Competition introduction
Tokyo is Japan’s capital city, the largest urban area in the entire country, and at the forefront of technology and industrial innovation. Its unique location on the Pacific coast of central Honshu makes it susceptible to earthquakes, volcanoes, typhoons and rising sea levels, some of the greatest devastation is being inflicted by digital devices.
Increased use of digital devices, from computers to mobile phones, can have seriously detrimental effects on mental health. Not only does excessive screen time disrupt natural sleep cycles, but too much time spent on social media can also cause increased anxiety and depression.
A number of studies were published in Japan detailing the impact of depression on the Japanese public, with 84% of firms reporting mental health problems among their employees. In fact, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare even found in a 2009 study that depression was costing the economy the equivalent of over $30bn.
For the Tokyo Urban Meditation Cabins competition, Buildner is asking participants to submit their designs for a meditation cabin prototype that could be replicated and placed around various spots in Tokyo. The cabins should serve as a small public sanctuary where people can take a break to reconnect with themselves.
Participants are asked to explore how architecture can function in a therapeutic way and address the challenge of how successfully inject a small tranquil space in an otherwise stressful environment.
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.
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- (!) FULL COMPETITION BRIEF
Prizes
Certificate of Achievement
Certificate of Achievement
Certificate of Achievement
+ 50 Points BUILDNER Architecture University Rankings
Publications
Certificate of Achievement
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]










Key dates
Closing date for registration
09 November, 2022
Closing date for project submission
13 December, 2022 (11:59pm London time)
Announcement of the winners
22 February, 2023
Competition Q&A deadline: 15 November, 2022
In order to guarantee equal opportunities to all competition participants,
no new questions will be answered after this deadline!
Registration fees
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Registration Deadline16 September - 09 November
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Architects / Enthusiasts / Companies135 €
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Students115 €
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

























