ARCHITECTURE COMPETITION

COMPETITION CONDITIONS
Contents

3 ARCHHIVE BOOKS Buildner (formerly Bee Breeders)

9 THE PROJECT PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS Architecture Competition Organisers
4 LOS ANGELES CRISIS have prepared this document for
6 THE COMPETITION 10 PRIZES
the purpose of arranging the
LOS ANGELES 11 CERTIFICATES Los Angeles Affordable Housing Challenge

AFFORDABLE HOUSING CHALLENGE 12 PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN architecture competition.

7 PROGRAMME 13 COMPETITION SCHEDULE

The concept and planning for this competition
8 THE COMPETITION SITE 14 REGISTRATION FEES have been developed solely by
14 DISCOUNTS FOR ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS Buildner (formerly Bee Breeders)
15 SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS Architecture Competition Organisers.

16 RECOMMENDED SUBMISSION CONTENT

© Buildner (formerly Bee Breeders)
17 PRESENTATION DELIVERABLES SET Architecture Competition Organisers
18 PRELIMINARY PRESENTATION REVIEWS [email protected]
architecturecompetitions.com
19 JURY
20 TELL THE WORLD YOUR STORY!
VIDEO AND INTERVIEW
21 MEDIA PARTNERS
21 ELIGIBILITY
 What is
Affordable
Housing?
The most up-to-date collection
of interviews, essays, and
design case studies.

ARCHHIVE BOOKS is a print publication

A must-read for expanding on the ideas presented by

“
Buildner Architecture Competition
industry-leading Organisers.
architects and design teams!
ARCHHIVE BOOKS aims to bring architects
together with startups, entrepreneurs,
developers, and problem-solving organizations
“ARCHHIVE BOOKS “What is which tackle these same global issues, often in
Affordable Housing?” considers ways other than building. ARCHHIVE BOOKS
that we are now living in an era merges the wealth of Bee Breeders’ novel
architectural design proposals with
when we must reconsider and complementary ideas in entrepreneurship,
change the definition of “living” in policy, and technology.
a dwelling. For this, the crucial
thing is”that every type of housing
we design has to be affordable.”

Kengo Kuma,
Architect

3
Los Angeles
Housing Crisis
Los Angeles, the City of Angels, is a vibrant and dynamic The implications of the housing crisis in Los Angeles
metropolis known for its diverse culture, thriving extend beyond the immediate struggle to find affordable
entertainment industry, and iconic landmarks. However, living spaces. The lack of affordable housing options
beneath the city's glittering surface lies a growing problem leads to increased homelessness, contributes to urban
that affects a significant portion of its population: the sprawl, and puts a strain on public services and
housing crisis. The soaring costs of living, fueled by infrastructure. Moreover, it hinders the city's overall
skyrocketing rents, gentrification, and a limited supply of economic growth and development, as the cost of living
affordable starter homes, have made it increasingly becomes a barrier for attracting and retaining a diverse
challenging for lower-income households to secure workforce. The widening gap between the rich and the
adequate housing within the city's boundaries. poor further fuels social tension and disparity,
undermining the overall well-being of the city's
This pressing issue not only affects the quality of life for residents.
countless residents but also has a detrimental impact on
the social fabric of Los Angeles. As the city becomes more
polarized, with wealthier individuals residing in upscale
neighborhoods and lower-income families struggling to
find affordable homes, a sense of community and
connection is lost. In turn, this exacerbates existing social
and economic disparities, creating an even more
challenging environment for those most in need.

4
Beautiful sunset of Los Angeles downtown skyline © Chones
 The housing crisis in Los Angeles also has a significant By tackling the housing crisis, Los Angeles has the
impact on education and healthcare access. As families potential to create a more equitable, resilient, and
are forced to move further away from city centers in search thriving city for all its residents, ensuring that the City of
of affordable housing, they often find themselves in areas Angels remains an emblem of opportunity, diversity, and
with underfunded schools and limited healthcare innovation for years to come.
facilities. This, in turn, perpetuates cycles of poverty and
inequality, affecting future generations.

To address the multifaceted implications of the housing

crisis in Los Angeles, a comprehensive and innovative
approach is needed. Solutions must not only focus on
creating affordable housing options but also on fostering a
sense of community and connection among residents,
promoting sustainable and inclusive urban development,
and addressing the broader social and economic
challenges faced by the city.

