Unbuilt Award 2025
Dezeen Competitions: Buildner's Unbuilt Award calls for architects and designers to submit unrealised architectural concepts and ideas.
The competition aims to highlight the creative process of architecture and design concepts and give proposals a global platform, with publishing opportunities.
This competition is now closed
Organiser: Buildner
Competition: Unbuilt Award 2025
Judges:
- Amale Andraos, founder of WorkAC and former dean of Columbia GSAPP
- David Basulto, founder of ArchDaily
- Manuela Gatto, director of Zaha Hadid Architects
- Christele Harrouk, editor-in-chief at ArchDaily
- Melodie Leung, director at Zaha Hadid Architects
- Amanda Levete, founder of AL_A
- Michael Meredith, founder of MOS and associate dean at Princeton University
- Lyndon Neri, co-founder of Neri&Hu Design
- Will Plowman, partner of Foster + Partners
- Carlo Ratti, planning director at MIT Senseable City Lab
Submission deadline: 20 November 2025
Winner announcement: 17 December 2025
Prizes: Prizes are shared across all categories, and include €100,000, a dedicated chapter in the annual Unbuilt book and the Continuum Trophy. One winner will receive an exclusive internship with ArchDaily.
Competition overview
The annual Unbuilt Award calls for submissions of unbuilt architecture and design proposals, whether published or unpublished, fully designed or still conceptual.
The competition provides a global platform for these unrealised ideas, aiming to highlight the creative process, showcasing projects and ideas that celebrate the exploration and ingenuity of architecture.
Eligibility and judging criteria
The competition is open to any participant aged 18 and over. No professional qualifications are required.
There are three distinct categories for submission: small, medium and large-scale projects.
Participants are encouraged to select the category that best fits the scale of their visionary projects, offering a platform for every idea to shine.
How to enter
Submission requirements include:
– Participants are required to upload one A2 landscape-orientated presentation board with sketches, renderings, plans, sections, elevations, diagrams and/or other presentation tools to explain their proposal
– No video files are accepted
– All information provided in writing must be in English
– All submissions must be uploaded via the architecturecompetitions.com upload panel
– Access information and instructions on how to upload the presentation board will be issued to participants via email immediately after successful registration
– Participants are required to submit a cover image and project description in the project upload panel. This will not be seen by the jury and is for publication purposes only
Full details are on Buildner's website.
Participants who do not comply with these requirements will be disqualified without refund.
Submission deadlines
The final registration deadline is 30 October 2025.
Closing date for submissions is 20 November 2025. The winners will be announced on 17 December 2025.
About Buildner
Buildner promotes international architecture competitions, providing a platform for designers and architects to showcase their work and shape the future of the built environment.
For over ten years, the platform has published more than 140 competitions and had over 400 guest jury members.
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