The Contemporary Home

This competition, is part of a strategic partnership
between Buildner and ArchDaily, that aims to
explore “The Contemporary Home”.
Learn more here.

Competition introduction

Competition organisers

Portugal 
Elderly Home

People are living longer than ever before, and as a result, an aging population is struggling to find a place to live out their golden years. While there are, of course, often concerns about healthcare and support, there are a huge number of factors that affect older generations that aren't always considered. Many in the older generation struggle to adapt to the changes in their lifestyle. They're unable to do everything they used to, they're not working or interacting with their community as much, and of course, many will be dealing with the loss of loved ones.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is also being felt, as staff shortages, tighter budgets, and new health and safety restrictions make the supply of suitable retirement housing even smaller.

 

The Portugal Elderly Home competition is tasking participants with designing a retirement home in central Portugal.


Portugal is one of the most popular countries in the world for retirement living, having ranked 4th in International Living's Global Retirement Index for 2022. In addition to great weather and a combination of stunning coasts, countryside, and cities, retirees in Portugal love the country's friendliness and sense of community.

 

Portugal is one of the most popular countries in the world for retirement living, having ranked 4th in International Living's Global Retirement Index for 2022.

 


The Portugal Elderly Home competition is tasking participants with designing a retirement home in central Portugal. It will need to house 60 residents and ten support staff comfortably. It should also include several features, including a small library, a gathering room, a chapel, a kitchen, and a dining room, as well as a private area that could function as a nurse's room and therapy room for psychological support.

By putting accessibility at the forefront of design and creating a space that meets the unique requirements of an aging population of residents, architects and designers have the chance to reinvent accessible architecture.

The Portugal Elderly Home competition is a chance for participants to explore how architecture can offer support to those who need it most. How can architecture influence how a person moves through a home? How can it help people to feel safe, comfortable, and independent?

Download the full competition brief for more information!

The competition is open to all. No professional qualification is required. Design proposals can be developed individually or by teams (4 team members maximum). Correspondence with organizers must be conducted in English; All information submitted by participants must be in English.

Full competition brief

The full competition brief can be downloaded as often as required; no additional information will be provided after registration.

  • - (!) FULL COMPETITION BRIEF
    • Règles de compétition
    • Reglas de la competencia
    • Regolamento del concorso
    - SITE CAD&PDF PLAN
    - SITE PHOTOGRAPHS

Prizes

10,000 € + Construction
Total Prize Fund
1st PRIZE
4,000 €
Publications
Certificate of Achievement
2nd PRIZE
2,500 €
Publications
Certificate of Achievement
3rd PRIZE
1,000 €
Publications
Certificate of Achievement

CLIENT’S FAVORITE AWARD
1,000 €
Publications 
Certificate of Achievement
BUILDNER STUDENT AWARD (more details)
1,000 €
+ 50 € ARCHHIVE BOOKS Gift Card 
+ 50 Points  Buildner Architecture University Rankings 

Publications 
Certificate of Achievement
BUILDNER SUSTAINABILITY AWARD (MORE DETAILS)
500 €


Publications 
Certificate of Achievement
+ 6 HONOURABLE MENTIONS

 

CERTIFICATE:


Buildner will also acknowledge the outstanding performance of all winners and honourable mentions with Certificates of Achievement.

Publicity campaign

The Buildner’s extensive global publicity campaign for the competition winners:

  • "SEEN BY" ONE MILLION Results published on buildner.com - one of the leading websites in the industry and is visited by over one million unique visitors each year.
  • "SEEN BY" 800 000 MORE Publications on Buildner's social networks (over 600,000 followers) and newsletter campaigns (over 200,000 subscribers).
  • INTERVIEW Exclusive interview published with the results and shared on Buildner's social networks.
  • MOVIE The competition winners will be granted and opportunity to submit a movie about themselves. The video will be published on the Buildner's website and social networks.
  • MEDIA PARTNERS The competition results will get international art and design media coverage and will be featured in the world’s leading architecture media outlets.

Jury panel

Jury members shall under no circumstances be contacted by competition participants or their representatives. Participants who attempt to contact jury members, shall be disqualified.

All jury members are involved in the evaluation based on their availability at that time. All communication regarding the competition should only be carried out with Buildner staff. For any questions please contact us on [email protected]  

 

Find the extended list of jury panel biographies here!