5
Aerial view of suburban homes in the Porter Ranch community of Los Angeles © trekandshoot
The competition
The Los Angeles Affordable Housing Challenge, the 16th With the freedom to select a site within Los Angeles,
installment of Buildner's affordable housing competition competitors should carefully consider factors such as
series, welcomes architects and design enthusiasts from accessibility, amenities, and the potential impact on the
around the globe to submit inventive solutions to tackle surrounding community. The challenge demands
Los Angeles' housing crisis. As the city grapples with designs that are adaptable and capable of
skyrocketing rents, gentrification, and expensive starter accommodating various inhabitants and their needs,
homes, affordable housing for lower-income households prioritizing affordability without compromising quality
has become increasingly scarce. or sustainability.

This competition seeks to generate imaginative and By incorporating sustainable features and energy-
pragmatic solutions to address the diverse housing needs efficient systems, participants should strive to create
of Los Angeles residents, including families, single housing solutions that minimize environmental impact
professionals, and couples. Participants are encouraged to and long-term costs while seamlessly integrating into
think beyond conventional housing models and explore the existing urban landscape. Ultimately, the goal is to
innovative designs that offer flexibility, affordability, inspire and reshape the future of housing in Los Angeles
sustainability, and a sense of community. through aesthetically pleasing and innovative designs
that challenge traditional notions of housing, design,
and community.

63
Beautiful sunset of Los Angeles downtown skyline © Chones
Programme

Design a concept for affordable housing within

Los Angeles, which can be easily rolled out to increase
$
the capacity of housing stock, and is minimal in its use
of land and materials.

No minimum size or amount of the residential units per

block is defined. The proposals should be flexible
enough to adopt in different sizes with different
inhabitant capacity requirements.

7
© Nick Fox
The competition
site
The competition site for the Los Angeles Affordable By allowing participants to select their own sites or
Housing Challenge is intentionally left undefined, propose theoretical locations, the competition aims to
providing participants with the freedom to select an encourage a wide range of imaginative and context-
existing site or propose a theoretical location within the sensitive solutions that address Los Angeles' housing
city. This open-ended approach encourages creativity crisis. This approach empowers designers to think
and flexibility, allowing participants to explore diverse beyond conventional housing models, promoting a
urban contexts and identify opportunities for innovative holistic understanding of the city's diverse urban fabric
housing solutions that cater to the unique needs of and fostering innovative design strategies that can
each area. make a real difference in the lives of Los Angeles
residents.
Designs should be flexible enough to accommodate
different locations across the city, taking into
consideration varying site constraints, neighborhood
characteristics, and local amenities.

8
Project proposal
requirements
Site Selection: Sustainability and Energy Efficiency:
Participants should choose a real or hypothetical site Integrate sustainable materials, energy-efficient
within Los Angeles, considering factors such as systems, and eco-friendly design strategies to minimize
accessibility, availability of amenities, and potential for the environmental impact and long-term operational
revitalizing underprivileged areas. costs of the proposed housing solution.

Design Flexibility: Aesthetics and Innovation:

Proposals should feature adaptable living spaces that Challenge traditional notions of housing and design by
cater to the diverse needs of Los Angeles residents, proposing aesthetically pleasing and innovative
including families, single professionals, and couples, solutions that have the potential to inspire and reshape
while taking into account factors like changing the future of affordable housing in Los Angeles.
household sizes, lifestyles, and preferences.

Community Integration:
Develop a housing solution that encourages social
interaction and strengthens community bonds by
incorporating shared spaces, amenities, and other
features that contribute to a sense of belonging and
connection among residents.

