Introduction

COMPETITION ORGANISERS
What is Sustainable 
Architecture?

Buildner is pleased to announce the results of its annual essay competition, "What is Sustainable Architecture?", organised in partnership with ARCHHIVE BOOKS.

There are many ways of designing environmentally – responsible and resource-efficient structures and cities, with amazing innovations and advances introduced every day. Everything from smart homes and photovoltaic glass to centrally organized power networks, modular building, and even self-healing bio concrete.

Architects, start-ups, investors, entrepreneurs, tech companies, and designers are all pioneering holistic new approaches to sustainable architecture, in which new buildings are constructed and maintained throughout their life-cycles with as little negative impact on the environment as possible.

We asked participants what they had to say about sustainable architecture. Buildner and its jury sought thoughts, insight, and research that shed light on new ideas related to sustainable design.

Builder worked with a jury panel with a range of experiences in sustainability: Vichera Heang, the Head of the Department of Architecture at Paragon International University, Phnom Penh, researches sustainability and the traditional Cambodian house; Lydia Kallipoliti, an architect, engineer, scholar and an Assistant Professor at the Cooper Union in New York, is the author of The Architecture of Closed Worlds (2018), the editor of EcoRedux; Design Remedies for an Ailing Planet (AD 2011) and the Head Curator of the upcoming Tallinn Architecture Biennale and the principal of ANAcycle thinktank; and Rituparna Simlai, Principal of Studio Arth LLC, based in Miami, USA and New Delhi, India, whose practice as an Landscape Architect has focused on integrating parametric technology with form and function while seeking a design  with a greater purpose.

Buildner and its jury panel thank the participants for their submissions, and congratulate the following winners for having their submissions selected for online publication.

We sincerely thank our jury panel
for their time and expertise

Rituparna Simlai

Principal of Studio Arth LLC

USA

Cristina Verissimo

Co-Founder, CVDB arquitectos

Portugal

Rion Philbin

Principal at No So

USA

Lydia Kallipoliti

Tallin Architecture Biennale, ANAcycle thinktank

USA

Vichera Heang

Head of Department of Architecture, Paragon International University

Cambodia

1st Prize Winner

Project name

Sustainable Architecture is the financialization of space under our capitalist economy

Authors
Crystal Cheung
Alex Price
Country
United Kingdom

2nd Prize Winner

Project name

Make Little Plans

Author
Felix Yiu
Country
Hong Kong

3rd Prize Winner

Project name

Immortality of the Tangible: Redefining Sustainable Architecture

Author
Nikita Sabharwal
Country
India

Honorable Mentions

Show Honorables Mentions (6 of 6) Hide Honorables Mentions projects
Project name

BEAVER'S WAY

Authors
Jose Lopez
Jung Chen
Country
Taiwan
Project name

All That We Cannot Control

Author
Ramsey Leung
Country
Canada
Project name

Settlement Design in the Stone Age

Author
Manjula Singh
Country
Belgium
Project name

'What is Sustainable Architecture?' Richard Stalkr

Author
Richard Stalker
Country
United Kingdom
Project name

The Re-education of Architects

Author
Nabila Pranoto
Country
Singapore
Project name

Where tradition meets sustainability

Authors
Yu xuan Lim
Sonia Marie alfred
Sujan Ng
Yee shwen Chong
Country
Malaysia