“HOME” is a space that is intimate to all living beings on the planet. It has a broader, deeper and personal connection with its user apart from being a physical shelter for humans and their daily lives, a home forms a distinct, intimate connection with its users. The ultimate goal for a home is to ignite “the idea of belonging” within its sphere and amongst all those sharing the space.

This gradual rise in population has created an overall housing shortage which can trigger the risk of homelessness, and unorganised development such as slums as well. The health management risks that follow has a massive impact on one’s personal state of mind. To make things worse, the impact of COVID-19 coupled with environmental and financial concerns has further aggravated the housing crisis.

This phenomenon has given rise to a new movement of Micro-Housing; one that commands the idea of simple but inventive living in today’s urban scenario. The concept of these revolutionary homes encourages making the innovation of maximum functional area in a minimum footprint, thus redefining the perception of sustainability in urban dwellings.

What is Micro Housing?

A micro apartment ideally consists of a sleeping space, a common sit-out space, a kitchenette, a bathroom and storage that is designed to camouflage with the space. Space saving furniture such as beds that can be lifted back into the wall, multifunctional furniture or extremely small or hidden appliances are key elements that support a micro apartment. There are times when residents may have complete access to a full kitchen, living room, housekeeping facilities and a garden.

OPPORTUNITY:

People today are concerned and are exploring opportunities with the aspiration to improve their standard of living and have more freedom in the realm of urban housing. 

We invite designers around the world, belonging to various factions, to create inventive, experimental architectural solutions which would surprise today’s housing market and call for a sense of living based on community spirit.

 Arranged in self-contained, integrated communities, the residential units would be representative of innovation and creativity in the modularity of spaces. It is through affordable housing that one can bring stability, economic diversity and improve the physical quality of the neighbourhood.

“Housing is absolutely essential to human flourishing. Without stable shelter, it all falls apart.” -Matthew Desmond  (American Sociologist)

CHALLENGE:

The participants are to design a prototype of a micro-housing unit that reflects the personal needs and culture of the residential community chosen. A suitable aggregation of these micro-housing units should be done in an urban context.

A total of 100 users should be considered for the design. Participants are to choose a site relevant to the topic, in the urban context. The design has to serve as an upgrade to the standard of living of the users. While being very functional, it should also be aesthetically appealing. 

The built-up area of each residential unit should not exceed 350 sq. ft. and should house up to 4 individuals. The unit should be a prototype, making the optimum use of space, and it needs to be explained in detail. 

The designed units should cater to personal needs (rest, bath, cook, and work) and community requirements (interact). As per their discretion, the participants are free to add more spaces required in their designs. 

The design of the micro-housing residential complex should also provide solutions for circulation such as staircases, passages, etc.

Site Selection:

The participants are to design a prototype of a micro-housing unit that reflects the personal needs and culture of the residential community chosen. A suitable aggregation of these micro-housing units should be done in an urban context.

Awards:

Prizes of total USD 10000, broken as follows.

1st prize USD 5000 + Certificate + Publication

2nd prize USD 2500 + Certificate + Publication

3rd prize USD 1500 + Certificate + Publication

1st Special Mention USD 500

2nd Special Mention USD 500

10 Honourable Mentions: Certificates 

Winners and Honourable Mentions will be published on Impact Competitions website and several international architecture and design magazines. 

To show our appreciation, all the participants would receive participation certificate. 

Jury

• Aristides Dallas, Aristides Dallas Architects, Greece
• Doan Thanh Ha, H&P architects, Vietnam
• Joe Chikamori, 07BEACH, Japan
• Ludwig Godefroy, Ludwig Godefroy Architectue,  Mexico
• Mark Foster Gage, Mark Foster Gage Architects, New York
• Sun Dayong, Penda China, China
• Sebastian Irarrazaval, Sebastian Irarrazaval Arquitecto, Chile
• Peter Pichler, Peter Pichler Architecture,  Italy
• James Shen, People's Architecture Office, China

Schedule:

Early Bird Registration: 12th January 2022-24th March 2022

Standard Registrations: 25th March 2022-29th April 2022

Late Registration: 30th April 2022-13th May 2022

Query Deadline: 9th May 2022

Submission Deadline: 20th May 2022

Winners Announcement: 21st July 2022

Registration Fee:

Early Bird Registrations: 

USD 85+ 18% Tax (per team)

Regular Registrations:

USD 100+ 18% Tax (per team)

Late Registrations:

USD 125 + 18% Tax (per team)

Eligibility:

Micro Housing 2022 International Architecture Competition is open to all. We invite architects, students, engineers, product designers, thinkers, companies, organizations and everyone interested in the mission of the competition to submit their ideas. No professional qualifications are necessary.

Read more about the competition on the competition's website. 

Top image courtesy of Impact Design Competitions.

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