World Architecture Awards 10+5+X Submissions

The Black House is located along the southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica. It has been developed as a new prototype for the modular No Footprint House series (NFH). The climate-responsive design of the NFH variations is based on passive strategies such as site-specific positioning and the use of natural resources for cross ventilation, solar shading and energy production, as well as rainwater harvesting and biological water filtration. Industrial building techniques and prefabricated components are used to create a high level of efficiency that can be delivered to any target location. Since the creation of the multi-award winning first prototype of the NFH, we developed new building typologies and alternative construction materials to continuously improve the overall project performance, lower its environmental impact while stimulating local and circular economies. The different sizes and configurations of the individual building typologies cater for a broad customer segment. Multiple options for the building structure, finishes and furniture components allow for an optimized relationship of product and budget, based on a catalogue of pre-selected elements for sustainable construction ("kit of parts"). The Black House is built as a steel frame with wooden components for exterior and interior surfaces, as well as the integrated furniture pieces. All timber components are made from laminated and certified teak wood that is sustainably produced and processed in Costa Rica. In terms of the specific modular layout of this building, a studio typology was designed for a couple to live and work in one compact unit. Operable facade elements allow for the interior spaces of the house to open up towards their surrounding natural habitat, resulting in a symbiotic relationship among nature and the built environment.

The Black House is designed as a steel structure of three different levels that are carefully situated with regards to the topography of its target location. A multifunctional storage and work space is partially built into the hillside, topped by a main level and viewing platform above. The main level is composed of 4 modular quadrants of 4x4m each, with a 1m corridor to 3 sides and a 4-meter-deep view terrace towards the sea. This level measures about 130 square meters in total. The roofed balconies above and below the main level measure 40 square meters each, the storage and work space accounts for an additional 32 square meters. Overall, the Black House provides 242 square meters of usable area. It was built for a total cost of 220.000 US Dollars, including all of the interior finishes and furniture pieces. Water and energy for the building is provided by renewable resources. The bioclimatic architectural design provides natural shading and ventilation on the base of the local site characteristics and tropical climate. The project seeks for integral sustainability in terms of its social, economic and environmental performance.
A-01 (A Company / A Foundation) in collaboration with ARS Arquitectos Ingenieros

A-01 is an interdisciplinary office for design and development. Our work methodology aims to break the boundaries of a single professional perspective in order to allow for a holistic approach that shapes our products. We envision a long-term impact that involves a responsible use of natural resources and economic growth, as well as an equal social development in a high quality spatial surrounding. This complex set of factors is simply referred to as “the 4 E” of integral sustainability and regeneration: Environment, Economy, Equality and Engineering. A topical focus is set according to the specific project parameters and target location.

In Iran, discarded materials and waste have been utilized to produce valuable and usable products. For instance, trees were used as sources of food, construction materials, and desserts, with their bark, leaves, trunk, fruit, and seeds. Carpet weaving, a valuable craft that relied on the creativity and skills of human labor, especially women, used sheep wool and natural dyes. This cycle transformed discarded materials into valuable products. However, with the discovery of oil and its profitable exportation, Iranians gradually lost confidence in their traditional skills. The newfound wealth led to the spread of consumer culture, excessive imports, and reckless resource consumption, ultimately causing harm to the environment and human living conditions. These challenges extended to the construction industry as well, with urbanization and population density increasing in cities, leading to excessive construction and resource utilization. A forward-thinking approach can be adopted in architectural design to address these issues. This approach employs locally available, resourceful materials, and skilled local labor to draw up plans, allowing for adaptability to future needs and minimizing the need for complete demolition when changes are required. This paradigm shift aims to align architectural principles with the ethics of traditional vision of Iranian sustainability, rather than relying solely on oil-based models. The design of the "Type-Less" project in Hormoz Island employed this perspective as a prototype. The most available material on Hormoz Island is cement blocks, which are locally manufactured using the skills of the island's inhabitants and are considered indigenous building materials. The construction involves a concrete framework and the scaffold installation, which are designed to free the complex from constraints such as gravity, precipitation, access, and utility connections (water, electricity). The concrete skeleton network and pre-fabricated slabs free the spaces from the limitations imposed by conventional structural elements. This flexibility allows for diverse usage scenarios and also provides opportunities for skill development among the local population, alongside the possibility of residing within the complex. Similar to how people would sit, eat, sleep, worship, and study on carpets, eliminating the need for separate spaces and resource consumption, this complex adapts to various scenarios. The result of this architectural plan resembles the structure of a carpet, both in function and form. It reflects the actual lives of its users, allowing them to take charge of the evolution and adaptation of this indigenous architectural framework. In comparison to traditional carpet weaving, the primary materials (blocks, beams, etc.) in this architectural concept are similar to the wool used in carpets. The design of this structure utilizes four elements that liberate it from the constraints of conventional construction. Colors, like those in carpets, reflect the joy of design, while skilled workers, akin to carpet weavers, play a central role in this architectural approach.

