Architecture competitions 2026, free design contests, architectural prizes news, world student awards

Architecture Competitions 2026 News

post updated 2 April 2026

Architectural Competitions : links on e-architect

We feature the latest architecture competitions from around the world, updated daily to weekly.

Free Architecture Competitions in 2026

Recently Added Architectural Contests on e-architect – listed chronologically:

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Recently added:

Fifth Annual Design for All Partnership

May 15 2026: submission deadline

Michael Hsu Office of Architecture Opens Applications for Fifth Annual Design for All Partnership

Texas-Based Firm Seeks Partner in Austin, Houston or Dallas-Fort Worth to Award Pro Bono Design Grant of $20,000 – Applications Accepted Through May 15

Texas-based architecture and interior design firm Michael Hsu Office of Architecture (MHOA) is thrilled to announce its fifth annual Design for All Partnership. The nationally recognized practice seeks a new nonprofit partner with a demonstrated need for design services in the Austin, Houston and now Dallas-Fort Worth area. MHOA has just released its Request for Proposals (RFP) for interested nonprofit organizations and is accepting submissions from now until Friday, May 15, at 5 p.m. CT.

Previous Design for All recipients include American YouthWorks (2025), Central Texas Table of Grace (2024), Abigail E. Keller Foundation (2024) and The Women’s Home and Children’s Assessment Center (2023). For the inaugural initiative in June 2022, MHOA selected nonprofit Austin Angels as its partner. The firm designed a community center in Buda, Texas, to support children and families in foster care, which will complete construction this year. With the 2026 Design for All partnership, MHOA hopes to continue bolstering the greater community by providing design services to a new partner organization.

“Design For All has become one of the most meaningful ways we connect our work to the communities we care about,” says Michael Hsu, founder and principal of MHOA. “Each partnership — from Austin Angels to The Women’s Home, Central Texas Table of Grace and, most recently, American YouthWorks — has shown us how thoughtful design can strengthen the impact of organizations already doing extraordinary work. With our first Design For All project for Austin Angels completing construction this year, we’re especially proud of how the program continues to grow. As we prepare to open applications for this year’s program, we’re excited to meet the next nonprofit that’s prepared to imagine great possibilities with the support of design.”

The goal of the Design for All initiative is to provide design solutions that are realistic and affordable and that directly support an organization’s mission. Once applications are reviewed and a nonprofit partner is selected for this partnership, MHOA will work with the nonprofit partner to develop the project plan and deliverables to suit the organization’s needs.The partnership award will provide $20,000 in pro bono design and consultation services.

“Working on Design For All projects reminds us why we became designers,” says Chet Morgan, senior associate at MHOA. “Collaborating with partners like the Children’s Assessment Center or the Abigail E. Keller Foundation has shown how even early‑stage design thinking can bring clarity, hope and momentum to mission‑driven organizations. This work serves as a reminder that thoughtful collaboration can unlock new possibilities long before construction begins. We look forward to welcoming this year’s applicants and helping shape spaces that truly serve their communities.”

To be eligible for Design for All, organizations must be registered as 501(c)(3) and should be located within a 50-mile radius of the Austin, Houston, and, for the first time, Dallas/Fort Worth areas. Master planning projects should be 50 acres or smaller, and architecture and interior design projects should be smaller than 20,000 square feet. Examples of deliverables from MHOA include an analysis of the potential of the building or site, preliminary site and floor plan(s), one architectural rendering, a pricing narrative and a proposal for continuing design services and schedule.

Interested nonprofits can submit the application form and optional supplemental information via this link. The deadline to submit is 5 p.m. CT on May 15. Any submissions entered after that time will not be considered. The full timeline is as follows:

Call for Entries – March 10
Questions due – April 10
Q&A posted on website – April 24
Submission Deadline – May 15 at 5 p.m. CT
Shortlist Interviews – June 8-19
Partnership announced – June 26

Since MHOA’s inception in 2005, the firm has practiced with the belief that design is for everyone, having worked with several nonprofits in the past, including Habitat for Humanity and Project Transitions in Austin to build Burnet Place, an affordable, supportive housing project serving residents with HIV and AIDS. As the firm grows its leadership and expands its ideas, future initiatives like this will continue to develop and better support the community. MHOA recently formed an internal research and development leadership team to look at all aspects of inspiration and innovation in order to continue pushing design forward.

If you have any questions regarding the submission process or the Design for All Partnership, please email designforall(at)hsuoffice.com. For more information, please visit hsuoffice.com/design-for-all.

About Michael Hsu Office of Architecture

Founded in 2005, Michael Hsu Office of Architecture (MHOA) is a nationally award-winning, fully integrated architecture and interior design practice based in Texas. The firm’s work is rooted in hospitality and placemaking and includes diverse projects such as large mixed-use developments, adaptive reuse projects, public realm design, architectural branding, single-family homes, hotels, restaurants, workspaces, community-driven projects and bespoke furniture design.

Operating with the belief that design is for everyone, MHOA sets out to build livable, neighborhood-oriented places with an emphasis on composed materials within a focused design palette The firm works throughout Texas and across the country in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta and Denver. MHOA has offices in Austin and Houston and full-time staff representing the firm in Atlanta, Boston, Denver and Philadelphia. For more information on MHOA, visit www.hsuoffice.comor follow on Instagram @HsuOffice.

