Introduction
Buildner is pleased to announce the results of the Underbridge international architecture competition, the 17th in a series of competitions focused on finding design solutions for affordable housing challenges in cities around the globe. Visit Buildner books to read more about our publications on affordable housing and other topics.
As cities expand, underutilized spaces beneath bridges remained dormant, overshadowed by their towering counterparts. This competition aimed to find ways of transforming these neglected areas into dynamic, thriving communities.
Participants were invited to select any underbridge site globally, considering factors such as accessibility, available amenities, and how the proposed solution would integrate with the existing community. The designs needed to showcase adaptability, ensuring they catered to various needs while remaining cost-effective and sustainable. Buildner and its jurors sought practical, scalable, and eco-conscious designs to revolutionize these overlooked spaces. The competition encouraged participants to think creatively and present innovative housing solutions that challenged conventional approaches. The underbridge spaces awaited transformative ideas to become vital parts of urban communities.
Buildner worked with an experienced panel of international jurors: Cas Esbach, Project Leader and Architect at MVRDV in Rotterdam, has contributed to projects such as Shenzhen Terraces and Valley in Amsterdam, and teaches at TU Delft; Philippe Fouche, Director and Architect at South Africa-based SAOTA, focuses on vernacular design and sustainability, with projects ranging from European villas to urban designs in West Africa, India, and Turkey; Avi Friedman, Professor of Architecture at McGill University and President of Avi Friedman Consultants, Inc., has written 28 books and is known for his work on affordable and sustainable residential environments; Samista Jugwanth, Associate and shareholder at Zutari, has over twelve years’ experience in engineering design, project management, and construction management in Africa, emphasizing human-centered infrastructure development; Luise Marter, collaborating with KWY studio in Lisbon, works on multidisciplinary projects and values collaboration and process-driven methodology in practice; Blake T. Smith, Associate and Senior Designer at BIG in Brooklyn, led the Google Bay View Campus project and focuses on 3D printed housing, teaching at NJIT and NYIT; Nicolas Sterling, Co-Founder and Director of Sterling Presser Architects and Engineers in Berlin, is an architect and structural engineer who has worked on innovative projects with leading firms like Zaha Hadid and Shigeru Ban; Elke Sterling-Presser, Co-Founder and Director of Sterling Presser Architects and Engineers in Berlin, is a licensed architect and teaches at the UdK in Berlin; Renyi Zhang, Senior Architect and Urban Designer with Perkins&Will, specializes in multi-scale strategy and urban design projects, including campus planning for UC Berkeley and Xinyang University; Andreas Tjeldflaat, Founder of Framlab in New York and Bergen, serves on the Real Estate Market advisory group for UNECE, and has taught at Columbia University and Cornell University.
Buildner and its jury panel extend its congratulations to the winning teams and thank each of the participants for their design submissions. The competition was a great success, and the submissions below offer many unique solutions aimed at a significant challenge cities face around the globe today.
We sincerely thank our jury panel
for their time and expertise
Cas Esbach
MVRDV
Netherlands
Philippe Fouche
Director and Architect, SAOTA
South Africa
Avi Friedman
Professor at McGill University
USA
Luise Marter
KWY studio
Portugal
Nicolas Sterling
Co Founder and Director, Sterling Presser Architects and Engineers
Germany
Elke Sterling-Presser
Co Founder and Director, Sterling Presser Architects and Engineers
Germany
Blake T. Smith
BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group
United States
Renyi Zhang
Perkins&Will
USA
Andreas Tjeldflaat
Founder, Framlab
Norway
Samista Jugwanth
Associate and shareholder
Zutari
1st Prize Winner +
Buildner Student Award
Buildner Student Award
NEW RAFT
I believe that participating in architectural competitions can greatly help me broaden my thinking and allow me to design boldly while trying out new design methods. For example, I think that the functionality of a single building is limited, so I aim to solve complex problems through designing systems. The topics provided by Buildner are always innovative and challenging, which is why I want to use this architectural competition to practice my ideas and receive diverse feedback from around the world. This experience will be a great exercise for my professional skills in the future.
Read full interviewJury feedback summary
The selected site is in Jiuzhou Bay within the Pearl River Estuary, a crossroads with many shipping lanes and a harbor for the Tanka people. According to the authors, the new Hong Kong-Macau bridge has disrupted the natural environment of the Tanka community, who have fished and lived on the water here for centuries. The design aims to create a 'bottom-up' maritime community. Three elemental units are created using the module of a typical Tanka fishing raft, with a layout meant to maintain the physical structure of existing communities. The negative space beneath the bridge is transformed into a cultural space.
Buildner's commentary, recommendations and techniques review
Order your review hereThis single-panel architecture competition submission impresses with its clear hierarchy and unique, powerful visuals that vividly describe the design and its underlying story. The layout is expertly organized, guiding the viewer's eye effortlessly through the narrative. However, the text is quite small and could benefit from larger fonts, bold keywords, and subtitles for improved readability. Additionally, the numerous, well-drawn diagrams, while visually appealing, overwhelm the panel. Reducing their number or combining them would enhance clarity and focus. Overall, the submission is exceptionally well-done, but slight adjustments in text presentation and diagram quantity would improve its ability to communicate the key concepts.