Concretes and scaffold’s structure
Mechanical and Electrical are utilities are flexible
Spaces can be modified due to independency from gravity, precipitation, access, and utility connections (water, electricity…)
Lead Architects: Mohamadreza Ghoudusi, Golnaz Bahrami, Fateme Rezaei
Design Team: Peyman Barkhordari,Shila Ehsaie,Soroush Majidi,Azin Ravayee
Graphic & Illustration: Somayeh Saeedi
Supervision: Peyman Barkhordari
Structure Engineer: Jalal Tabatabaeei
Mechanical Engineer: Gholamreza Maleki
Electrical Engineer: Pejman Moradian
Photo Credits: Parham Taghioff

DKS house is represented for the typical planning situation of townhouse architecture in the urban center of Vietnam - a land for people to settle and live on busy commercial streets.
This is a project with an area of 200 m2 and many disadvantages of noise pollution, fine dust pollution of the high-intensity traffic axis affects directly on the quality of life, the west direction sun shine have affected on the house. The owner still wants to build his own house here to continue pursuing the family tradition.
We offer a solution to harmonize the existing resources - a solution to permute the space - separated the disadvantages that directly affect on daily life, developed a balanced work-life experiences.
Firstly, we move the entire living space to the height of the 2nd floor, the 1st floor is entirely devoted to commercial activities. A large span structure is used for separation space and two layers of concrete floors are used to minimize the impact of heavy traffic vibrations and contemporary create an elevated natural garden structure for living.
A natural green core on the 2nd floor is created to restructure the direction of the sun and wind affected of the building. Architectural blocks and spatial openness are arranged to guide the impact of climatic factors. Mastering the microclimate also creates conditions for people and flora to develop comfortably. Then we will create a soft connection of public and private living spaces along the horizontal and vertical axis.

Location Da Nang , Viet Nam
Area 200 sq.m
Area construction 800 sq.m
MAS Architecture Workshop

Lead Architect
Nguyen Cong Thanh

Team Member
Le Tinh Tam, Le Truong Giang, Tran Phuoc Hoang

Situated in Tainan, Humei Redevelopment Zone, Flora Chateau derives from two opposite aspects- vertically and horizontally, putting two contradictory aspects together colliding intensively first and fusing perfectly later. With the space (the balconies with boards) extending horizontally and the tree growing vertically, the whole building becomes more interesting and facilitative for ventilation and shading as the vegetation filters the air and dust. Flora Chateau has driven its name from planting a large amount of greenery, making a lively atmosphere with a sensitive reflection by highlighting the flow of the wind and the shift of light and shadow, embedding a sense of natural landscapes in human living. For instance, the ceiling windows offer a panorama without any disturbance, reflecting the changes in trees and shadows as time goes by. Coated with white paints in correspondence with the lightweight modules, it is not only a sensitive reflection of the movement of lights but also a careful consideration of Taiwan’s geography location on the seismic zone. What’s more, taking sustainability into account as well, recyclable materials such as the great use of aluminum and glass bring out the corresponding relationship between the environment and the trees.

As mentioned, the white cortex coating of the building is conducive to the richness of the shadows that play over it and the facade of the building frame in the sunlight. The variability of the light projection from east to west is now visible to human eyes. We apply the Chinese philosophy of “Yin and Yang” and traditional Chinese “Feng Shui” to the architecture, making the architecture an attractive appearance and enriching meaningful connotations. Collided with the brightness of the building itself, the swaying oak trees and green maples in the yards balance the space with a vivid waver of the shadow as the sun rises from the East every morning. While in the afternoon, the shadow of the plants saves energy for the building, creating a place for both humanity and nature to live peacefully and harmoniously together.

“Feng Shui” is a fundamental role in Chinese architecture. However, in the traditional Asian concept, people value the philosophy by maximizing the interior space with luxurious decorations. Keeping the balance of nature in mind, we decided to do otherwise in this project by combing the "Yin and Yang" concept, another great value in traditional Asian society. We integrate living space with the natural environment, bringing the idea of "Feng Shui" out to the entire architecture instead just the interior. A space where less is more is created and designed to bring our clients back to nature and live in harmony with ecology.