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Architecture Competitions in 2026 Listed by Month

Modern international architectural contest deadlines news / awards and prizes / contact details in 2026:

APRIL

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The Architect’s Chair

2 April 2026: Final registration deadline

Take a seat and make a statement!

Take a seat and make a statement! Edition #5
ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all

https://architecturecompetitions.com/thearchitectschair5/

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Iceland Slow Sauna

8 April 2026: Final registration deadline

Design slow sauna in Iceland

project COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all

https://architecturecompetitions.com/icelandslowsauna/

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Re:Form – New Life for Old Spaces

22 April 2026: Early bird registration deadline

Choose a site—used, abandoned, or forgotten—anywhere in the world, and give it a new purpose

Edition #3
ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all

https://architecturecompetitions.com/reform3/

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Museum of Emotions

23 April 2026: advance registration deadline

Use architecture to create different emotional states

Edition #8
ideas COMPETITION
SILENT CONTEST
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all

https://architecturecompetitions.com/museumofemotions8/

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MAY

Pavilion Atlas 2026

13 May 2026: Advance registration deadline

Design a story of your country

ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all

https://architecturecompetitions.com/pavilionatlas/

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The Next House: USA

20 May 2026: Final registration deadline

Design the next suburban home for the USA

20,000 USD Prize
ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all

https://architecturecompetitions.com/thenexthouseusa/

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Rome Rain Rooms Design Competition

(14 January 2026): Early bird registration deadline

28 May 2026: registration deadline

Prize fund: 10,000 €

Design a rain room for Rome, Italy.

Open to all

Details for this architecture competition page here: https://architecturecompetitions.com/romerainrooms/

Rome Rain Rooms invites architects, designers, and visionaries from around the world to reimagine how cities live with water. As climate change reshapes weather patterns, Rome faces longer droughts followed by sudden, intense downpours — moments of abundance that often go to waste. This competition challenges participants to transform those fleeting storms into civic rituals, turning rainfall into both a shared experience and a sustainable resource.

The architecture competition is open to all. Design proposals can be developed individually or by teams, maximum four team members.

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JUNE

Mass Timber Innovation and Design Center of Canada – International Design Competition

June 20 2026: registration deadline

June 21 2026: submission deadline

Design Unlimited launches the Mass Timber Innovation & Design Center of Canada, an international architecture competition supported by leading voices in timber research and construction.

Mass Timber Innovation and Design Center of Canada Competition

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JULY

Unbuilt Award 2026

9 July 2026: advance registration deadline

100,000€ Prize / 2026
ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 €
Eligibility Open to all

https://architecturecompetitions.com/unbuilt2026/

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SEPTEMBER

Kingspan MICROHOME 2026

30 September 2026: registration deadline

2 November 2026: Submission

Type: Open – Concept
Language: English
Prizes: 100,000 €

The Kingspan MICROHOME 2026 continues Buildner’s long-standing exploration of compact living and sustainable design. Now in its 11th edition, and marking the fourth collaboration with Kingspan, the competition challenges architects and designers to reimagine what home means when it is stripped to its essentials. Participants are invited to propose an off-grid modular dwelling with a

Details for this architectural competition page here: https://architecturecompetitions.com/microhome2026/

Prizes:

Three winning proposals, two Buildner special award recipients, four Kingspan award recipients, and six honourable mentions will be selected. Buildner will award a total of €100,000 in prize money to competition winners as follows:

1st Prize – €30,000
2nd Prize – €10,000
3rd Prize – €5,000
6 Honourable Mentions
Buildner Student Award – €10,000
Buildner Sustainability Award – €10,000
The Kingspan Award – €30,000
3 × The Kingspan Compliments – €5,000 each

Key Dates:

(Early Bird Registration: November 10, 2025 – February 11, 2026)
Advance Registration: February 12 – May 27, 2026
Last Minute Registration: May 28 – September 30, 2026
Closing Date for Questions: October 5, 2026
Competition Closing Date: November 2, 2026 (11:59 p.m. London time)
Winners Announced: December 15, 2026

Registration Fees:

Early Bird: 10 Nov – 11 Feb | 65-79 €
Advanced: 12 Feb – 27 May | 75-95 €
Last Minute: 28 May – 30 Sep |95-125 €

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2025

Architecture design contest on e-architect:

Deadline passed:

IDA International Design Awards

The International Design Awards receives thousands of outstanding designs submitted by companies and designers from over 80 countries, all competing for the top prizes in this prestigious award.

e-architect Editor Adrian Welch is in the IDA Jury again. The final deadline was on Monday, October 13, 2025.

Winners represent an extraordinary mix of creativity, innovation, and sustainability, showcasing the best in graphic design, architecture, fashion, product design, and interior design.

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DESIGN CONTESTS ARCHIVE

Architecture Competitions Archive

Past Architecture Competitions – selection:

The Architecture MasterPrize (AMP)
Location: international
2025 Architecture MasterPrize: AMP News

Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Competition
Location: London, England, UK
Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Competition

The 4th Quadrant of Victory Square International Architectural Competition
Location: Prague, Czech Republic
4th Quadrant of Victory Square Prague Competition

City of The Future Competition
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland
£10k Prize
City of the Future Urban Design Competition, Belfast

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