2021 International Residential Architecture Conceptual Design Competition

｜Introduction｜

The purpose of the 2021 International Residential Architecture Conceptual Design Competition is to improve the quality of the residential environment, break through existing framework in residential design and promote design creativity. This competition is an extension of the TRAA Taiwan Residential Architecture Award. Through the theme and topics of the design competition, young architects and students are encouraged to note the needs and development of our living environment and propose forward-looking proposals or designs to solve residential problems of today and tomorrow, and thereby enhance the well-being of everyone.

｜Competition Declaration｜

The Future of Housing-before and after a pandemic

The COVID-19 crisis has put our way of living under review. We know that this pandemic is not a one-off event. Viral outbreaks have occurred in the past, and they will happen again in the future in our high-density, globalised world. If this time we want to be prepared, we need to re-design our way of living. Lately, resilient cities has been a big research topic. In 2020 we discovered that our homes must be resilient as well.

With social distancing, borders of private and public drastically changed in a matter of days. Homes became the only place we people were considered safe, shielded from friends, neighbors and even family. But what is the extent of homes? Are collective spaces in buildings still safe? Should we design our homes for quick changes between private and public domains?

Connection with others (emotional or physical) and a sense of community are fundamental human needs. Further isolation can be highly problematic in a world where we are already suffering from a loneliness epidemic. Nowadays, we have a huge diversity of households. The traditional nuclear family is not as common as it once was. The number of single-parent families has been increasing worldwide, and more importantly, more and more people live alone. The sudden confinement to people’s houses could have a serious impact on mental health. How can achieve both social distancing and social connection? Should we re-define the “household” in a way where we, under all circumstances, ensure a sense of community?

Being confined to a home, we realise how much we rely on outdoor space, both private and shared. How can we safely integrate outdoor space for everyone in the future of housing? This also brings the inequality between rich and poor to the surface. Being constricted to a villa with a garden is not comparable to being isolated in a tiny space under poor living conditions. In addition, high-density housing may no longer meet the hygiene requirements of the post-COVID world. How can we create an affordable quality of life for the ones who are suffering the most in these crises?

For this competition, we are looking for a new affordable housing typology, where residents can live sustainably, and can feel both protected and connected.

｜Competition Description｜

I. Organizer: Taiwan Architectural Magazine

II. Topic contributor and judge: Francine Houben Architect/Creative Director, Mecanoo

III. Topic: The Future of Housing-before and after a pandemic

IV. Awards:

1. Trophies and a total prize money of US $ 10,000 (including tax) will be awarded for this competition.

2. Selection method, awards and prize money will be determined by the judges.

3. Winning works will be published in Taiwan Architecture Magazine.

V. Eligibility: Anyone under 40 years of age (inclusive) (born after 1980) and meeting one of the following qualifications:

1. Members of the public and students in Architectural related profession.

2. Individuals or teams may participate. Teams shall not exceed more than 3 members.

VI. Entry content and requirements: Submitted entries must include electronic files of the following Items 1 & 2, and comply with the required specifications and regulations.

1. Application & Declaration form with Your Title of Entry & Concept Description (in Word file).

2. The Posters of Competition Entry should be clearly express the designer's idea, and must be in English or Chinese- English bilingual format.

3. The above two electronic files should be in the same folder and uploaded to cloud.

After uploading, send the file download link to「[email protected]」.

The name of the folder and Email subject title should be uniformly named:

Title of Entry_2021 IRACDC Entry.

4. Posters must be in A3 format, with a maximum of 4 posters. Electronic files must be in PDF format, and resolution must not be less than 300dpi. File size must not exceed 40MB.

5. Poster content must not contain nor mark with the name, school or other materials pertaining to the contestant. 

6. For foreign winners attending the award ceremony, each group will receive a subsidy of round trip economy class air tickets for up to 2 contestants.

VII. Submission date: July 1, 2020 to November 30, 2020.

VIII. Selection procedure: Selection will be conducted in January 2021, and the award ceremony will be held in March of the same year.

IX. The final presentation and awards ceremony will be conducted by video conference, if affected by the global pandemic.

X. Contact information: For any questions, please contact:

Sun-Yuan Architects & Associates, 2021 International Residential Architecture Conceptual Design Competition Group

Telephone: + 886-2-29664366, E-mail: [email protected]

Application and material download: https://www.traa.com.tw/Event/News/132

Official website: http://www.traa.com.tw/

XI.Planner: Sun-Yuan Architects & Associates