International Design Competition

The Big
Tiny Coffee
House
Challenge

Results

Foreword

Competition organisers

The Big 
Tiny Coffee 
House 
Challenge

Official Partners

The Big 
Tiny Coffee 
House 
Challenge

Coffeeshops have become an integral part of the modern urban landscape, with your next shot of espresso never more than a short walk away. Coffee culture witnessed a boom in popularity in the 90s; experiencing incredible growth that was further boosted by the emergence of the digital age. Nowadays you’d be hard-pressed to find a cafe not filled to the brim with an army of “freelancers” workers searching for a strong WiFi signal and an even stronger Arabica blend.

Despite what sitcoms like Friends might have you believe, Americans are not the biggest coffee-drinkers in the world. Scandinavian countries like Finland, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden are the ones that crave the most caffeine, with world number 1 Finland consuming an average of 12 kg of coffee per person per year.

Participants of this competition were tasked with expanding the premise of the modern coffee shop, creating a design that could be easily replicated in miniscule locations across northern Europe. They were asked to look past the traditional lounge motif that permeates today’s coffee shop culture, and create a new iconic look for the caffeine dispensary.

The jury’s primary focus when selecting winning projects was this iconic flair. The jury showed preference for those designs that were easily recognisable, and as such could be used to build a brand around their characteristics.

The high quality of the winning projects as well as the honorable mentions reflects the outstanding level of work submitted. Bee Breeders would like to thank all entrants for their participation.

1st Prize Winner

Project name

Coffee Podium

Authors

Lau Wai Lap

Hong Kong

Jury feedback summary

The “Coffee Podium” flipped the concept of a coffee house on its head, creating a temporary structure that revels in its pop-up nature. The bulk of the podium is made of a scaffolding system which is integrated into the coffee house to make it lightweight, easy to construct, and easy to dismantle. A single barista can work from the 4.3m x 3.9m kiosk which is elevated above the ground amidst waterproof plywood panels and translucent polycarbonate plastic panels. Customers would navigate a modular ladder system that forms a loop circulation, creating a panoramic view path. The jury were impressed with this combination of iconic design and original thinking, all while imparting a minimal footprint that is easily constructed in any location.

2nd Prize Winner

Project name

Tiny Coffee House

Authors

Ali Parva
Reza Khosravi

University

Old dominion university
+92 points Buildner University Rankings!

United States

Jury feedback summary

The “Tiny Coffee House” project features an eye-catching steeped entrance, creating a unique and iconic look that has the potential to be used for the company’s brand identity. Split into two parts, the Coffee House has a dedicated workstation, and sitting area, the latter of which looks to provide a calm climate for customers to stop off and enjoy their coffee. The interior space is inviting, with its warm material and elevated ceiling form. The building has an adaptable structure which can be changed throughout the year, opening up the sitting area to provide outside seating during warm weather.

3rd Prize Winner

Project name

As Home

Authors

Marco Di Pisa
Daphne Tarantino
Marianna Di Salvo
Silvia Albano

Company

Studio 2hb srl

Italy

Jury feedback summary

The pragmatic “AsHome” project follows two guidelines that are indicative of Scandinavian countries: order and simplicity. This portable coffee house’s framework is made of non-toxic recyclable aluminium coated with wood, creating a cosy area where customers can relax and enjoy a hot cup of coffee. It features solar-powered LED lighting as well as two large glass walls, placed lengthwise along the sides. The project aims to allow customers to enjoy homemade coffee in whichever location it is placed, creating a warm and cosy environment, while at the same time organizing the space in a functional and harmonious way.

Honorable mentions

VIEWclose HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Project Name

Coffee Bug

Country

United Kingdom

Project authors

Maria Law
Razvan Pop
Joe Harris
Stefan Munteanu

Project Name

Coffee House

Country

Czech Republic

Project authors

Vit Forman
Katerina Kruskova

Project Name

Kremm Coffee and Gelatin

University

King mongkut'si institute of technology ladkrabang
+72 points Buildner University Rankings!

Country

Thailand

Project authors

Juthamanee Sawatdeenarumon
Piyapon Yukuntornpanya
Nantarat Wattanakul
Thadcharin Suttapom

Project Name

Arthropod

Company

Eric wang & associates

Country

Hong Kong

Project authors

Eric Wang

Project Name

The Big Tiny Coffee House Challenge

Country

United Kingdom

Project authors

Vlad Dumitru
Lauren Martin

Project Name

Fika

Country

Australia

Project authors

Rachel Fay
Olivia Green

Shortlisted projects

VIEWclose Shortlisted projects

United Kingdom

vlad dumitru
lauren martin

Canada

james bartlett
alexandra blanchet

United States

Orchestraone_studio

tim keepers
catherine schultz

United States

Old Dominion University - ODU

+92 points Buildner University Rankings!
ali parva
reza khosravi

Czech Republic

vit forman
katerina kruskova

Italy

rosanna gaballo
daniele serangeli
francesca maria vinaccia

Argentina

axel gerlero
catalina sonzini astudillo
paula de simone

United States

hines fischer
andrew kline

Hong Kong

Eric wang & associates

eric wang

Malaysia

muhammad zahir suhaimi
muhammad asyiq suhaimi

Argentina

federico lerner
mercedes mena

Malaysia

Intodesign lab

tze yong tay
adrian hong
saiful amry morni

Italy

Studio 2hb srl

marco di pisa
daphne tarantino
marianna di salvo
silvia albano

United States

milda pittman
paula cimionatto

United States

barrett bertrand
jared sada
nate hart

Israel

hilla havkin ofer
hristiyana vassileva
peter ausems

Colombia

fabian tocancipa
nathalie rengifo

Thailand

King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang

+72 points Buildner University Rankings!
juthamanee sawatdeenarumon
piyapon yukuntornpanya
nantarat wattanakul
thadcharin suttapom

United Kingdom

paul (jnr) mccreanor
tony o'hare
paul (snr) mccreanor

Germany

luca gebhard
pantea rezvanipour
valeria sapigni
madina akkubekova

United Kingdom

Cubika design

mohini patel
raffaele festa
ilya dunaev

Colombia

karen margarita nuñez velez
david fernando arévalo prato

United States

jonathan yeung
renee wing. yuen

Germany

FH Münster Fachbereich Architektur, MSA Muenster School of Architecture

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
josephine bull
lukas freitag

Poland

jadwiga anna sobala
katarzyna kulpa
anna kowal

Guatemala

juan lima
juan arévalo
raúl hernández

France

eloïse rudolph
estelle brandon
grégoire hubert

United Kingdom

maria law
razvan pop
joe harris
stefan munteanu

United Kingdom

karolina kielb
iman mohd hadzhalie

Austria

Vienna University of Technology , Technische Universität Wien, TU Wien

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
dimitrios sifakis
alexandra comanita

Nepal

A for architecture

mahesh maharjan
kusum shrestha
shreeju shrestha
karishma manandhar

Luxembourg

dariya demydova
yana ivanova

Italy

tiziana bellucci
giacomo busto
michelangelo chianese

Italy

alessandro martini
marco rizzi
mattia sonato

Italy

University of Florence , Università degli Studi di Firenze , UNIFI

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
luciana bizzini

Turkey

Hepe design interiors

hayriye pınar
 

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Competition results

MICROHOME

MICROHOME

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Hong Kong 
Pixel Homes

Hong Kong Pixel Homes

Affordable Housing Series #2
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