9
Prizes
Monetary awards

Total prize fund

7,000 €
3 winning proposals, 2 special award recipients and 6 honourable mentions will be selected. Buildner will award a total of 7,000 € in prize money to competition winners as follows:

1st Prize
BUILDNER STUDENT AWARD
3,000 €
1,000 € Cash prize +
50 € ARCHHIVEBOOKS.com gift card
2nd Prize
1,500 € + 6 honorable mentions

BUILDNER SUSTAINABLITY AWARD

3rd Prize
500 € Cash prize
1,000 €

10
Certificates
Buildner will acknowledge the outstanding performance of all
winners with Certificates of Achievement.

11
 Publicity campaign
All competition winners will be part of Buildner’s extensive global publicity campaign:

‘SEEN BY’ ‘SEEN BY’

ONE MILLION 800 000 MORE
Results published on buildner.com, – one of the Publications on Buildner’s social networks (over
leading websites in the industry, which is visited by 600,000 followers) and newsletter campaign (over
over one million unique visitors each year. 200,000 subscribers).

INTERVIEW MOVIE MEDIA PARTNERS

Exclusive interview published with the results and Competition winners will be granted an opportunity Competition results will get
shared on Buildner’s social networks. to submit a movie about themselves. The video will international art and design media coverage and will
be published on Buildner’s website and social be featured in the world’s leading architecture media
networks. outlets.

12
Competition schedule
Preliminary registration deadlines
Early Bird Registration
MAY 2 – JUNE 7 Closing date for registration
NOVEMBER 1, 2023
Advance Registration
JUNE 8 – SEPTEMBER 7
Closing date for submission
Last Minute Registration DECEMBER 6, 2023 (11:59 p.m. LONDON TIME)
SEPTEMBER 8 – NOVEMBER 1
It is still possible to participate in this competition after the preliminary Announcement of the winners
deadlines, however, a higher late registration fee will be charged. FEBRUARY 14, 2024

Closing date for questions & answers

NOVEMBER 6, 2023
In order to guarantee equal opportunities to all
competition participants, no new questions will
be answered after this deadline!

13
 Discounts for
Registration fees
architecture students
Buildner Architecture Competition Organisers would like to hear from
representatives of universities, schools, and colleges offering
Please find registration fees architecture/design studies.
listed at the competition website
architecturecompetitions.com/LosAngelesChallenge Contact us to receive special student rates for group registration
(discount applies for 3+ registrations from one university/school), as
well as further information and support to get your students involved
in architecture competitions.

Send us a request from your university email address along with basic
information about you and your university/school. Please note that
only recognized university staff can apply for the reduced student rate.

Buildner Architecture University rankings

Explore the Buildner's list of the world's 1000+ most competitive
architecture universities –
architecturecompetitions.com/architecture-university-rankings

14
Submission
requirements Participants can choose and upload one
project preview image from their
presentation that best describes their project.

• Participants are required to upload one (1) A2 • No video files are accepted.
landscape-orientated presentation board (must • All information provided in writing must be in English. • The project preview image would need to be at
not exceed 10MB) with sketches, renderings, plans, • All submissions must be uploaded via the least 2000x1680 pixels large, orientated
sections, elevations, diagrams, and/or other architecturecompetitions.com upload panel. Access horizontally, no more than 10 MB in size, and in
presentation tools to explain their proposal. information and instructions on how to upload the jpg/jpeg format.
presentation board will be issued to participants via • The project preview image will be used for
email immediately after successful registration. promotional materials to showcase the project
• Presentation boards must not indicate any in case the project is selected as the winner.
information related to individual's/team's identity. • Please note: the competition jury will not see
the selected project preview image.

1 panel Participants who do not comply with the requirements

will be disqualified without a refund.

15
Recommended
submission
content
• A cityscape or neighborhood view illustrating how the • Proposed plans, sections, and multiple internal and
proposal integrates with the surrounding urban or external perspectives illustrating the spatial quality of
suburban context of Los Angeles, emphasizing the shared spaces, amenities, and other community-focused
potential impact on the community and the diverse features.
population.
• Explanation of the project's construction, materials,
• Concept designs showcasing the high quality and functions, management, and maintenance approach,
innovative aspects of the proposed affordable housing addressing environment, energy efficiency,
solution, in line with the design brief and the chosen site. sustainability, indoor environment, and logistics.

• Key points of proposed plans and sections, multiple • Visualizations and artist's impressions showcasing the
internal and external perspectives demonstrating the overall design and its integration within the chosen site
spatial quality of the housing units, as well as in Los Angeles, highlighting the proposal's potential to
operational needs, accessibility requirements, and address the city's housing crisis and enhance the quality
adaptability for various lifestyle needs. of life for its residents.