2nd Prize Winner
The Hiveway
Competitions provide us with the freedom to explore and test ideas without the confines of particular project constraints. As a team, our focus is to participate in competitions with potential for community impact, such as the Under the Bridge challenge.
Read full interviewJury feedback summary
The Gardiner Expressway, once a symbol of futuristic 1960s urban planning, now divides downtown Toronto from Lake Ontario, creating polluted, unused spaces beneath it. As Toronto's population nears 7 million, the demand for affordable housing in the downtown core is immense. The HiveWay proposes to transform a 2 km stretch of the Gardiner, from Lower Jarvis Street to east of the Don Valley Parkway, into vibrant, affordable housing. Utilizing the planned rerouting of this segment, the vision integrates housing directly with the infrastructure. Precast concrete box girders are designated for new stretches, offering faster, modular construction. The concept envisions housing cars within the girders' voids, leaving space above and below for residential units, mixed-use amenities, and green spaces. Hexagonal modules will host soundproof, insulated housing units, while ground and intermediate levels will offer community services, retail, and recreational areas. The HiveWay aims to convert a relic of outdated urban planning into a sustainable, integrated development, revitalizing Toronto's urban landscape.
Buildner's commentary, recommendations and techniques review
Order your review hereThe organization and layout of this submission is highly commendable, with a clear hierarchy and unique, powerful visuals that effectively narrate the intent. The panel is thoughtfully organized, with text well divided by bold keywords and subtitles, enhancing readability. However, the diagrams and visuals, while well drawn, would benefit from additional annotations clarifying materiality, design concepts, or specific spaces. These enhancements would make the presentation appear more analyzed and complete.
3rd Prize Winner
[0,0,-1]
Unlike existing contests, BUILDNER addresses aspects of society that are not yet considered. This gives us many opportunities to think and has the power to change society. We also entered this contest to be part of such an initiative.
Read full interviewJury feedback summary
XYZ: Manhattan U-Housing reimagines urban expansion by utilizing the space beneath the Manhattan Bridge. The bridge is supplied with water from the East River and powers a piezoelectric generator through traffic. Light ducts connect streetlights to residential areas, which include libraries, cafes, and shelters. This project addresses urban density and social stratification by creating U-shaped steel-frame units that integrate with the bridge, providing noise and vibration isolation. Each unit is independent, avoiding interference with neighbors, and features manual elevators powered by human strength, minimizing energy consumption while ensuring vertical mobility.
Buildner's commentary, recommendations and techniques review
Order your review here
Buildner Sustainability Award
LIVING UNDER A COMMON ROOF - Reinterpreted tube houses
I participate in architecture competitions to improve my design skills. Dealing with specific topics always provides new inspiration and enables me to continuously develop. Additionally, I enjoy seeing the diverse approaches that other participants take to solve the same challenges.
Read full interviewJury feedback summary
Clay, a key material in traditional Vietnamese architecture, is central to the tube houses in 'Living Under a Common Roof'. Locally sourced clay and steel minimize transport distances. Positioned under the bridge, the houses are protected from extreme weather. A serving wall and double facade ensure cross-ventilation and natural cooling. Adaptability, affordability, and sustainability are core principles. The design dynamically responds to residents' needs, allowing adjustments to private and common spaces. Adaptable circulation connects vertical private rooms, with financial compensation for extended private areas. This evolving design addresses Vietnam's housing crisis by activating underutilized spaces like the 750-meter-long Phu My Bridge. The traditional tube house, narrow yet long, has evolved to create more vertical living space. This design revives communal and climate benefits, offering affordable housing near industrial zones. Emphasizing transition zones between indoor/outdoor and private/shared spaces, each unit comprises two tube houses and shared vertical circulation. Public areas like playgrounds, shops, and green spaces foster community and sustainability.
Buildner's commentary, recommendations and techniques review
Order your review hereThe project features a clear hierarchy and compelling visuals that effectively narrate a compelling story. However, a few improvements are suggested. The text is excessively lengthy and dense, presented in a very small font that is difficult to read. It is recommended to reduce the text by more than half, highlight key concepts with bold words, and significantly increase the text size for better readability. Additionally, while the line drawings are beautifully executed, incorporating more varied line weights would enhance their readability.
The panel is well curated, though could benefit from a few key improvements. The excellently rendered visuals, could be nehanced with the use of additional annotations to clearly highlight key design concepts for first-time viewers. The text is lengthy for a single panel, reducing readability. It would be advantageous to abridge and reorganize the text to align more closely with the corresponding drawings, ensuring more streamlined communication. This realignment would enhance clarity and strengthen the overall narrative. The plan drawing is rather repetative and would benefit from from being trimmed with the addition of an enlarged typical unit plan to introduce various scales and more clearly communicate the spatial experience.