Andrea D'Antrassi Associate Partner of MAD Architects Italy
Ricardo Gomes Partner, KWY.studio Portugal
Samuel Gonçalves Founder, SUMMARY Portugal
Tiago Krusse Design Magazine Portugal
Marta Frazão Partners at Atelier Data Portugal
Catarina Ribeiro Founder of Merooficina Portugal
Lera Samovich architect at Fala Atelier Portugal
Inês Vicente Partners at Atelier Data Portugal
Robert van Kats bkvv architecten Netherlands
Tudor Radulescu Partner and Co-founder of KANVA Canada

Key dates

Closing date for registration

19 April, 2023

Closing date for project submission

31 May, 2023 (11:59pm London time)

Announcement of the winners

05 July, 2023

Competition Q&A deadline: 24 April, 2023

In order to guarantee equal opportunities to all competition participants,
no new questions will be answered after this deadline!

Registration fees

  • Registration Deadline
    26 January - 19 April
  • Architects / Enthusiasts / Companies
    155 €
    This registration provides a complete set of prizes, including certificates of achievement, monetary rewards, and potential construction benefits.
    110 €
    This registration offers a comprehensive set of prizes, including recognition through publicity, certificates of achievement, and potential construction-related benefits, without any monetary awards.
  • Students
    125 €
    This registration provides a complete set of prizes, including certificates of achievement, monetary rewards, and potential construction benefits.
    85 €
    This registration offers a comprehensive set of prizes, including recognition through publicity, certificates of achievement, and potential construction-related benefits, without any monetary awards.
+4.5% VAT

STUDENT REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS


Contact us to receive special student rates for group registrations (discount applies for 3+ registrations from one university/school) and to receive further information and support for getting your students involved in architecture competitions. Send us request from your university email address along with basic information about yourself and your university/school. Please note that only recognized university staff can apply for the reduced student rate.

 

Competition results in media

logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo

F.A.Q.

Competition related questions

There is no maximum age limit for residents at this elderly home.
The focus of this elderly home is on accommodating for elderly individuals who do not require constant medical attention and are in generally good health.
The nurses’ room should be designed to accommodate both administrative tasks and health assistance functions.
A minimum of one nurse will always be on duty at this elderly home, covering both day and night shifts.
Typically, meals are prepared by the staff at the elderly home, however, as an option, participants may suggest a program where residents, under supervision, have the opportunity to cook their own food as a special activity.
Regardless of whether an outside service provider is hired or not, a designated space should be allocated for the storage of cleaning utilities and food to ensure appropriate management and organization.
The chapel will primarily be for the use of the elderly home residents, but an option where it is open to the local community can also be proposed, with the potential benefit of social interaction for the residents, as long as access can be regulated by the management of the elderly home.
The number of parking spaces required for the project has not yet been determined and must be calculated based on the design proposal submitted by the participant.
There is no requirement for the staff rooms to have en-suite facilities.
Pickup locations are not defined and should be part of the design proposal strategy.
Car parking spaces are not defined and should be part of the design proposal strategy.
The competition brief specifies 20 en suite single rooms and 20 en suite twin rooms.
Room sizes are not defined, and it is up to the designer.
Balconies are not defined, and they can be proposed.
Premade meals will be delivered, but the kitchen should be capable of cooking full meals.
The total number of staff members is not yet defined.
The chapel size can be proposed to fit all 60 people for gatherings and events, but it is not required. The initial plan is to make it large enough for a few people at a time.
At least one nurse room is needed.

General questions

Click on "register now", fill in all the required fields, choose your payment method and submit your information. You will be forwarded to Paypal or CPS secure payment gateway, to cover the competition fee. Once we receive your payment, we'll send you an email with your username and password to upload your submission directly to the website.
You can add/remove/edit team member information as often as you want in the upload panel, up until the submission deadline.
Only one proposal per registration is permitted. Participants are entitled to register multiple times if they wish to participate in the competition with several proposals.
Yes we are in the process of negotiating with multiple international industry-related media representatives. The list of media partners is constantly updated on our website, please check it regularly to find latest updates.
Yes. If the jury panel selects a Student award's submission for the top 3, it will automatically be awarded both prizes.
Yes. If the jury panel selects a Sustainability award's submission for the top 3, it will automatically be awarded both prizes.
No. Competition entries are evaluated anonymously. The participant registration type is only revealed upon the announcement of the results.
Please contact us – [email protected] and we will address the problem directly.
As AI-generated images may be based on pre-existing work or generated using proprietary algorithms, it is best to check the specific terms and conditions of the AI tool used to generate the image to determine its ownership status. It may also be necessary to seek legal advice to fully understand the ownership rights and any restrictions that may apply. In general, it is not recommended to consider AI-generated images as your sole work or intellectual property unless you have obtained explicit permission to do so.
Don't see the answer to your question?
Contact us

Please enter your email address to receive download link

Thank you!

The download link will be sent to your email shortly

please check the spam folder
in case you can not find it
OK
To access competion downloads please enter your email address:
OK
To access competion downloads please enter your email address:
OK
This website uses cookies for enhancing the user experience and tracking usage statistics.
More information is available in our Privacy Policy.