International Architecture Competition

Spirala
Community Home

Results

Foreword

Competition organisers

Spirala 
Community Home

For this design competition, Bee Breeders partnered with the Spirala Ecological Village, a pioneering project focused on self-development and connection with nature. This community and farm, based in Northern Portugal, is planned to consist of 20 buildings in which residents live and work together and practice ways of connecting with nature while reducing their ecological footprint on Earth.

The Spirala Community Home Competition called for submissions for a shared building that will form the heart of the Spirala Ecological Village – a space where community members could gather together and meet for events, workshops, or socializing. It should have both indoor and outdoor spaces for congregating for various purposes throughout the year. As winning designs will be considered for construction, the founders of the ecological village and the jurors sought solutions that would best serve the various needs of the community, while also being examples of green building practices and sustainable design.

Bee Breeders worked with an excellent regional and international jury panel for this competition. The full jury panel included: Greg Corso of Syracuse NY-based SPORTS Collaborative and Assistant Professor at Syracuse University, School of Architecture; Enlai Hooi, Head of Innovation at Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects in Copenhagen, Denmark; Filipa Frois Almeida and Hugo Reis, founders of Porto-based FAHR 021.3®; Gonçalo Marrote, architect and CEO at Madeiguincho, based in Cascais, Portugal; David Montalba, Founding Principal of Montalba Architects, a diverse architecture and design studio of over 60 designers based in Santa Monica, California with a satellite office in Lausanne, Switzerland; and James Whitaker, founder of London-based Whitaker Studio.

Bee Breeders and its jury panel would like to congratulate the participants for their outstanding work.

1st Prize Winner

Project name

swirl pavilion

Authors

Ekin Turgay
Serkan Sonar

Turkey

Why do you enter architecture
competitions?

Architectural competitions are great opportunities for architects to experience being able to go beyond the limits of their routine life. Competitions are ideal for testing their design abilities on universal, international design platforms and providing an environment for independent design claims.

Jury feedback summary

The project, titled ‘Swirl Pavilion’, proposes a circular structure made of rammed earth and timber, featuring openings on the east and west for natural ventilation, and an inclined green roof centered on a skylight. According to the jury, “There is a quiet subtlety about this design that made this proposal stand out. Thought has been given to the sourcing of materials and the climate within the building, and it is all presented with a clarity of vision. The proposal reveals a balance between shape, function, and surrounding integration. A careful control of light, contributing to a special interior environment. It is a convincing architectural solution with an elegant structural expression. Good use of thermal mass for temperature regulation and rammed earth for humidity regulation.” The jurors also suggested that a greener solution would show a reduced slab area, and that orienting part of the opaque block towards the west would reduce evening solar heat gain.

2nd Prize Winner

Project name

SHADOW CYCLES

Authors

Manuel Collado Arpia
Dustin Hernandez Jover
Berta Calle Martos

Spain

Why do you enter architecture
competitions?

Architecture competitions are a public space to discuss ideas and communicate creative architectural processes to society. For my office, it’s the way our work becomes part of a global community.

Jury feedback summary

‘Shadow Cycles’ is described as “a constellation of programs orbiting around a protective shadow in motion”. The plan is designed around a primary circle partially enclosed with a tall, pitched roof that casts shadows on exterior spaces during the hot summer months. It is a dynamic and flexible proposal with an interesting correlation between exterior spaces and interior spaces, plus seasonal cycles. The jury writes, “This project had a reality and humbleness about it. It would undoubtedly be a wonderful place for the community. It is commendable for being minimal yet complex. Images describe the architectural tone of the project very well. A highly original concept dealing specifically with the conditions of the sun. This is a refreshing stance on architectural form built theatrically around the path of the day, which takes into account the myriad activities that can happen outdoors or with varying levels of protection.” The jurors suggest rethinking the integration of plastics towards local and sustainable solutions for long term maintenance, as well as further investigations into how the site’s slope might be taken advantage of to strengthen the concept. 

3rd Prize Winner

Project name

IN BETWEEN

Authors

Leonardo Raviola
Joao Carriço
Ruben Guerreiro

Portugal

Why do you enter architecture
competitions?

We see time spent on competitions as freedom where our creativity can express itself with no limitations. At the same time, it is an opportunity to break the daily routine and think about new architectural concepts and strategies.

