INTRODUCTION
“Less is only more where more is no good.” — Frank Lloyd Wright, American architect.
Not everyone aspires to live in a big house — some aspire to do quite the opposite. With a new generation entering the workforce with higher debts and lower wage expectations and another generation retiring on limited incomes with little savings, many people are seeking alternative living arrangements beyond the basements of family members. Micro houses are becoming a new national infatuation as housing costs continue to rise and people scramble to find more affordable housing. Popular shows on cable television also extol the virtues of living in a limited space.
Although there is no standard definition of a “micro house,” floor plans with 400 square feet or less are generally included in the micro house category. Simply put, it has been a social movement where people are choosing to downsize the space they live in. People are joining this movement for many reasons, but the most popular reasons include environmental concerns, financial concerns, and the desire for more time and freedom. The typical American home is around 2,600 square feet, whereas the typical small or micro house is between 100 and 500 square feet. Micro houses come in all shapes, sizes, and forms, but they enable simpler living in a smaller, more efficient space. Micro houses usually consist of one room, with a sliding-door bathroom in a corner, and perhaps a loft bedroom. Many micro homes are not built on permanent foundations; instead, they are built on trailers with wheels. How will the Future House be?
The competition seeks the creation of a Micro House with ideas and concepts in architectural design with site planning. Micro houses are the focal point in a broader system to address issues, concerns and problems of the current day. There is not any specific site location for this competition, as it mainly collects ideas and concepts and aims to create an exemplary prototype for all the new future houses to follow. This international architectural idea competition invites all architecture students, young architects and professionals related to architecture studies to develop and submit compelling ideas for the design of a Micro House. Winning participants will receive prizes totaling $1500 (USD). All the detailed briefs (including other information and reference material) can be viewed on the official website of Future House (http://future-house.org/).
SCHEDULE
Start of Competition: 16th April 2017
Pre-Registration: 16th April 2017 – 15th May 2017
Early Registration: 16th May 2017 – 15th June 2017
Standard Registration: 16th June 2017 – 15th July 2017
Late Registration: 16th July 2017 – 15th August 2017
Deadline for Questions: 15th August 2017
Closing day for Submissions: 15th August 2017
Jury Deliberation: 16th August 2017 – 15th September 2017
Announcement of Winners: 16th September 2017
Note: All deadlines are 11:59 pm – 00:00 GMT (Greenwich Mean Time).
REGISTRATION
Please be aware of that, we only accept payment through the secure gateway (via PayPal) on our website. The registration fee is:
$40 – Pre-Registration: 16th April 2017 – 15th May 2017
$50 – Early Registration: 16th May 2017 – 15th June 2017
$60 – Standard Registration: 16th June 2017 – 15th July 2017
$70 – Late Registration: 16th July 2017 – 15th August 2017
Once you’ve finished the payment process, please click http://future-house.org/verify to obtain your team code after 48 hours. Remember that the code is unique and valid for each submitted entry.
AWARDS
Winning participants will receive prizes totaling $1500 (USD) with the distribution as follows:
First Prize – $800 + Certificate + Portfolio Publication
Second Prize – $500 + Certificate + Portfolio Publication
Third Prize – $200 + Certificate + Portfolio Publication
10 Honorable Mentions
Winners and honorable mentions will be published on the official website and several international architecture magazines and websites partnered by us. Thanks to our Sponsor & Financial Support: Designer Foundation.
JURY
An independent jury of design professionals and/or stakeholders should be formed to ensure an equitable selection process. We’ve invited several professional architects, designers, artists, university professors to join in the Jury team. The process is open and anonymous, which should be “blind”, in other words the identities of the entrant and creative team are not revealed to the jury. The Jury should include a mix of people with specialist skills and knowledge. The composition is important, as it plays a significant role in generating interest and participation from the widest possible cross-section of competitors. The Jury must engender the respect of the design community. The Jury should be impartial, knowledgeable, and commit sufficient time and energy to the deliberations process. FUTURE HOUSE ORGANIZATION retains the right to disqualify any entry that does not meet the program requirements or that presents a conflict of interest. Following the jury deliberations, winners will be notified by e-mail.
Full list of Jury members can be viewed through the official website.
FAQ
In case you still have questions related to the briefs and the competition, please send them to info@future-house.org with “FAQ” subject until the Deadline for Questions 15th August 2017. All queries regarding registration process, fees or payment should be sent on the same email address with ‘ENQUIRY’ subject.
