Announcing the winners of the Modular Home Design Challenge 2021

Bee Breeders has announced the winners of its first annual Modular Home Design Challenge. The contestants had a fairly open-ended prompt to submit designs to the twelve-member jury panel which included modular design luminaries like Ben van Berkel and Chris Precht. 

The competition makes up part of Bee Breeders’ Small Architecture Appreciation and Affordable Housing programs. This modular design challenge was also launched in tandem with the Modular Architecture Essay Competition. Winners from both events will be included in an upcoming book on the topic published in partnership with ARCHHIVE BOOKS. 

Scroll down to see a list of this year's winners.

1st Prize Winner: Pop Up - DIY by Gabriel Chivu, Laura Mazâlu, Stefan Mircea, Thomas Herrera

Jury comment: “The proposal demonstrated a good understanding of environmental design, and a pragmatic approach to re-thinking the status quo. The introduction of a patio is laudable – the clear organization around it makes the proposal very rich in terms of space and distribution. The project meets, with very well-argued proposals, sustainable development, an easy installation, and responsible use of materials. [...] Its use of the thin-line drawing style and visuals shows a peaceful and balanced design and a fitting representation of it.”

2nd Prize Winner & BB Student Award: Re-Imagining Makoko: Modular Floating Home by Syracuse University students Jessica Michelle Rithika Anand, Tiffany Chen, Angelina Yihan Zhang

Jury comment: "The project presents a balance between the costs and the needs of the inhabitants. It is practical while keeping the flexibility and creativity expressed within the architectural modularity. It shows understanding of modularity through a variety of lenses. Formally less sophisticated than other choices, but the functional concept behind the organization of the modules is simple and rational, its flexibility responding effectively to the needs of each user. Clever, ecological, humane, appropriate.”

Read their interview here.

3rd Prize Winner: Standardization / Customization from Carnegie Mellon students Jerry Zhang and Tory Tan

Jury comment: "This was chosen for its combination of compact, space-saving and reconfigurable spaces with its broader argument about the nature and purpose of contemporary housing."

Read their interview here. 

BB Green Award: The Family’s Background by Warsaw University of Technology students Julia Ciężar, Matylda Wolska, Alicja Bakalarska 

Read their interview here.