International Architecture Competition

Portugal
Olive Guest House

Results

Foreword

Competition organisers

Buildner is happy to announce the results of its Portugal Olive Guest House International Competition!

The competition was run in partnership with the Verde family, landowners in Portugal that produce homemade olive oil using traditional methods. The brief tasked participants with presenting designs for a guest house to be realized on the Verde family property. The guest house is to be centered around a multipurpose space that would mainly function as an olive oil tasting room. Buldner collaborated with a stellar regional and international jury comprised of: Ondřej Chybík is co-founder of the studio CHYBIK + KRISTOF, based in Prague, Brno and Bratislava; Marta Frazão and Inês Vicente are partners at Atelier Data, a Lisbon-based office; Francisco Garcia de Freitas is a founder of Lisbon-based Atelier RUA - Arquitectos; Ricardo Gomes, partner of KWY.studio, was born in Portugal and studied architecture in Lisbon; Vitório Leite is a co-founder of merooficina, a Porto-based office; Tiago Mota Saraiva is the managing partner of ateliermob, based in Lisbon; Maria Papafigou is an architect and a founding partner of the Stockholm- and Athens-based office OOAK - One of a Kind Architects.

Buildner and its jury panel thank each of the participating teams for submitting outstanding work.

1st Prize Winner

Project name

A-CASA

Authors

Martina Costa

Giorgia Ferretti

Emiliano Barbani

Ruggiero Scommegna

Italy

Why do you enter architecture
competitions?

For us, participating in architecture competitions means having the opportunity to explore new alternative and sustainable solutions for each project we undertake. Multidisciplinarity and innovation are constant approaches in our research, aiming to define new solutions that minimize the environmental impact of architecture.

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Jury feedback summary

A-Casa is based on dual concepts of the house. The first is to be a landmark with an identity related to its site, the second as a place to feel comfortable, constructed using local materials and techniques. This proposition focuses on the archetypal house form of four walls and a pitched roof. Here, the roof is reinterpreted as a sort of geometrical landmark - the only component of the building visible from the street. The roof is opaque, enclosing comfortable and private spaces. The walls below open up to the site for indoor-outdoor connectivity.

Marta Frazão / Buildner guest jury Partners at Atelier Data Portugal

With a strong, unique and clear gesture due to the exploration of the house-form archetype, this proposal solves in a beautiful and sensitive way a program, an atmosphere, and a place.

Ondřej Chybík / Buildner guest jury CHYBIK + KRISTOF Czech Republic

Basic architectural forms are kept in the abstract, each clearly defined and articulated.

Francisco Garcia de Freitas / Buildner guest jury Atelier RUA - Arquitectos Portugal

Great integration and an outstanding design, the project seems to respond clearly to its intended purpose.

Buildner's architectural communication techniques review

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10/10
Linework
10/10
Quality of drawings
10/10
Balance of color
9/10
Layout
9/10
Hierarchy
9/10
Annotation
9/10
Text
9/10
Clarity of story
10/10
Clarity of diagrams
10/10
Quality of overall presentation

Buildner's commentary and recommendations

The project makes use of a clean, two-sided layout and a crisp, identifying set of visuals to yield an altogether excellent presentation format. The introductory image strongly conveys the symbolic geometric forms that are central to the project concept. Renderings make use of simple, effective textures to express materiality and the bending of light across surfaces. Finally, subtle hatches and shadows give depth to smartly produced line drawings. The project would benefit from further dividing the lengthy text across the four sheets to link key concepts with imagery. And while the site plan on the first sheet effectively contains some bold fill colors to anchor the page, the drawings on the following pages could also use such techniques to strengthen hierarchy.

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2nd Prize Winner +
Buildner Student Award

Project name

Olive Hearth

Authors

Karolina Rorat

Ewa Maniak

University

Warsaw university of technology , politechnika warszawska

+142 points Buildner University Rankings!

Poland

Why do you enter architecture
competitions?

In our opinion, architecture competitions provide a wonderful opportunity to challenge ourselves by engaging in unconventional projects around the world. We thoroughly enjoy exploring different cultures, and architecture competitions serve as a means to do just that.

