 

2nd Prize Winner +
Buildner Student Award

Project name

The CUBE

Authors

Fariha Afzal
Ezgi Su Demirci
Antonella Masanotti

University

University of pecs
+142 points Buildner University Rankings!

Hungary

Why do you enter architecture
competitions?

Architecture competitions give us an opportunity to work outside our comfort zones, to explore new societal ways of life, and to understand the complexities of designing that surround them. It is one of the few mediums that allow architects to go wild with their imagination, designing their unique vision of how they see the world.

Jury feedback summary

Inside the Cube investigates the history, evolution and utility of the office cubicle. Designed as a square with a dimension of 2.5 meters, the typical cubicle was meant to hold a single user and isolate them from the common space of the office, providing privacy and some level of quiet. The cubicle also has a tendency to hinder collaboration through its inherent intent to create physical barriers among colleagues, and has thus been largely abandoned in contemporary workplace design. This project dissects the cubicle to understand if the design element might be reworked to provide its intended privacy while also supporting social connectivity and general wellbeing.

 

Kourosh Salehi / Buildner guest jury MENA Design Director, LWK + PARTNERS UAE
A bold proposal that examines the minimal and investigates the potential and possibilities of confined spaces. The challenge of working within small places with groups of people are well demonstrated. Interesting graphics thought a little simplistic at times.
Juriaan van Meel / Buildner guest jury Co-founder of BriefBuilder Netherlands
An attempt to re-invent the classic cubicle. A nice mix of clever design and humor.
Katrina Yin / Buildner guest jury architect and design manager at JDS Development Group USA
Thought-provoking research into the current status quo of open-office seating. Vivid and eye-catching graphic style was applied throughout. The concept is quite focused on sightlines and privacy, would have been a stronger contender if more thought was given to sound attenuation as well.

Buildner's architectural communication techniques review

Have a presentation for us to review? Order your review here!
  • 10/10
    Linework
  • 9/10
    Quality of drawings
  • 8/10
    Balance of color
  • 9/10
    Layout
  • 9/10
    Hierarchy
  • 8/10
    Annotation
  • 7/10
    Text
  • 7/10
    Clarity of story
  • 8/10
    Clarity of diagrams
  • 8/10
    Quality of overall presentation

Buildner's commentary and recommendations

The project offers complex drawings as a treat for the juror. Sophisticated diagrams and linework provide for a uniquely presented submission with a lot of information to dissect. The layout is, however, rather sporadic and inconsistent. Certain drawings such as the final section lack adequate annotation. Most importantly, as a technical analysis the reviewer is left searching for meaningful results. The strongest recommendation we can provide for such a submission is that it should provide a clear textual statement on each sheet or diagram to concretize the solution of this proposal and directly state for the juror what is being communicated. How has the cubicle been reworked? What does this do for the typical office space? How can this idea evolve to support the future of office design?

 

3rd Prize Winner

Project name

Gradient Working - Constructing Matrix for Modernist Office Building

Authors

Shujian You
Yuxin Hu

United States

Why do you enter architecture
competitions?

Architecture competitions play a vital role in expanding our horizons beyond daily work settings. They create a space for creativity and exploration, allowing us to integrate innovation, sustainability, and humanity into our designs. Focusing heavily on crucial societal issues, such as the built environment and environmental disasters, they provide an opportunity to explore ideas that promote environmental responsibility, energy efficiency, and sustainable design practices. This enables us to contribute to shaping a more sustainable and socially conscious built environment.

Jury feedback summary

Gradient Working studies the problems and potentials of open plan floor plates that are a staple of modernist buildings the world over. The project uses the famed Seagram Building in NYC as a case study. Working with the strict orthogonal grid of the existing building, the proposal inserts new elements into the floor plate at a 45 degree angle to yield a series of ‘playful’ spaces that promote the health and well-being of the building's users.

Farid Esmaeil / Buildner guest jury co-founded X Architects UEA
This project showcases a visionary concept that challenges the limitations of traditional office layouts. By reimagining and reinventing the existing typology, the design goes beyond the confines of open plan arrangements and embraces a new and creative layout. It demonstrates a deep understanding of today's office requirements and prioritizes human well-being in its design approach.
Harsha Kotak / Buildner guest jury Founder of Women in Office Design UK
Rethinking a modernist heritage building to make it work for today's working model without disturbing the existing framework is a very forward thinking concept that drives multiple agendas by considering the evolving needs of the modern workplace.
Katrina Yin / Buildner guest jury architect and design manager at JDS Development Group USA
A wonderful re-imagining of a landmark project. The clever selection of this prompt hones in on a larger, tangible design problem that will be key to reinventing our existing office stock into better workplaces. I only wish it had a more fully fleshed out materiality that wasn't focused on plywood - soft textures do help sound attenuation and add color and personality into offices.

Buildner's architectural communication techniques review

Have a presentation for us to review? Order your review here!
  • 7/10
    Linework
  • 7/10
    Quality of drawings
  • 7/10
    Balance of color
  • 8/10
    Layout
  • 8/10
    Hierarchy
  • 7/10
    Annotation
  • 7/10
    Text
  • 7/10
    Clarity of story
  • 7/10
    Clarity of diagrams
  • 7/10
    Quality of overall presentation

Buildner's commentary and recommendations

The presentation makes use of a layout that is simple and clear. The main advice Buildner can offer is to expand on the main design idea of the project - the inserted new elements - rather than using extensive space on the sheets to describe the existing building. The author makes little attempt at explaining the function and construction of these 45-degree rotated inserts. Are they prefabricated? What materials are they constructed from? How are they brought into the building? Further text and annotation focused on these elements would greatly help the diagrams and renderings - which are quite well done but lack sufficient information to communicate the architecture of the proposition. 

