Architecture Competition Painters' Lake House 1st prize winners – Shilan Yu, Moye Guo and Guisong Zhang

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the 1st prize winner of our "Painters' Lake House" competition – Shilan Yu, Moye Guo and Guisong Zhang from Germany!

1st prize winners from Germany

The three of us are currently working in Germany. Shilan graduated from the Technical University of Munich, Moye from the Technical University of Darmstadt and Guisong from the TU Braunschweig. We are working for the same company. Shilan and Moye also have a small studio and usually participate in some young architects competitions in our free time.

Brief information about the projects that you/your company have been involved with. For instance, what scale have you focused on/preferred, any significant projects where the company/ individuals have been involved?

In our work, we are involved in a wide range of projects, such as large commercial office buildings, cultural buildings and large public buildings. In addition to our work, we also focus on small-scale architecture to better study the relationship between architecture and the city, the relationship between architecture and nature.

What does architecture mean to you and what is the role of an architect in your society?

Architecture is a complex synthesis of many disciplines, and a container for most art forms and human activities. Although architecture needs to be designed to match different functions and environmental conditions as well as local cultural traditions, it is not as free as pure art due to the constraints of these external conditions or needs, but for architects, besides designing a beautiful building, it is also an art form to make the building to best match its functional needs, to better fit the site and to better integrate local cultural traditions into the building itself. It is also a form of art to better integrate the local culture and traditions into the building itself.

We also believe that architectural design is not a showpiece, nor should it be a "sculpture" made on the whim of an architect. Architects should also be responsible for the work they design, taking into account as much as possible the users of the building, so that the building can be more effectively connected to society.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

After years of architectural study and subsequent work, the understanding and views of architectural design have gradually accumulated or changed. As a profession between rationality and art, there are many aspects in the design process that can restrict architects from expressing their ideas and showing their unique style. Through architectural competitions, we can better, and to some extent more freely, show our creativity. Even many buildings that are difficult to realize in real life can be boldly attempted in architectural competitions, which also promotes the development of the architectural industry to a certain extent and provides more possibilities for architectural design.

What advice would you give to individuals who struggle to decide whether it would be beneficial for them to participate in architecture competitions?

We strongly recommend college students or other young architects to participate more in architectural competitions. Architectural competitions provide a great opportunity for young architects to show their understanding and ideas about architecture. At the same time, architectural design requires more interaction with other people and learning how to work with them. By participating in architectural competitions, you can better open your eyes and gain a lot in the process.

Open architecture competitions

  • Closest Deadline first
  • Project competitions first
    Selected winning projects have the potential to be constructed
  • Ideas competitions first
    Experimental competitions with the focus on pushing the boundaries of creativity
project COMPETITION
Sansusī Forest Food Court

Design a sustainable food court structure for the heart of a classical music festival

Prize: MONETARY AWARD + CONSTRUCTION
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Jan 10
Feb 08
Apr 06
ideas COMPETITION
The Home of Shadows

Design a home with no artificial lighting

Prize: MONETARY AWARD
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Dec 05
Jan 24
Apr 18
project COMPETITION
Portugal Elderly Home

Design a comfortable and accessible home for the elderly in Portugal

Prize: MONETARY AWARD + CONSTRUCTION
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Dec 06
Jan 25
Apr 19
project COMPETITION
Portugal Olive Guest House

Design a guest house and olive oil tasting room located in Portugal

Prize: MONETARY AWARD + CONSTRUCTION
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Dec 08
Jan 27
Apr 21
project COMPETITION
Yoga House in the Bog

Design a yoga guest house located within rich bog wildlife

Prize: MONETARY AWARD + CONSTRUCTION
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Jan 11
Feb 08
Apr 26

Reccuring architecture competitions

ideas COMPETITION
Silent contest
For this competition, NO DESCRIPTION TEXT is allowed. The architecture ideas must be communicated strictly with visuals.
Architectural Visualization Award
Edition #2

Present your best work and submit your favorite architectural visualization

Prize: MONETARY AWARD
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Mar 23
May 25
Jul 27
ideas COMPETITION
MICROHOME
Small living, huge impact! Edition #6

Design a new concept of small-scale home

Prize: MONETARY AWARD + PUBLICATION IN MAGAZINE
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Feb 16
Apr 18
Jun 16
ideas COMPETITION
Silent contest
For this competition, NO DESCRIPTION TEXT is allowed. The architecture ideas must be communicated strictly with visuals.
Museum of Emotions
Edition #3

Use architecture to create different emotional states

Prize: MONETARY AWARD
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Mar 17
May 19
Jul 21
Run repeatedly
Portable Reading Rooms
Edition #2

Design a portable reading room that encourages reading in any location

Prize: MONETARY AWARD + SCOLARSHIP
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Feb 13
Mar 23
May 15
Register now
Run repeatedly
Pavilion Of Humanity: First Contact
Edition #2

How would you represent the best that humanity has to offer through architecture?

Prize: MONETARY AWARD
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Mar 27
May 25
Jul 24
Register now
Run repeatedly
Children's Hospice
Home for the Terminally ill / Edition #2

Design a safe and supportive space for children struggling with a terminal illness

Prize: MONETARY AWARD
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Dec 06
Feb 08
Apr 06
Register now
Run repeatedly
Milan Affordable Housing Challenge
Affordable Housing Series #15

Design a concept for affordable housing in Milan

Prize: MONETARY AWARD
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Dec 07
Jan 26
Apr 20
Register now
Run repeatedly
Virtual Home
Edition #2

Design virtual home as architecture moves into the metaverse

Prize: MONETARY AWARD
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
May 02
Jul 04
Sep 06
Register now
Run repeatedly
Office
Office Design Challenge / Edition #2

Reimagine the workplace of the future, and design the new way of working

Prize: MONETARY AWARD
Eligibility: OPEN TO ALL

registration deadlines

Remind me
Jan 03
Mar 01
May 04
Register now

Creativity gym Short term competitions for you to exercise your creativity

T-SHIRT DRAWING COMPETITION
The Architect's T-shirt
Edition #18

Design THE architect's t-shirt!

Prize: 3,000 €
Eligibility: open to all

registration deadlines

Remind me
Feb 28
Mar 31
Apr 30
Register now
ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO COMPETITION
The Buildner's Architecture Portfolio Competition
Edition #2

Submit your online portfolio!

Prize: 5,000 €
Eligibility: open to all

registration deadlines

Remind me
Mar 31
Apr 30
May 31
Register now

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Competition results

Hong Kong 
Pixel Homes

Hong Kong Pixel Homes

Affordable Housing Series #2
MICROHOME

MICROHOME

Small living, huge impact! Edition #4

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