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Jury feedback summary

Olive Hearth is a building with a fragmented spiraling form described as a windmill that engages either the site’s sloping landscape. The floor levels within the house descend with the topography to link the experience of being within the home to that of walking down the hill. The house is constructed of adobo - a typical bio-based Portuguese mudbrick which the author claims could be produced on site, and finished in a local lime plaster. A series of keywords - hearth, canvas, gardens, olive oil - are called out to describe the project’s form, layout and experience.

Ricardo Gomes / Buildner guest jury Partner, KWY.studio Portugal

The proposal successfully combines spaces for the community and also for time spent in solitude. The layout's core is a luscious communal space stretching diagonally and opening up to the outside while framed by guest spaces that offer individual experiences and views into the landscape. The proposal finds the right scale, level of proximity and relation between the interior and exterior.

Vitório Leite / Buildner guest jury Founder of Merooficina Portugal

The project demonstrates excellent organization and adopts a geometric approach that facilitates flexible usage and circulation. However, it remains unclear whether the building's morphology takes into account the characteristics of the plot and its surroundings.

Inês Vicente / Buildner guest jury Partners at Atelier Data Portugal

The proposal achieves great ambience and diversity of spaces, provided by the morphology of the built element and its relation with the natural elements surrounding it. However, it is not perfectly clear how the existing topography should be solved properly and the decision of bringing common and gathering areas to a buried basement, with no relation with the outside nor presence of natural light, is questionable.

Buildner's architectural communication techniques review

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9/10
Linework
10/10
Quality of drawings
10/10
Balance of color
9/10
Layout
9/10
Hierarchy
8/10
Annotation
8/10
Text
9/10
Clarity of story
10/10
Clarity of diagrams
9/10
Quality of overall presentation

Buildner's commentary and recommendations

This is an excellent project with an effective layout. An introductory page with a nearly full span primary rendering sets the tone with its particular focus on the landscape. This is followed by three consistent sheets with a band of renderings at the base supported by line drawings and text above. This format is successful visually, giving weight to the visually heavier colored imagery while the text and line work float towards the top, within the white space. The project would certainly benefit from additional annotation to support the rendered images: what is each visual trying to say, what activities are taking place, what materials are used? The imagery on the final page is rather dark, and while it is clear that a comfortable evening space is intended to be communicated, a lighter image would convey more information to a reader.

3rd Prize Winner

Project name

A Guest House with a Tent

Authors

Yuxuan Jiang

Lang Lin

China

Jury feedback summary

A Guest House with a Tent draws from the form of a tent as representative of a space with ‘unencumbered freedom.’ In the case of this project the tent is the communal space where people come together to share activities, the focal point of the plan which houses the olive oil tasting room. In section a pitched roof gives the space ample head height and opens it up to daylight and views through a fully glazed wall which can be moderated with exterior shutters.

Ondřej Chybík / Buildner guest jury CHYBIK + KRISTOF Czech Republic

The proposal presents a very complex solution, taking in consideration all the constraints and opportunities of the site. The strong architectural form is directly connected to the beautiful view of the site.

Vitório Leite / Buildner guest jury Founder of Merooficina Portugal

Maria Papafigou / Buildner guest jury OOAK - One of a Kind Architects Greece

This submission with its slated roof gesture has a strong aesthetic quality that could make this guest house recognizable and memorable. The light character of the roof as well as the use of primarily sustainable materials add to the relaxed overall experience of the guest house. I would like to see how this particular house could be even more specific to its context, not something that one could encounter anywhere else in the world.

Buildner's architectural communication techniques review

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9/10
Linework
10/10
Quality of drawings
8/10
Balance of color
9/10
Layout
9/10
Hierarchy
8/10
Annotation
8/10
Text
9/10
Clarity of story
8/10
Clarity of diagrams
9/10
Quality of overall presentation

Buildner's commentary and recommendations

The project makes use of remarkably photorealistic rendered images which communicate the project’s intent for raw, natural materials as well as balanced light and shadow. As a competition entry, the use of some color or additional scale figures could help imbibe the sheets with a bit more dynamism and interest. The overall austere nature of the presentation could be received by jurors as too empty and dry for such a proposal to design a landmark communal space. The line drawings are excellent and would further benefit with the use of scale figures to understand the spaces dimensionally. Finally, the introductory text is long and winding and could be better summarized as simple concrete points: why the use of the tent, how is it applied to the project, and why is this a successful solution?