 

Buildner Sustainability Award

Project name

OFF HOME

Authors

Dominik Kremerskothen
Vanessa Riecke
Jadwiga Slezak

Company

Auf - architektur + film gbr

Germany

Why do you enter architecture
competitions?

We love space for thoughts and the means to live comfortably.

Jury feedback summary

Off Home is a proposal for a scalable grid-form building featuring a library-like floor of semi private work spaces stacked above an open ground floor intended for collaboration and exchange. The project is located in a popular neighborhood in Berlin and is used as a green ribbon to connect two existing parks.

 

Harsha Kotak / Buildner guest jury Founder of Women in Office Design UK
Taking the 15 minute city concept prevailing from pre-modernisation to mitigate social and climate emergencies is a clever but unrealistic process in developed cities. However the same concept might be possible to apply where new townships are being developed.
Julia Murphy / Buildner guest jury Managing Partner at SOM USA
This project shows great sensitivity both to the need to effectively reuse buildings and to better manage water resources in a time of climate crisis.
Juriaan van Meel / Buildner guest jury Co-founder of BriefBuilder Netherlands
Of all the entries, this one has the most comprehensive view on sustainability.

Buildner's architectural communication techniques review

Have a presentation for us to review? Order your review here!
  • 8/10
    Linework
  • 8/10
    Quality of drawings
  • 9/10
    Balance of color
  • 7/10
    Layout
  • 6/10
    Hierarchy
  • 8/10
    Annotation
  • 7/10
    Text
  • 6/10
    Clarity of story
  • 6/10
    Clarity of diagrams
  • 7/10
    Quality of overall presentation

Buildner's commentary and recommendations

The project is animated and visually interesting, but also dense and difficult to parse through. The presentation is heavy on analysis with few clear statements to offer definitive design solutions. The first page should make absolutely clear to a juror on immediate review: what is the problem at hand, and how it has been solved. The juror instead must read through extensive text to attempt to understand the project. The diagrams are beautiful and clear. The final page, however, appears incomplete and does not provide adequate information to convey the design intent.

 

Honorable mentions

VIEWclose HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Project Name

NOMADHUB: Research on commercialization products and office space design based on digital nomad experience and needs

University

Wuhan university
+72 points Buildner University Rankings!

Country

China

Project authors

Feiyang Li
Xianyun Zhang
Yuntian Zhang

Project Name

chowa

University

Toronto metropolitan university - tmu
+72 points Buildner University Rankings!

Country

Canada

Project authors

Parinaz Nabavi
Liam Roberts
Angela Le
Golara Pourvakil

Project Name

parasitic office

University

University of sydney
+72 points Buildner University Rankings!

Country

Australia

Project authors

Weicheng Li
Zihan Xu

Project Name

Scale Up

Country

United Kingdom

Project authors

Hermione Garnett-Spear

Project Name

Rumah Ibu

Company

Think cloud design lab

Country

Malaysia

Project authors

Stephanie Choo
Wen hui Foo
Ke zhen Lim
Jien yong Yap

Project Name

Office for University Clusters

University

Dongguk university
+72 points Buildner University Rankings!

Country

South Korea

Project authors

Hyosik Kim
Changjoo Lee
Youngjun Lee

Shortlisted projects

VIEWclose Shortlisted projects

Italy

Politecnico di Milano / Polytechnic University of Milan

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
mevlide murina

Egypt

Two emms design studio

mostafa sedky

Canada

Toronto Metropolitan University - TMU

+72 points Buildner University Rankings!
parinaz nabavi
liam roberts
angela le
golara pourvakil

Hungary

University of Pécs

+142 points Buildner University Rankings!
fariha afzal
ezgi su demirci
antonella masanotti

United States

kyle johnson
maggie hardt
sarah shearer
mia kaplan

Canada

Toronto Metropolitan University - TMU

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
monika mitic
patricia diaz

Macedonia

Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
jovana glumac
elena stankovska
aleksandar ortakovski

Germany

Auf - architektur + film gbr

dominik kremerskothen
vanessa riecke
jadwiga slezak

Turkey

Gazi University

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
eda erkaya
zeynep cabbar
gözde beyza kartal
ceyda uslu

Turkey

Gazi University

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
tuğçe gül
sude berfin Çevik
emre sezer
sümeyye Özelçi

New Zealand

jason li
dennis byun
chris choi
john woo

Brazil

Studio br arquitetura

rodrigo mancini

Azerbaijan

isgandar hajiyev
aziza hashimova

South Korea

Yeungnam University

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
younghyun choi

Malaysia

Think cloud design lab

stephanie choo
wen hui foo
ke zhen lim
jien yong yap

South Korea

Kwangwoon University

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
sunwoo choi

South Korea

Dongguk University

+72 points Buildner University Rankings!
hyosik kim
changjoo lee
youngjun lee

South Korea

Dong-Eui University

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
chae eun hwang
seo yun lee
na yeon ye
gyeong ju gang

South Korea

Keimyung University - 계명대학교

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
hae chan heo
suk hoon jung
jung hyun kim

Poland

Poznan University of Technology , Politechnika Poznańska

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
przemysław baranek
nina zdanowicz

China

Wuhan University

+72 points Buildner University Rankings!
feiyang li
xianyun zhang
yuntian zhang

United States

Formed architecture

robert tranter

Germany

Wahl büro+objekt

amily woan tyng tan
juliane wahl
friederike wahl-koro
jennifer pölemann

Australia

University of Sydney

+72 points Buildner University Rankings!
weicheng li
zihan xu
 

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Competition results

MICROHOME

MICROHOME

Small living, huge impact! Edition #4
Hong Kong 
Pixel Homes

Hong Kong Pixel Homes

Affordable Housing Series #2
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