Small-Scale modular housing designs win €150,000 in Buildner and Kingspan MICROHOME competition

Buildner, a global architecture design competition organiser in partnership with building materials manufacturer Kingspan, has published the winners of the 2023/24 MICROHOME Kingspan Edition, distributing a total prize fund of €150,000. Now in its seventh year, the competition attracted both professional and student architects and designers from 115 countries.

The global housing crisis continues to worsen, with rising property prices and a lack of housing impacting millions. As cities grow and environmental concerns intensify, the demand for affordable, sustainable, and compact modular housing solutions becomes increasingly critical. According to the competition brief, architects are central to addressing these challenges by designing homes that are both efficient and environmentally sustainable. Compact modular living offers a viable solution to the affordable housing issue while promoting sustainable urban development. By prioritising these elements, architects can contribute to creating practical and fair housing solutions that meet both current and future needs.

The MICROHOME Kingspan Edition invited participants to design an off-grid modular home for a hypothetical young professional couple, with a total area not exceeding 25 square metres. This challenge encouraged innovation in spatial planning, distinctive design, and the use of advanced technologies and materials. The competition had no geographical limits for the proposed sites, allowing for creative freedom in both urban and rural settings. Key design considerations included community integration, sustainability and environmental impact, affordability and accessibility, adaptability and scalability, as well as educational and social awareness.

Projects

First Prize Winner, 40,000 EUR
Project Title: Urban Residential Pod
Authors: Daniel Rojas of Wandrian Studios, from the USA

Urban Residential Pods address the global affordable housing crisis by repurposing vacant office buildings. Each POD aims to provide a compact yet comfortable living space for two adults, including essential amenities such as a bathroom, air conditioning, laundry station, storage, full kitchen, dining area, queen bed, and living room. The design also incorporates semi-private, semi-outdoor space adjacent to each POD. A key innovation is the off-site construction system, which allows the POD components to be prefabricated, transported, and easily assembled within existing office buildings. This approach not only meets basic housing needs but also leverages unused urban spaces, offering a practical solution to both housing shortages and vacant commercial properties.

Second Prize Winner, 20,000 EUR
Project Title: Why is living in Hong Kong so exhausting?
Authors: Giorgio Maria Martellono, Luca Quadro, Chang Liu, Jacopo Leccia, from Italy

Hong Kong, grappling with a severe housing crisis due to high costs and limited land, is projected to face a shortage of around 1,200 hectares for housing in the next 30 years. The city’s mountainous terrain and socio-economic factors have worsened living conditions, with many residents enduring cramped apartments and uncomfortable rooftop huts. Traditional public housing solutions have struggled to meet demand, prompting the search for innovative alternatives. This project proposes a floating colony of modular, prefabricated microhomes designed to be off-grid, sustainable, and energy-independent. These compact units operate without traditional infrastructure, making them ideal for urban settings where expanding infrastructure is costly. The design envisions a temporary, dynamic micro-city that enhances community interaction and adapts to the evolving needs of its residents, offering a novel solution to Hong Kong’s housing dilemma.

Third Prize Winner, 10,000 EUR
Project Title: Respira
Authors: ValentÍ Soler Casas, from Spain

According to the proposal for Respira Accessible Garden Homes in Barcelona, housing affordability is increasingly out of reach for young professionals in many European cities. This issue is exacerbated in Southern Europe by a disconnect between housing costs and salaries, often forcing individuals into shared accommodations and impacting their sense of comfort and community. The project addresses this issue by repurposing unused rooftops for garden homes. These modular units blend with the city’s architectural heritage and Mediterranean lifestyle, offering a new layer of urban planning. Designed to be insulated for winter and open to the surroundings in warmer months, these homes blur the lines between indoor and outdoor living. Targeting young professional couples, the design includes private and communal spaces that balance social and personal needs. The rooftops not only provide affordable, low-energy housing but also enhance social and environmental sustainability. Occupants can manage rooftop gardens and solar panels, contributing to the building’s energy efficiency and fostering community engagement.

Kingspan Award Winner, 40,000 EUR
Project Title: TOTEM
Authors: Alessandro Ghidini, from Italy

Totem is a versatile modular system designed for varied applications, from residential to commercial use. Its reflective silver Kingspan façade blends with its surroundings, offering a sleek, adaptable design. The project features five distinct modules—each transportable by land, sea, or air and easily assembled on-site, reducing construction costs. The MICROHOME configuration, a compact 25 m² unit, includes four main areas: a small storage room, a living room with large sliding windows, a compact kitchen, and a bathroom module that can function independently. Upstairs, a retractable ladder leads to a studio/bedroom with a circular window for exterior views. The design also incorporates a basement module for stability and seating, along with a tech module featuring solar panels for energy efficiency. Totem’s modularity allows configurations such as huts, glam camps, and suites, making it a flexible solution for various needs and environments.

Find full list of 2023/24 Buildner and Kingspan MICROHOME competition winners and images HERE

Enter the 2024/25 competition HERE