The outline of the building is drawn with the extension of the horizontal windows with metal decorations and STO coating, while the use of color represents the vertical and horizontal disparity. The intertwined arrangement of the geometry construction and the retracted columns make the three-dimensional space a perfect zone for people to enjoy seasonal changes indoors and the appearance outdoors. In addition to the appearance, the balconies are staggered to make sure the privacy of the residents, without worrying to be disturbed by neighbors. The landscape extends vertically to create a broader view, as a symbol of living positively and thrivingly. The outer cantilever beam frame of the building makes the project more modern and liter. We hope to deliver a concept to the Asian: a house is more than just an everyday luxurious material comfort but a place to internalize our souls. It is a place for spiritual enrichment instead of material enslavement.
Chain10 Architecture & Interior Design Institute

FORT & PORT is located in the middle of a mountain altitude of 100m in Baekcho-gil, Dolsan Island, Yeosu-si. In the northwest direction, Yeosu City is formed around Jonggo-Mountain, and there are Marae-Mountain, Jasan Park along the narrow coastal plain. On the southwest side of the site, the city skyline, where Seguji Village and the South Sea contrast, is attractive. Yeosu was spotlighted as a marine tourist destination in the South Sea in 2012, but the beautiful Yeosu night sea formed along Odongdo Island and other maritime islands, Bridges and Dolsan strait became a geographical background.
Zoning
The layout of the complex consists of a tower-type A zone which can enjoy the view of the city skyline and a single accommodation-type B zone for recreation in nature. The first floor of the A zone is divided into a reception room for cafe users and guests and accommodation facilities to enjoy the city view day and night. Each unit functions as a terrace for outdoor dinings and parties in conjunction with a dining room. The spa exterior mass facing the terrace secures intergenerational privacy and shows a special facade. The collective composition of individual units protruding like a retreat in a large frame is like a collaboration between nature and architecture that changes with season and time.
Lounge Cafe Infinity Pool
Lounge cafe and swimming pools are open to guests as well as cafe users. The view level is designed by dividing the upper and lower functions around the lounge cafe. The rooftop level is in contact with the sky like the deck of a ship, allowing surrounding views. The cafe's lower level creates a spectacular view of the city's skyline inside the Infinity Pool, which embraces the sky. The pyeongsang stands leading to the pool and deck functions as a seat for sunbathing and recreation. In this space, you can enjoy the sunset of the red-colored Yeosu city and the sea.
A transit observatory
A transit observatory is installed as a intermediary space between A zone and B zone. It is a platform for transferring different spatial characteristics and an individual area for hospitality. Elevator and vertical sequence that pass through all floors from the A zone, lead to the transit observatory through an aerial walkway installed at the level of the second basement floor. A transit observatory, which is integrated with the public bridge, is a synography that helps guests travel, and is designed to enjoy a beautiful view of Seguji Village.
B zone
The exclusive accommodation type B zone is designed using inclined terrain. The spaces between each building is a community space adjacent to each unit. The main purpose of this space is to create an internal environment similar to ground conditions by smoothly supplying light and ventilation to each unit. The outdoor space created between each building is an architectural device to welcome guests. The wide deck is an external recreational space where you can experience the calm movement of the wind, forest, and the vastness of the distant sea.
The unit installed front windows and terraces to strengthened outdoor activities such as spas and BBQ by utilizing surrounding conditions that are not disturbed by surrounding gaze or noise. Inside, a skipped cross-section was designed so that the terrace and the internal program could linked according to the function of the rooms. In the kitchen and dining room, outdoor dining while looking at the forest and city, and the spa is linked to the living room to induce a new spatial experience. In interior bedroom, we used a Korean traditional ‘toenmaru’ space to maintain an advantageous environment in ventilation, sunlight, and view.

Architect: Heesoo Kwak / IDMM Architects
Location: 320-3, Udu-ri, Dolsan-eup, Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do, Republic of Korea
Programme: Accommodation
Site area: 9,936.00㎡
Building area: 1,907.62㎡
Gross floor area: 4,978.08㎡
Building scope: B2F / 4F
Height: 17.85m
Building to land ratio: 19.57%
Floor area ratio: 34.08%
Structure : RC
Exterior finishing: exposed concrete
Design period : Jun. 2020 - Oct. 2020
Construction period: Oct. 2020 - Jul. 2022
Completion: Jul. 2022
Photo credit: Jaeyoun Kim
IDMM Architects