Buildner Sustainability Award

Project name

O Quintal

Authors

Juan Pablo Lopez Isabella

Mexico

Why do you enter architecture
competitions?

Architecture competitions serve as a powerful tool to enhance the creative process. I also believe that they provide a virtual journey to different places, allowing us to immerse ourselves in their customs, aromas, landscapes, and diverse architectures. This experience serves as a prelude to the project and enriches the design exploration.

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Jury feedback summary

“The design is articulated by a strict and forceful geometry,” writes the author of the project titled O Quintal. Three pitched naves attached to a central courtyard, the house is both domestic and utilitarian. The building features austere white walls and red clay tiling, and the project’s simple forms play with the daylight and change with the shadows cast throughout the day. The project is simple but bold, and relies on its ties to the landscaped courtyard and views of the sky to connect users with nature.

Francisco Garcia de Freitas / Buildner guest jury Atelier RUA - Arquitectos Portugal

A great conceptual design, this project has big potential for development with a simple and clear strategy.

Tiago Mota Saraiva / Buildner guest jury ateliermob Portugal

This is a project that creates one interesting and peaceful ambience on its interior, using natural light and materiality, and a very wise relationship with the nature around. it. It creates a space of continuity among the plots, with no boundaries, and generates one unifying landscape.

Buildner's architectural communication techniques review

Have a presentation for us to review? Order your review here!

9/10
Linework
10/10
Quality of drawings
10/10
Balance of color
9/10
Layout
9/10
Hierarchy
8/10
Annotation
8/10
Text
8/10
Clarity of story
8/10
Clarity of diagrams
9/10
Quality of overall presentation

Buildner's commentary and recommendations

The project makes use of a collaged, naturally scattered layout that resonates with the architectural proposition. Such a loose and scrapbook organization affords the author to use visuals at various scales and balance the sheets with a mix of colored and grayscale renderings and line drawings. The main criticism we can provide is that the text is overwhelmingly long and discusses information about the site that is common to all projects submitted, before expanding in detail the unique design aspects of this particular project. It is recommended that the author reduce the text by half, increase its font size, and consider distributing it about the four pages. The second and third pages are void of text and appear unfinished, especially given that the plans and sections require some basic annotation to present clearer programmatic organization. A juror or reviewer should not have to guess or search for details to understand the project.

Client Favorite

Project name

Verde Vista Guest House

Authors

Chuanyu Dai

China

Why do you enter architecture
competitions?

Competitions offer me opportunities to refine my skills and can also serve as potential career-enhancing prospects. Occasionally, competitions present unique and captivating programs that I have yet to encounter, like the Olive Guest House competition. Prior to participating in this competition, I had no knowledge of the existence of olive tasting rooms. This discovery fueled my motivation to explore fresh ideas and broaden my horizons.

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Jury feedback summary

Verde Vista Guest House is planned to connect visitors with nature along a circulation path comprising four nodes: a drop off area, entrance, green courtyard and tasting room. The form of the building takes that of the site with its curvilinear border. The spaces are clean and open, some daylit by a clerestory shed roof above, and all are focused inward on the central garden to infuse the spaces with visual links to nature.

Buildner's architectural communication techniques review

Have a presentation for us to review? Order your review here!

10/10
Linework
10/10
Quality of drawings
10/10
Balance of color
10/10
Layout
10/10
Hierarchy
9/10
Annotation
10/10
Text
9/10
Clarity of story
10/10
Clarity of diagrams
10/10
Quality of overall presentation

Buildner's commentary and recommendations

This presentation mixes stunning renders with clear and purposeful diagrams. The project has a simple concept, focused on four nodes of experience, and the text links with the imagery and line drawings to describe this path. The layout is excellent, both providing an organized grid which allows a reader to easily locate the information, while at the same time some variation allows for a mix of drawing dimensions and lends visual interest as a juror reviews the sheets. The diagrams on the first sheet are particularly effective at describing the architectural proposal. They are at once complex and crystal clear. The general section would benefit from additional labeling of spaces and nodes.