• Demonstration of project feasibility with regard to

environment, climate conditions, life cycle, responsible
use of materials, and long-term sustainability.

16
Presentation
deliverables set
• Urban plan • Diagrams
• Street elevations • Circulation
• Primary sections • Public versus private space

• Primary floor plans • Lighting

• Landscaping
• Details:
• Transportation
• Envelope
• Energy systems
• Key materials
• Cityscapes/urban relationships
• Site or landscape
• Axonometrics providing information on building
systems or illustrating key architectural concepts
• Perspectives Please note the PRESENTATION DELIVERABLES SET
• Primary interior spaces listed above is a suggestion only. Participants can
• Primary site locations choose to use the entire list, a selection from it, or
propose a completely different set that would explain
their design in the most efficient manner.

17
Presentation
preliminary
review
For more than ten years, Buildner has analyzed and Participants are welcome to submit their competition
rated thousands of architecture competition project presentation draft panel/s before submitting it/them
submissions. Trust us when we say — the quality of your as a final competition entry for a preliminary review.
presentation is vital to convince a jury team of your
design intent, and there are several graphic and Within 1–3 days, our team will analyze your
representational factors that can make it or break it. presentation panel/s and rate them on predefined
We can help you make it right! criteria points, as well as add valuable written feedback
on how you can improve your final competition
submission.

Buildner can review your Find out more here –

presentation and give you valuable architecturecompetitions.com/reviews
feedback!

18
Jury

The jury panel members list and biographies are Jury members shall under no circumstances be Buildner is committed to selecting the most qualified
published on contacted by competition participants or their industry professionals to comprise its jury panels. Jury
architecturecompetitions.com/LosAngelesChallenge representatives. Participants who attempt to contact panels consist of architects, in addition to professionals
jury members shall be disqualified. from other professional backgrounds that are relevant
Participants are advised to research both the working All competition-related communications should be to the competition topic, to guarantee the most
site and previous similar case studies as part of the carried out solely with Buildner staff. objective competition results.
design process. For each competition, 6–9 jury panel For any questions, please contact us at
members are selected. Buildner reserves the right to [email protected] You may find the invited jury list from previous
add/remove the jury panel members at any moment. competitions here –
Los Angeles Affordable Housing Challenge is an ideas architecturecompetitions.com/guest-jury
competition, which encourages participants to test or
redefine the boundaries of architecture. The jury may
choose to reward projects that show a high degree of
creativity, even if they breach competition guidelines,
as long as this is justified.

19
Tell the world
your story!
Video and interview
Shortly prior to the results announcement, selected Please note – both the interview and video submission
competition winners and honorable mentions will is OPTIONAL. However, we do recommend that all
be contacted and asked to answer a series of participants submit as much material as possible in
interview questions (in writing) and submit a video order to maximise the publicity and media attention
about themselves. These will be published with the their work will receive.
competition results.

There is a tight deadline to announce the winners

on time, therefore interview questions will need to
be returned within 2 days, and videos submitted
within 2 weeks of being requested. Hence, we
advise participants to consider ideas for their video
and answers to their questions in advance so that
Read more about:
they are able to submit the relevant material on
time. The interview – architecturecompetitions.com/interview

The video submission – architecturecompetitions.com/submit-movie

Explore the movies received from Buildner (formerly Bee Breeders)

architecture competition winners and honourable mentions here - youtube.com/@buildner

© Daniel Semenov
Eligibility Media partners
The competition is open to all. No professional A full list of media partners who have committed to
qualifications are required. Design proposals can be present the competition winners in their publications
developed individually or by teams (4 team members can be found on
maximum). architecturecompetitions.com/LosAngelesChallenge

People who have direct personal or professional For potential media partners who are also interested in
relationships with jury panel members or organisers covering the present competition and its winners, please
may not participate in this competition. contact us at [email protected]

Competition press kit (in English) and banners are

available on
architecturecompetitions.com/LosAngelesChallenge/press

Full Competition Terms & Conditions: © Buildner (formerly Bee Breeders) [email protected]
architecturecompetitions.com/LosAngelesChallenge/terms Architecture Competition Organisers architecturecompetitions.com