Jury feedback summary

‘In Between’ is a sunken rectangular form, made of concrete with two large circular spaces, one exterior and one interior, and topped with a roof garden. The jury commented, “An evocative form and use of the site slope. A poetic use of exterior and interior space, beautifully drawn and rendered. The approach is quite atmospheric, and while it does not expressly take in themes of circularity outside material composition, it does leave opportunity for the integration of water and food cycles in its native build up.” Regarding year-round use, the jury suggests that it would have been helpful to have a seasonal passive comfort strategy, as well as to include a strategy for using the displaced earth. 

BB STUDENT AWARD

Project name

Spirala Community House

Authors

Mykhailo Vishchun
Zhenya Zhenev

University

Odessa state academy of civil engineering and architecture
+72 points Buildner University Rankings!

Ukraine

Client Favorite +
BB GREEN AWARD

Project name

Molecular Spiral

Authors

Ryo Murata
Mizuho Ueyama
Tomohiro Koizumi
Renata Baksai

Japan

Why do you enter architecture
competitions?

Considering various historical and geographical factors and their relationships with architecture and cities; we are practicing design and research with the objective of clarifying the fundamental mechanisms of an excellent building environment.

Honorable mentions

VIEWclose HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Project Name

Common Sense

Country

Spain

Project authors

Nacho Gimeno

Project Name

SPIRALA COMMUNITY CENTER

Country

Germany

Project authors

Sabrina Neise
Jedrzej Nowak

Project Name

Spiral Hut: A Way of Being Together

Country

Belgium

Project authors

Ji Zhang
Wenjun Deng

Project Name

Spirala Community House

Country

Denmark

Project authors

Ani Zakaryan
Aigerim Syzdykova

Project Name

brickO'live

University

Istanbul technical university
+72 points Buildner University Rankings!

Country

Turkey

Project authors

Berkay Öztürk
Merve Taşdelen
Ayça Metin

Project Name

Árvore Mãe

Country

Spain

Project authors

Alberto Pabón Medina
Marina Sánchez Guzmán

Shortlisted projects

VIEWclose Shortlisted projects

United States

jordanna ebanks
jaya kader
angela johnson

United States

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, California Polytechnic State University

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
alanna signe green
edgar rivera

India

nuru karim
aditya jain
atharva ghawalkar
swagat kale

Turkey

Istanbul Technical University

+72 points Buildner University Rankings!
berkay Öztürk
merve taşdelen
ayça metin

Hungary

Budapest University of Technology and Economics (Budapesti Műszaki és Gazdaságtudományi Egyetem)

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Ádám pálvölgyi
dániel klenóczky

Ukraine

Odessa State Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture

+72 points Buildner University Rankings!
mykhailo vishchun
zhenya zhenev

Mexico

University of Guadalajara (Universidad de Guadalajara)

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
christian david madrigal garcía
gabriel alejandro ruíz suárez

Japan

ryo murata
mizuho ueyama
tomohiro koizumi
renata baksai

Germany

Bauhaus - Universität Weimar

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
dominik hesse
sina skibbe
anna-lena kriz
paul althaus

Denmark

ani zakaryan
aigerim syzdykova

Albania

Epoka University

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
julian beqiri
nerina baçi
isra hyka
gridi himçi

United States

SCI-Arc, Southern California Institute of Architecture

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
allison hoagland
hans steffes

United States

donald paine
matthew noe
tony wang

Italy

matteo cavuoti
alessandro michele altamura

India

kumar mangwani
nisha paryani
tina mangwani

Spain

manuel collado arpia
dustin hernandez jover
berta calle martos

United States

SCI-Arc, Southern California Institute of Architecture

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
xile zhang
kendall mann

Australia

debora cheng
jennifer huang
krish girdhari

Portugal

leonardo raviola
joao carriço
ruben guerreiro

Malaysia

Taylor's Lakeside Campus , Taylor's University

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
yi heng lim
kuan yun leng

Germany

Berlin University of the Arts , Universität der Künste Berlin

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
merlin augele
valerian althammer
tim cox

Colombia

Universidad de los Andes – Colombia

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
juanita cuellar
carlos perez
jean rodríguez

Spain

alberto pabón medina
marina sánchez guzmán

United Kingdom

daniel burston
emily young
toby oxborrow

Brazil

UNB - University of Brasília (Universidade de Brasília)

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
caio césar nascimento costa
júlia luciano da costa

Hong Kong

isabelle gin
tini tang
jessica liu

Portugal

cristiano dias
joel marinho
andré brandão
joão santos
 

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Competition results

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MICROHOME

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Hong Kong 
Pixel Homes

Hong Kong Pixel Homes

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